The Cultural Guide to Seafest 2024
Seafest, the celebration of Plymouth’s waterfront is back – bigger and better this year thanks to a new partnership between Plymouth City Council, Plymouth Sound National Marine Park, Plymouth Waterfront Partnership and Royal William Yard.
There’s a packed programme planned - and it’s not all cooking and eating fish! There’s also a huge number of cultural activities and opportunities across Plymouth’s waterfront over the weekend of 14th and 15th September.
Here’s the Made in Plymouth Guide.
Arts and Crafts
Lobster ‘Withy’ pot making on Quay Square. Watch David French, a fifth-generation traditional withy pot maker
Shell painting – 10am to 5pm. Enjoy colouring activities with shells.
Drawing and Exploring at Royal William Yard - Interactive Art Tour with Jayne Ashenbury
Draw and explore your way around Royal William Yard, capturing it in pen and ink. Join Jayne Ashenbury on this 1.5 hour walking art tour. All materials are provided - tickets must be booked in advance
Booking required Saturday 14th September - 10:00 - 11:30 / Sunday 15th September - 10:00 - 11:30
Devon Open Studios - at Ocean Studios. Visit Ocean Studios this weekend where a number of artists studios will be open as part of Devon Open Studios
Family Activity
Face painting on The Parade – 10am to 4pm Children will love the sea themed face painting (charge applies).
Calling all ocean explorers! Join the crew at The Boxcrew and embark on a voyage to save our oceans. Learn all about amazing whales through imaginative games, use puppetry to explore the seas they live in and work together to create a sea shanty to protect them. All hands on deck! These free family-friendly workshops from 10.30am-12.30pm are led by professional puppeteer and theatre maker Edie Edmundson and are based on 'The Whale’s Tale' which will be performed at the National Marine Aquarium in October. Ideal for children aged 5+ all of whom must be accompanied by an adult. Please make sure you book both child and adult tickets!
Royal William Yard is the perfect spot to enjoy Seafest.Visitors can expect a packed programme of cultural activity.
On the Green, there will be an exciting assortment of free fun things to see, do and learn from 10am-3pm on Saturday and Sunday. This includes the Children's Craft Zone to make some underwater animals and get creative
Face Painting - transform into a sea creature or a mystical mermaid
Circus Skills - Walk the plank, juggle like an octopus, and find your sea legs on the roller bowler.
Sights and sounds of the sea: get creative on a walk & art tour, join a South West Coast Path guided walk, or kick back and enjoy slam poetry, live music and a DJ set by the sea.
Performance
Slam Poetry. Kick back and listen to slam poetry by the sea at Firestone Arch. Taking place on Sunday 15th, the event will showcase local talent from 11am – 2pm.
Dive into the world of spoken-word at Seafest's Poetry Stage. Whether you’re a poetry aficionado or a curious newcomer, enjoy evocative poetry readings with the gentle sea breeze as your soundtrack. Featuring up-and-coming spoken word artists, as well as established local poets, immerse yourself in creative writing while taking in stunning coastal views.
Performances include celebrated playwright and artistic director Jon Nash, award winning poet Samantha Carr, seasoned spoken word performer Laurie Page, Plymouth's Laureate of Words Rosemarie Corlett and more.
Sit back, relax and enjoy the diverse and exciting poetic voices our beautiful city has to offer!
Performance schedule includes:
11:00 -11:20 - Rosemarie Corlett
11:20-11:40 - David Rutherford
11:40-12:00 - Eloise Dunwell
12:00-12:20 - Rich Taylor
12:20-12:40 - Jo Walton
12:40-13:00 - Laurie Page
13:00-13:20 - Karen Robinson
13:20 - 13:40 - Samantha Carr
13:40 - 14:00 - Jon Nash
The event is free to attend and has been made possible through the support of Plymouth Sound National Marine Park.
Enjoy some of the Roaming Acts entertaining you around Seafest.
Octopus and Lobster – 10.30am to 11.15am, 12.30pm to 1.15pm and 2.30pm to 3.15pm
Meet the Octopus and Lobster stilt walking duo!
Giant Seagulls – 11.30am to 12noon and 3.30pm to 4pm
These cheeky sea birds have had audiences in a flap all over the world. Giant cheeky gulls with working beaks, they’ll rummage in bags and pockets, steal food from plates and picnic baskets, squabble amongst themselves and generally cause a fuss.
Fairly Fish Company – 12noon to 12.30pm, 2pm to 2.30pm and 4pm to 4.30pm
The Fairly Fresh Fish Co. move through a crowd offering the traditional fare of a seafood stall. As the audience looks down upon the tray however, they quickly realise that not all is as it should be... There are prawns dancing and an octopus springing to life alongside strange stirrings in the jellied eel jar and a worrying seafood smoothie amongst other delights.
Live Music
There is a whole host of live music all around Seafest.
Enjoy live music by the sea, with free open-air gigs by popular performers at The Royal William Yard.
Saturday 14th September
10:30 - 11:30 Andy Quick
12:00 - 13:00 Thomas Ford
13:30 - 14:30 Anything but Francis
Sunday 15th September
10:00 - 15:00 Live DJ Performance
Also at Royal William Yard:
Old Time Sailors at Steel Brew - Sunday 15th September from 3pm
You are invited to board the Sailorette and join the plentiful crew, 'The Old Time Sailors', for a night of footstomping, dancing and singing! You will be sailing back to the 19th century for an immersive experience of traditional seafaring music performed in a way you have never seen before. The Motley Crew and their plethora of traditional and eclectic instruments will take you back to the time of clashing tankards, and drunken debauchery. Sing and dance along like a drunken sailor as the band perform centuries old folk and shantysongs. Fancy dress is encouraged, so pull out your best seafaring garments me hearties and join the festivities
At Sutton Harbour and The Barbican
West Pier Main Stage
Saturday
10.30am | Chudleigh Shantymen
11.30am | Plymouth Ocean City Sound
12.30pm | The Quartermasters
1.30pm | Jon Fazal
2.30pm | The Busketeers
3.30pm | Daisy Mae
4.30pm | Gozer Goodspeed & the Neon Gamblers
Sunday
10.30am | Old Grumpies
11.30am | Tavy Tars
12.30pm | Batten Down the Hatches
1.30pm | Barrel Seagals
2.30pm | The Out of Tunas
3.30pm | The Busketeers
The Parade
Saturday
11am | The Quartermasters
3pm | Plymouth Ocean City Sound
Sunday
11am | Batten down the Hatches
3pm | Tavy Tars
Southside Street (West – Citadel Ope)
Saturday
1pm | Daisy Mae: Daisy Mae is a singer, songwriter, and guitarist from Plymouth whose music is in the style of acoustic jazz and pop. Most of her songs are in the form of social commentary, with lyrics that focus on stepping off of the treadmill we find ourselves on and making a change.
2.30pm | Chudleigh Shantymen: The Chudleigh Shantymen formed in 2014 from a group of old boys who would ‘ meet down the pub’ of a Friday evening to sing shanties. The crew have performed at Plymouth Pirate Weekend, private parties and other local events. Their repertoire includes traditional sea shanties as well as songs of the sea written specifically for them.
Sunday
1pm | Out of Tunas
2.30pm | Old Grumpies
Southside Street (East – Pilgrim Ice Cream)
Saturday
2pm | The Quartermasters
3.30pm | Jon Fazal
Sunday
1pm | Batten Down the Hatches
2.30pm | Barrel Seagals
Commercial Wharf
Saturday
11.30am | Daisy Mae
1pm | Plymouth Ocean City Sound
Sunday
11.30am | Out of Tunas
1pm | Tavy Tars
Captain Jaspers
Saturday
11am | Jon Fazal
12.30pm | Chudleigh Shantymen
Sunday
11am | Barrel Seagals
12.30pm | Old Grumpies
After the event
Saturday
5pm | The Quartermasters | The Boathouse Cafe
5pm | Jon Fazal | Admiral MacBride
5pm | Daisy Mae | The Blues Bar
6pm | Gozer Goodspeed & the Neon Gamblers | The Maritime Inn
Heritage
Mount Batten Tower Open Day – 15 September
One of Plymouth’s key historic landmarks, the 17th Century Mount Batten Tower will be open to the public on Sunday 15 September as part of the Seafest weekend. Enjoy a free visit and learn more about the artillery fort that once protected the Plymouth Sound peninsula. There’s no need to book but take a look at important information about accessibility, restrictions, and travel details here. Plymouth Sound National Marine Park volunteers will kindly be supporting the Open Day.
Mount Edgcumbe
Discover the History of Mount Edgcumbe House – 15th September
Pre booking advised, house tours will run at the following times
11:30 – 12:45
12:30 – 13:45
14:00 – 15:15
15:00 – 16:15
To book please visit https://www.tickettailor.com/events/nationalmarinepark/1353077