Boardmasters is up and running in Newquay, and the big weekend starts tomorrow. The campsites at Watergate Bay opened on Wednesday and there are DJ sets and silent discos running tonight, but the main stages fire up properly on Friday 7 August — and from there it's three days of headliners, surf heats and about 50,000 people making the most of the Cornish coast.

If you're heading down, here's what's actually happening, when, and what to sort before you go.

The basics: two sites, one festival

Boardmasters splits across two locations, and this catches out a lot of first-timers.

  • Watergate Bay is the ticketed bit — the arena, all the stages, the campsites. Camping is about a 15-minute walk from the arena.
  • Fistral Beach is where the surf competition, skate ramps, beach bar and Surf Village live. This side is free to attend, no ticket needed.

So if you're in Newquay this week without a music ticket, Fistral is still very much worth your time.

Who's playing, day by day

Friday 7 August — Fatboy Slim

Norman Cook closes the Main Stage from 9pm to 11pm, and he gets a full two-hour slot. Before him you've got The Kooks at 7.15pm, James Arthur at 6pm and Dizzee Rascal doing an afternoon special at 4.30pm. Over on Mordros, The Lathums play a long one at 8.15pm and Lambrini Girls bring the noise at 5.15pm. Unleashed goes hard late with HAMDI at 9.45pm.

Saturday 8 August — Lily Allen

Lily Allen headlines from 10pm, performing her West End Girl album. Nia Archives warms things up before her at 8.15pm, with Ren at 6.45pm and Example doing an afternoon set at 4pm. The heavier bill is on Mordros — The Darkness at 7.30pm followed by Pendulum (Live) at 9pm. Hot 8 Brass Band on The View at 11.15pm is the sleeper pick of the weekend.

Sunday 9 August — Kasabian

Kasabian close the festival at 9.30pm. Loyle Carner is on at 7.15pm, Joy Crookes at 6pm, Rudimental at 4.15pm and Tinie Tempah at 2.45pm. Goldie plays a live set on Mordros at 8.30pm, and Hannah Wants closes Unleashed at 11.45pm. Beans On Toast and Lucy Spraggan take The View into the evening.

That's just the top line — there are more than a dozen stages running, including the Keg & Pasty for Cornish acts and comedy, Banzai Bar for the daft stuff (90s rave fitness, a Taylor Swift social, an ABBA tribute), and the Red Bull Energy Zone with open skate sessions from 11am each day.

The weather looks decent

Good news. The forecast is warm and mostly dry, with a mix of sun and cloud rather than the washouts Boardmasters has had in the past.

  • Friday — highs of 20°C, sunshine and cloud, winds easing
  • Saturday — the warmest day at 22°C, a bit more cloud
  • Sunday — sunny spells, highs of 20°C, small chance of a shower

Nights drop to around 14–15°C, which is colder than people expect on a beach holiday. Pack a fleece or a hoodie for the walk back to the tent. And bring suncream — the UV on that clifftop is no joke, and there's not much shade in the arena.

What about the surf?

Modest. After a decent 4–6ft swell on Wednesday, the forecast drops to 1–2ft with light onshore and cross-shore winds for the rest of the event. Small, textured and a bit jumbled — so expect the competition to be about wave selection rather than big scores.

Getting there

Driving: organisers are asking people to ignore their sat nav on the final approach and follow the Boardmasters signage to Green Gate instead. Pick-up and drop-off is signed from there and runs 24 hours. Parking has to be booked in advance and starts at £50 — it's open 10am–midnight Friday to Sunday.

Be aware that Alexandra Road and Watergate Road are closed for crowd safety, running from Porth through to the Trevarrian Hill junction. The closure is in place 10am–3am each festival day, and 3am–2pm on the Monday.

Train: Newquay is the nearest station, on the branch line from Par. From there it's a 10-minute shuttle bus to Watergate Bay. A £15 shuttle ticket covers unlimited trips all weekend, running 7am–3pm Friday to Sunday.

Coach: Big Green Coach is the official partner, with seats from £20 and 87 pick-up points nationwide, plus 13 local day-return options if you're only going for one day.

What you can't bring

The banned list is longer than most people realise, and security do enforce it. The ones that catch people out:

  • Glass bottles — you can bring your own drinks, just not in glass
  • Spirits — beer, wine and cider are fine, spirits aren't
  • Food into the arena — sealed food is OK in the campsite only. Medical exemption needs a doctor's note
  • Professional cameras — anything with a detachable lens, including DSLRs
  • Disposable BBQs, gas canisters and camping stoves
  • Aerosols — apart from suncream and deodorant, and roll-ons and liquids are the safer bet
  • Big speakers — small Bluetooth only, and none at all on a day ticket
  • Single-use plastic, bladed items, high-vis jackets, drones and nitrous oxide

Still want to go?

There are tickets left. The basic and standard pre-pitched tents have sold out, as has the live-ins campsite for campervans and caravans, but most other camping options and day tickets are still available. Extras like lockers, charging packs and the hospitality lounge are also still on sale.

Only buy through the official Boardmasters site — resale scams spike hard in the last few days before a festival this size.

A few things worth knowing

  • Download the official Boardmasters app before you travel. Signal on site is patchy, and the app holds the map and any set time changes.
  • The campsite is a proper walk from the arena, uphill on the way back. Pack accordingly.
  • General camping stays open until 12pm on Monday 10 August, so you don't have to break camp at dawn on Sunday night.
  • Wellness sessions run at Cribbar Hall from 10am each morning if you need to reset.

Boardmasters turns 45 this year, having started life in 1981 as a straightforward surf contest. It's a long way from that now — but it's still the only UK festival where you can watch a heat at Fistral in the morning and a headline set on a clifftop the same night.