Events

Every summer Cornwall is host to some incredible world-renowned events. Artists such as Lionel Richie, Elton John, Madness, Elbow and the Stereophonics have all played the mesmerising Eden Sessions at the Eden Project near St Austell, where thousands of music fans packed into the site to watch world class names perform their hits.

The Minack Theatre in Porthcurno, just four miles from Land’s End, is a stunning outdoor auditorium located on a rocky outcrop jutting into the sea. Dating back to 1932, the Minack has performances between March and September with the likes of the Great Gatsby, Jane Eyre and King Lear all taking to the stage on the edge of the Atlantic Ocean.

Every May the world of Pilot Gig Rowing have descended on the Isles of Scilly for the World Pilot Gig Championship. Teams from across the globe including the USA and Australia call the small archipelago, population little of 2,000, their home for the first weekend of May as they battle it out for the world crown.

Sticking with sport, Cornwall is also home to the Cornish Pirates, one of the top teams in the RFU Championship, rugby’s second tier competition in England. They play their home games at the Mennaye Field just a stone’s throw from Penzance promenade. With crowds regularly above 2,000, a day out at the rugby can be great fun for all the family, whatever the result.

Truro City FC play in the Southern League and play their home matches at Treyew Road on the outskirts of the city. As Cornwall’s highest ranked football team, they attract supporters from all over the county.

Each May Day, the quaint seaside town of Padstow becomes a hive of activity for the annual Obby Oss Festival. The festival involves two processions making their way around the town, each led by the eponymous ‘Obby Oss,’ or hobby horse, with traditional folk music sung throughout the day.

Usually held on May 8, Flora Day is when the town of Helston celebrates the end of winter and the start of spring. Houses and shops across the town are decorated with greenery and flowers to express the spirit of renewal. Celebrations begin at 7.00 a.m. with a strike of a large drum, before couples take to the streets to dance through houses and shops.  Children from all the schools in Helston then take to the streets around 10.00 a.m., with the Mid-Day dance taking place immediately after.  The day ends as it began…with couples dancing through the town, completing the historic day.