Boardmasters Festival is an annual event held in Cornwall, United Kingdom, usually spanning five days on the second weekend of August. The event is a combination of live music and surfing/skateboarding competitions in and around the town of Newquay. The festival was founded in 1981 as a surfing competition, and in 2005 it was expanded to include music acts, taking place at Watergate Bay. In 2024 the official capacity of the event was increased to 58,000.
The majority of the music performances take place to the north of Newquay near Watergate Bay. The Men's Pro 5 Star WQS surf competition takes place on Fistral Beach where a skate ramp is built for the BMX and Skateboard competitions. Other sporting events include The Women's Open, WSL Men's Longboard, WSL Women's Longboard, Boys/Girls Pro Junior and Under 12's. It is also known to feature a well-being program, a tea-room, and a fairground.
The event is owned and managed by Vision Nine Group. In 2017 the Boardmasters Foundation was started to support local causes, such as the RNLI, with raised up to 2023.
Music festival The Watergate Bay site hosts the music arena and all festival camping. The festival runs from Wednesday to Monday, with music performances running from Friday to Sunday across ten stages: The Main Stage, Unleashed, The Point, The Land Of Saints, Corona Sunsets, The View, The Netloft, The Dockyard, Keg & Pasty and the VIP Bar/Stage. Past years have seen performers such as Bastille, Faithless, Chase & Status, Snoop Dogg, The Chemical Brothers, Stormzy, Ed Sheeran, Deadmau5, George Ezra, Two Door Cinema Club, Calvin Harris, Catfish and the Bottlemen, Years and Years, Dizzee Rascal and Craig David.
List of music headliners + Boardmasters Festival Year Dates Headliners Full Line Up20256-10 AugustRaye, Central Cee, The ProdigyBoardmasters Line-Up 202520247-11 AugustChase & Status, Sam Fender, StormzyBoardmasters Line-Up 2024 2023 9–13 August Lorde, Liam Gallagher, Florence + The Machine Boardmasters Line-Up 2023 2022 10–14 August George Ezra, Disclosure, Kings Of Leon Boardmasters Line-Up 2022 2021 11–15 August Foals, Gorillaz, Jorja Smith Boardmasters Line-Up 2021 2020 5–9 August Skepta, The 1975, Kings Of Leon Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic 2019 7–11 August Wu-Tang Clan, Florence and the Machine, Foals Cancelled due to poor Weather 2018 8–12 August Catfish and the Bottlemen, The Chemical Brothers, George Ezra Boardmasters Line-Up 2018 2017 9–13 August Two Door Cinema Club, Jamiroquai, Alt-J Boardmasters Line-Up 2017 2016 10–14 August Chase & Status, Deadmau5, James Bay Boardmasters Line-Up 2016 2015 5–9 August Faithless, Rudimental, Bastille Boardmasters Line-Up 2015 2014 6–10 August Chase & Status, Snoop Dogg, Bastille Boardmasters Line-Up 2014 2013 7–11 August The Vaccines, Basement Jaxx, Ben Howard Boardmasters Line-Up 2013 2012 8–12 August Ed Sheeran, Dizzee Rascal Boardmasters Line-Up 2012 2011 10–14 August Klaxons, Fatboy Slim Boardmasters Line-Up 2011 2010 4–8 August Newton Faulkner, Leftfield, Seasick Steve Boardmasters Line-Up 2010 2009 5–9 August The Streets, Cypress Hill Boardmasters Line-Up 2009 2008 4–10 August Groove Armada, The Pigeon Detectives Boardmasters Line-Up 2008 2007 6–12 August Paolo Nutini, Ash Boardmasters Line-Up 2007 2006 31 July – 6 August Feeder, Starsailor Boardmasters Line-Up 2006 2005 1–7 August James Blunt, Razorlight Boardmasters Line-Up 2005
Cancellations In 2014, the organisers of the festival were forced to cancel the final day at the Watergate Bay site due to the remnants of Hurricane Bertha. Artists due to perform were Bastille, George Ezra, Reel Big Fish, DJ EZ, 2manydjs and Catfish and the Bottlemen. However, the surf competition at Fistral Beach continued as normal and full refunds for the cancelled day were received by customers.
The 2019 event was also cancelled hours before it was due to take place, after serious concerns of bad weather forecast to disrupt the event. Boardmasters was then cancelled for a second year in a row in 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Award nominations
Boardmasters was nominated for ‘Best Medium Sized Festival’ at the 2014 UK Festival Awards, alongside Secret Garden Party, Camp Bestival, and winners We Are FSTVL. In 2023 it was nominated again for the UK Festival Awards, this time in the ‘Best Large Festival’ category.
Surf and skate
At Fistral Beach the surf, BMX and skate competitions take place along with more music during the evenings. A small mini-ramp is set up on the headland and the vert ramp is built in the beach car park. A purpose-built beach bar hosts more musical acts and evening beach sessions.
The festival has received local criticism due to its greater focus on the music performances, rather than the "extreme sports" side that the event was originally known for.
Professional surf competition winners
Event Winner Second 2014 Men's Open Jock Barnes (AUS) 2014 Women's Open Keshia Eyre (POR) 2014 Longboard Pro Ben Skinner (GBR) 2013 Men's Open Billy Stairmand (NZL) 2013 Women's Open Keshia Eyre (POR) 2012 Men's Open Charly Martin (GLP) 2012 Women's Open Miku Uemura (HAW) 2011 Men's Open Romain Cloitre (REU) 2010 Men's 5 Star WQS Surf Marc Lacomare Jay Quinn 2010 Aerial Assault Alan Stokes Oli Adams 2010 Vans Summer Sessions Skate Vert Sam Beckett Andy Scott 2010 Vans Summer Sessions BMX Mini Ramp Alex Colburn Tobias Wicke 2009 Men's 5 Star WQS Surf Daniel Ross Txaber Trojaola 2009 Aerial Assault Micah Lester Reuben Ash 2009 Vans Summer Sessions Skate Vert Alex Perelson Sam Beckett 2009 Vans Summer Sessions BMX Mini Ramp Ben Wallace Martin Cooper
References
External links