Boardmasters has wrapped up its 2026 edition, with 158,000 people passing through Watergate Bay and Fistral Beach across five days. Fatboy Slim, Lily Allen and Kasabian took the three headline slots, the surf contest got a ratings bump, and the weather — for once — behaved.

The festival is back 4–8 August 2027. Super Early Bird tickets are on presale now and general sale opens 10am on Friday 14 August, with payment plans starting in October.

The music

Friday belonged to Fatboy Slim, who turned the Main Stage at Watergate Bay into a very large open-air club. Earlier in the day, Cornish four-piece Fletchr Fletchr opened proceedings and Rose Gray drew a bigger early-afternoon crowd than most acts in that slot manage.

Saturday was Lily Allen's, performing her West End Girl album in full. It was her first major festival headline in some time and, going by the reaction, one of the sets people will still be talking about next summer.

Sunday opened with Falmouth folk artist Essy Sparrow, who won her slot through the first Boardmasters Breaking competition run with BBC Introducing — a decent bit of pipeline-building for a festival that leans on local talent. Kasabian closed the Main Stage.

Elsewhere across the weekend: The Kooks, Loyle Carner, Nia Archives touring her Emotional Junglist album with a new live show, plus Rudimental, REN, Tinie Tempah, Example and Dizzee Rascal.

Beyond the Main Stage

  • Mordros — Pendulum (Live), Goldie (Live), The Darkness and Chloe Qisha
  • Unleashed — Ewan McVicar, Hamdi, Hannah Wants, Girls Don't Sync
  • Surf Club 81 — clifftop sunset sets from General Levy, Lens and Woody Cook
  • Keg & Pasty — Cornish grassroots acts, sea shanties and stand-up; still the best hangover stage on the site
  • The View — acoustic sets from Sasha Keable, Hot 8 Brass Band, Beans On Toast and Lucy Spraggan

The surf contest stepped up

The Boardmasters Open at Fistral moved up to a World Surf League QS 4,000 rating this year, which pulled a stronger international field. France's Sam Piter took the Men's Shortboard title in a tight final against local favourite Lukas Skinner, and Spain's Janire Gonzalez Etxabarri won the Women's Shortboard.

In the Longboard Pro, presented by YETI, Louis Marchiset picked up his first Longboard Qualifying Series title, while Réunion's Alice Lemoigne won her seventh Boardmasters title — a record that's starting to look untouchable.

Ocean campaigning and a quieter corner

Boardmasters launched an ocean protection partnership with Oceana UK, built around The View stage. Falmouth University art students produced original protest artwork calling for an end to bottom-trawling in UK Marine Protected Areas — a pointed thing to display on a clifftop overlooking the Atlantic.

The sensory calm space returned too, with low lighting, ear plugs and weighted blankets. It's aimed at neurodiverse guests but open to anyone who needs twenty minutes away from the noise, and it's one of the better-executed examples we've seen at a festival this size.

Festival Director Rob Spring said the team are already excited to get started on 2027, promising a bigger edition.

Should you buy for 2027?

Boardmasters sells out most years, and the cheapest tickets go first. If you're fairly sure you're going, Super Early Bird with the October payment plan is the sensible option — you're spreading the cost and locking the lowest price before the lineup is announced.

Two things worth planning early: camping at Watergate Bay is a walk from the arena and the good pitches go fast, and Newquay accommodation for non-campers gets expensive the moment tickets go on sale. Sort travel in the same week you buy.

Sign up for the Boardmasters 2027 presale | General sale 10am, Friday 14 August