Oyster Festival

About Oyster Festival

At Events Square, Falmouth, Oyster Festival 2026 runs 8–11 October as a food festival centred on seafood, Cornish produce and the native Fal oyster.

The event marks the start of the oyster dredging season and puts traditional harvesting by sail and oar in view. Daytime entry is free. Evening entertainment is ticketed from 6pm.

Its 2025 edition reported more than 25,000 visitors across the event, after a 2024 postponement and a refreshed return to Events Square in 2025.

Lineup and Programme

The 2026 music programme is described as a mix of soul, folk, blues and Cornish tradition.

Announced acts include Falmouth Soul Sensation, Mad Dog McRea, Giles Robson with Dave Keller and The Oggymen. Food leads the daytime programme.

The Chef’s Theatre runs chef demonstrations and cookery masterclasses, alongside talks with Kelp Canteen, food stalls, an arts and crafts market, the Working Boat Race, the grand oyster parade, the Oyster Shucking Competition, river boat cruises and family activities.

Who Is It For?

The daytime bill is set up for a broad, family-friendly audience around seafood, cookery, market stalls and family activities.

After 6pm, it changes. The evening programme moves into ticketed headline concerts, with soul, funk, disco, folk rock, gypsy jazz, bluegrass, blues, sea shanties and Cornish folk among the listed styles.

The Venue and Site

Events Square is the 2026 site, with the Chef’s Theatre named as part of the same Events Square setup.

Bars are part of the build. Listed facilities include real ale bars, wine and champagne bars, oyster and seafood bars, artisan market stalls, cookery masterclasses, Chef’s Theatre demos, food stalls, talks and panels.

Travel

Events Square sits in Falmouth, with rail access via the Maritime Line and local road access through the town centre.

• Nearest rail: Falmouth Town station is the closest station to the town centre, with Events Square about a 5-minute walk away.
• Alternative rail: Falmouth Docks station is another nearby stop on the Maritime Line.
• By road: access routes named for the area include Arwenack Street, Arwenack Avenue, Melvill Road, Avenue Road, Church Street, Grove Place and Queen Mary Road.
• Parking: nearby Cornwall Council car parks include Grove Place, Church Street, The Dell on Arwennack Avenue, Town Quarry, The Moor and Well Lane.
• Regional rail: Truro is about 25–30 minutes by train to Falmouth Docks or Falmouth Town; Plymouth is about 1 hour 50 minutes to 2 hours to Falmouth Docks.