It’s not long until Boardmasters 2023 and the countdown is officially on! This year is gearing up to be the biggest and best Boardmasters yet, with massive headliners: Lorde, Liam Gallgher (UK Festival Exclusive) and Florence + The Machine.
PLUS, over 200 more world-class acts and so much more including new festival stages, areas to explore, after parties, wellness and the best in international surfing. Boardmasters is Cornwall’s own surf and music festival, taking place from 9 – 13 August across two stunning sites in Newquay, Cornwall. We’ll see you at the beach!
With demand at an all-time high, camping and weekend tickets for Boardmasters are sold out with limited day tickets remaining. Festivalgoers are encouraged to get theirs now to avoid disappointment. Check out the Boardmasters website for more information at boardmasters.com.
MUSIC
This year’s headliners are nothing short of spectacular and are not to be missed. Friday will see the incredible New Zealand, chart-topping sensation Lorde take to the main stage at Watergate Bay. Saturday is the turn of the inimitable rock’n’roll star Liam Gallagher (this is the only UK festival where you’ll see Liam this summer!) and the ethereal, sensational Florence + The Machine will close out Boardmasters 2023 on Sunday. Fans will be treated to music spanning indie, house, electro, DnB, RnB, rock, and more, across 11 stages including Main Stage, Land Of Saints, Unleashed, The Point, The View, DB90, The Cove, Keg & Pasty, Transatlantic Lounge, The Submarine and VIP.
Other massive artists on the bill include special guest Ben Howard, Cypress Hill (Performing Black Sunday), Little Simz, RAYE, Dermot Kennedy, Rudimental, Four Tet, The Vaccines, Gabrielle Aplin, Example, Bou, Bru-C, SG Lewis, Yard Act, Shygirl, Confidence Man, Cassyette, Connie Constance, Squid, The Reytons, Gretel Hänlyn, Wunderhorse, Nova Twins, Warmduscher and hundreds more. And that’s not forgetting DJ and electro line-up for the ages including Ben Hemsley, Tsha, Kanine, Belters Only, Charlie Tee and loads more.
BOARDMASTERS PRESENTS
Boardmasters Presents is the brand new series of late night parties. For the first time, Boardmasters will host an after party every day for the duration of the festival – that’s a massive five days and five nights of music entertainment. Boardmasters Presents will take place at two of Newquay’s biggest, must-attend nightspots: Berties and Sailors. Featuring Luude, Charlie Tee, Ben Hemsley, Girl’s Don’t Sync, Charlie Boon, Jodie Harsh, Belter’s Only and Danny Howard, with more still to be revealed.
Boardmasters Presents is strictly aged 18+, running from 22:30 – 04:00 from Wednesday 9 – Sunday 13 August 2023. Attendees from the festival site at Watergate Bay can make their way to and from Newquay town centre using the Boardmasters Shuttle Bus which runs until 4:30. Tickets are on sale now, sold separately to Boardmasters festival tickets, and they’re selling fast!
THE UK’S BIGGEST SILENT DISCO!
Returning bigger and better than ever – festival goers can lose themselves to dance, immerse the senses and discover hands-in-the-air happiness when running wild across Boardmasters’ hugely popular outdoor Silent Disco – the largest in the UK! Explore a smorgasbord of sound waves across every genre; from rock hits to party classics, disco dancers, pop pleasures and indie bangers on the main stage, plus all of the DnB goodness at Land of Saints on Wednesday and Thursday. Festival-goers are encouraged to pre-book their headsets here.
“Returning bigger and better than ever.”
BEYOND THE MUSIC
That’s not all, with so much more to discover around the Boardmasters site. New for 2023, and by popular demand Fatty’s Yard comes to Boardmasters. All about those sweet summer vibes, jamming in a hammock with a cocktail as the sun goes down a moment of, pure summertime goodness, and a banging view, too. The Submarine is Boardmastes’ own back-alley dive-bar, speakeasy bar, the kind that’d be hidden away in the port district of a big city and the last place open at night. Also new for 2023, head to theTransatlantic Lounge – a quintessential 80s cheesy bar, found on a cruise liner! Both can be found in Boardmasters’ Dockyard area.
In the campsite, festival goers can find a moment of chill at Zennor Haven. Steeped in mermaid folklore and with odes to the sea, it’s a place where wellness and self care take to the fore. Zennor Haven’s new Salt of the Earth Stage will include sunrise and sunset yoga, hip-hop yoga, women’s circles, sound baths and sound healing as well as mental health talks from Mad Millennials and Mountain Men Talk. The Zen Den will feature creative workshops, pottery classes, seaglass jewellery making and more.
There’ll also be three brand new Boardmasters campsite hubs – Malibu, Cribbar and Jaws. These areas have been specially curated as destinations for weekend festival goers to enjoy throughout the day and as a perfect late-night location for entertainment, games and more. In the Jaws Campsite Village, expect high energy activations, meanwhile head to Malibu campsite for a brand new cinema, with the film schedule coming very soon. Cribbar is where the wellness happens, playing host to Zennor Haven as well as festival favourite Chai Wallah’s very own DJ Café.
Families at Boardmasters will be treated to an all-new, sustainable family area, called Junkfish. Here, families can enjoy fabulous and fun kids entertainment. There’ll be ‘make and take’ arts and crafts as well as getting everyone involved in the famous Junkball run, making the most out of those disused recycled materials!
This year, Oxfam is an official partner of Boardmasters. Look out for them on site as they’ll provide Upcycling Workshops for people to get involved with in Cribbar Campsite Village. Plus, make sure to check out The Whale; it’s visited Glastonbury and now makes its way to Boardmasters. Provided by Beach Guardian (who’ll also be getting involved in our daily beach cleans across Fistral, Porth & Watergate Bay beach clean), this huge sustainable sculpture, created to raise awareness of ocean pollution.
Rubicon RAW are returning to make another splash at Boardmasters 2023. Fostering its long-standing relationship with the surfing community, Rubicon RAW is synonymous with natural high energy, encouraging people to take on the waves and be the ultimate Force of Nature. Plus, look out for Lidl, Boardmasters’ Official Supermarket Partner. Find their Bubbles & Bangers themed bar and grab a Deluxe hot dog and a glass of fizz whilst soaking up the sun with all proceeds going to the NSPCC. Or, head down to Fistral Beach to experience the Lidl Mudder Zone for kids.
For the first time, Thatchers Cider will be at Boardmasters. From the cloudy and refreshing Thatchers Haze to the sweet and juicy Thatchers Blood Orange, fans can enjoy a pint of cider that is perfection in every drop. Head over to the Thatchers Bar throughout the festival and try a cider sample or take a swing in their hot air balloons to see what it would be like to fly over their home, Myrtle Farm. Brew Dog will be making waves at Boardmasters for the first time ever this summer. Lost Lager, Planet Pale and Hazy Jane will take centre stage, as the world’s first carbon negative brewery debuts on the South Coast. FULFIL return to Boardmasters this summer! Fans can expect exciting activities including ‘wonderfuel’ wake-up yoga sessions and fun, physical challenges running throughout the day as they bring a unique, energetic vibe to the Cornish coast.
Festival goers can share the stoke and immerse themselves in the world of learning to surf and more! Newquay is justifiably king of the UK surf scene, boasting consistent waves and a fantastic array of beaches to suit all conditions and all activities. Boardmasters attendees can book additional activities (at an extra cost) and try their hand at surfing, coasteering, paddleboarding and more here.
BOARDMASTERS OPEN SURF COMPETITION
Pro surfing is back on the Cornish coast with the 2023 edition of the Boardmasters OPEN, with the Animal Pro QS1,000 and Boardmasters Longboard Pro LQS1,000 for both men and women, along with the Boardmasters Junior OPEN, from 9 -13 August. The Boardmasters OPEN will officially launch the European Summer Leg of the World Surf League (WSL) Qualifying Series. Fistral Beach is free to attend, so festivalgoers can hop on the shuttle bus and head down there to soak up the surf and watch some of the biggest names in international surfing take on the Cornish waves.
Talent to watch out for includes Yolanda Hopkins who’s back from injury and returning to defend her Boardmasters title. 15-year-old Lukas Skinner, who is the current junior World Grom Champion (and from Cornwall) is back and ready to compete this summer! France’s own Thomas Ledee will be taking to Cornish waters to defend his 2022 Boardmasters title, while the UK’s Jobe Harris who finished 3rd last year will also be ready and raring to compete. Boardmasters will also welcome homegrown pro talent and some of the most exciting names on a global level – Ben Skinner, Luke Dillon (who won this year’s English Championship and is vying for a spot in the 2024 Olympics) and Lucy Campbell.
Steeped in heritage, Fistral Beach is the world-famous home of British surfing, and the place where Boardmasters began back in 1981. During the festival, Fistral Beach transforms into a vibrant surf festival complete with pro surf competitions, art installations, workshops, DJs and a bustling surf village.
TICKETS
This is the FINAL CHANCE to get hold of tickets for this year’s Boardmasters. Wednesday and Thursday Camping, and 3 Day No Camping Tickets have SOLD OUT in record time. If you are looking to get hold of one, head to official Resale Partner Tixel to pick one up! Day tickets are remaining and in limited supply, with Saturday general admission tickets already sold out, so fans are encouraged to head to boardmasters.com NOW for their tickets, to avoid missing out any further.
GETTING TO BOARDMASTERS
As part of Boardmasters’ ongoing commitment to the environment and sustainability, Big Green Coach is back once again as Official Travel Partner to Boardmasters 2023, with all of its 2023 coach services to the festival operating as carbon neutral. On sale now for arrivals on Wednesday and Thursday, returning on Monday. Plus, day return coaches will be running on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
For those arriving into Newquay train station, or wishing to travel between Fistral Beach and Watergate Bay, Boardmasters’ shuttle bus service will be in operation. Stopping at Manor Road Bus Station (for access to Fistral Beach), Newquay Train Station, and Boardmasters Festival Site (blue car park) at Watergate Bay, the Shuttle Bus will run from Wednesday – Monday from 07:30 – 04:30. Customers are advised to use the shuttle bus service to move between sites rather than driving their own car. The shuttle bus is the quickest way to reach Fistral Beach. It uses closed roads, it’s considerably quicker plus parking in Newquay is very limited.
Customers driving to Boardmasters are advised to book car parking in advance. Those travelling down in their own vehicles, can buy parking passes, to leave cars safely on site (available for both day and weekend ticket holders). Parking passes are available to book in advance from £29.50. Parking passes will also be available to buy on the door at £45. There is a £40 re-entry charge for vehicles at the festival to support Boardmasters in reducing the amount of traffic around the site at Watergate Bay and the carbon footprint of the festival.
There are signposted walking routes and shuttle buses available for a greener way to travel during the festival. Money charged to re-enter the festival contributes to the Boardmasters Foundation. The Foundation aims to support individuals, groups, charities and organisations that fall under one of our three key pillars of focus – Culture, Force for Good and Community. Every year the Foundation supports a range of local charities & projects with donations.
Don’t miss out on Boardmasters 2023. With limited day tickets remaining, snap them up now at boardmasters.com!
