THIS COMING WEEKEND – 13TH – 15TH JUNE 2025
ANCHORED IN TRADITION: FALMOUTH’S 21ST YEAR OF CELEBRATING SEA SHANTY CULTURE
DATE OF EVENT: FRIDAY 13TH – SUNDAY 15TH JUNE 2025
OVERVIEW
For over two decades, the port of Falmouth has played host to the International Sea Shanty Festival. The award-winning festival started back in 2004 as a grassroots event with a modest five groups popping up around the town’s Custom House Quay to make their voices heard. Today it is the largest free nautical event in Europe and in 2025, more than 50,000 visitors are expected to see 85 sea shanty groups from all over the world come together to perform on stages, in cafes, pubs, hotels, and community venues, bringing the history, heritage and culture of maritime song to life in this vibrant Cornish port.
It is safe to say that over the years, there has been an evolution of the tradition and a new wave of demographics that are adding a certain saltness whilst raising their voices to be heard. Alongside the more traditional groups which are heavily male, today there are ‘new world’, typically younger, LGBTQ+, female and international groups taking up sea shanty singing in their own way and style, bringing fresh interpretations to the tradition.
Truly ‘glocal’, it has global reach but mass local impact. 2025 sees 240 local schoolchildren from Falmouth and Cornwall perform alongside a group all the way from Canada and Kessanyan – a three-part harmony group from Redruth. These just some of the groups in the line-up.
TIMELINE AND KEY FILMING OPPORTUNITIES
Friday 13th June
- 1pm – Official opening ceremony on the Events Square main stage, followed by the Breton Bash.
- 2.45pm – Schools Parade from The Moor to Church St car park to perform on the main stage alongside Will Keating.
- 7pm – Gala Concert seated event at the Princess Pavilion with Acapella Moonshine, Nordet, Sloop Groggy Dogs, Stuns’ls and The Lemonaires.
- 7pm – Seaweed in the Fruit Locker performing on Custom House Quay outdoor stage.
- 8.30pm – The Longest Johns perform at brand-new main stage, The Falmouth Hotel.
Saturday 14th June
- 11am – Groups parade from the Prince of Wales Pier to Events Square, this year to also include 120 schoolchildren who will then perform on the Events Square main stage alongside Will Keating.
- 12pm – Bones workshop at the Indidog marquee by Dutch Uncle.
- 1pm – Performance from The Oggymen on the Princess Pavilion bandstand.
- 4pm – Femmes de la Mer performing at Greenbank hotel main stage.
- 5.30pm – Kessenyan perform at The Front pub on Custom House Quay.
- 8.30pm – Rum and Shrub performance at The Falmouth Hotel.
- 6.30pm – Performance from the water on the Fal River Ferry adjacent to the Greenbank Hotel main stage, further performances at 8pm adjacent to the Events Square main stage and 9pm adjacent to Custom House Quay.
- 10pm – Performance from Nordet on the Events Square main stage.
Sunday 15th June
- 10am – Shanty church service with Molgoggers and The Orkney Sea Society at King Charles the Martyr Church.
- 12pm – Falmouth Shout performance at Seven Stars.
- 3pm – Performance by Kessenyan at Pennycomequick.
- 6pm – Official closing ceremony on the Events Square main stage and presentation of ‘Beat Betty’ fundraising winners.
SEAWEED IN THE FRUIT LOCKER
The LGBTQIA+ sea shanty choir Seaweed in the Fruit Locker has talented Plymouth-based artist, Rhys Morgan at the helm. Inspired by his upbringing in a rural, coastal community, where he felt both excluded and deeply intrigued by the seafaring songs of his region, he decided to put a call out in 2022. He immediately received a strong response and now has a 15+ strong choir of wonderful queer choristers.
RUM & SHRUB
Rum & Shrub is one of the original International Sea Shanty Festival groups. Firmly from Cornwall but with a worldwide reputation for lively singing of shanties, sea songs and folk songs, the group has been enthusiastically performing together since 1991. They have graced stages everywhere from the Eastern seaboard of the USA to many places in Western Europe as well as national TV work and many more local events. The name has been inspired by a well-known local drink reputed to have been enjoyed by smugglers!
KESSENYAN
Kessenyan is a very talented three-part harmony group made up of, Harry, Olly and Ruby, based in Redruth, Cornwall, singing sea shanties, sea songs and songs from the English/Irish/Scottish folk circuit. Kessenyan means harmony and it represents them perfectly.
FEMMES DE LA MER
An all-female a cappella group with a unique sound gaining them recognition amongst the folk and sea shanty communities.
NORDET
For more than 35 years Nordet, from Lorient, Brittany, has been performing traditional sea shanties and its own creations.
For information on the festival including the detailed schedule, visit the website, www.falmouthseashanty.co.uk. In keeping with tradition, the event will continue to support and fundraise for the RNLI who are celebrating 200 years of saving lives at sea this year.
Website: falmouthseashanty.co.uk
Facebook: Falmouth International Sea Shanty Festival
Instagram: @falshantyfestival