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Boardmasters Festival

GenreRock, Indie rock, Alternative rock, Dance
DatesSecond weekend of August
FrequencyAnnually
Location(s)Newquay, Cornwall, England
Coordinates50°26′20″N 5°2′32″W / 50.43889°N 5.04222°W / 50.43889; -5.04222
Years active1981–present
Most recent9–13 August 2023
Next event7 – 11 August, 2024
ParticipantsSee lineups
Attendance53,000 (2023)
Websitewww.Boardmasters.co.uk


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,[1] and in 2005 it was expanded to include music acts, taking place at Watergate Bay. The current capacity is 53,000.[2][3]

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.[4] 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 also has a well-being program featuring aerial yoga, massages, wood-fired hot tubs and champagne.[5]

The event is owned and managed by Vision Nine Group.[6]

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.[7] As well as music there is a variety of bars, stalls and fairground rides on the site, including a virtual reality hypercube. [8]

List of music headliners

Main article: Boardmasters Festival line-ups
Boardmasters Festival
Year Dates Headliners Full Line Up
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.[9] 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.[10]

Boardmasters was then cancelled for a second year in a row in 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Award nominations

Fistral Beach showing the beach bar setup ready for the 2010 festival

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.[11]

Surf and skate

The vert ramp at the 2010 festival during the first skateboard free practice session.

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.

Professional surf competition winners

Pro surfer at Boardmasters Festival 2014
Event Winner[12] 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

  1. ^ "Snoop Dogg announced as third Boardmasters Headliner for 2014". Newquay.co.uk. 11 March 2014. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  2. ^ "Surf's up: Boardmasters festival increases capacity". 24 January 2017. Retrieved 24 January 2017.
  3. ^ "Boardmasters seeks to raise numbers". Boardmasters. Retrieved 11 January 2017.
  4. ^ "Official Boardmasters Website". Archived from the original on 18 April 2015. Retrieved 14 May 2015.
  5. ^ "Wellbeing | Boardmasters Festival 2019". www.boardmasters.com. Retrieved 24 July 2019.
  6. ^ "Our Events". Visionninegroup.com. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  7. ^ "History of Boardmasters | Boardmasters". Archived from the original on 27 April 2015. Retrieved 14 May 2015.
  8. ^ "Boardmasters Festival 11 – 15 August 2021 | Boardmasters Festival 11 – 15 August 2021". Boardmasters.com. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  9. ^ "Boardmasters is cancelled because of severe weather". Bbc.co.uk. 10 August 2014. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  10. ^ "Twitter, Boardmasters". Twitter.com. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  11. ^ "The UK Festival Awards 2013 shortlist announced". Skiddle.com. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  12. ^ "Official Boardmasters Website". Archived from the original on 17 May 2015. Retrieved 9 January 2021.

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