So you’re thinking of a trip to Cornwall this year? You’ve researched the best beaches (spoiler, they’re all pretty good), pinpointed surfing hotspots and dug out that elusive pair of flip-flops. You’ve triple-checked the weather and packed that raincoat alongside the suncream, you know, just in case. But one thing you may not have thought of is researching all the fantastic Cornwall events in 2023. And trust us, there’s a lot.
From fishing and theatre food to festivals, there’s a Cornwall event for everyone. We could swamp you with a title wave of Cornwall events, however, as locals ourselves, we’ll save you the hours of website trawling with our list of 7 unmissable Cornwall events in 2023.
St Piran’s Day
When: 5th March
Where: all over Cornwall
Price: free
The 5th March celebrates St Piran’s Day, the national day of Cornwall! The name comes from one of the patron saints of Cornwall, Saint Piran, who was also the patron saint of tin miners. Throughout Cornwall, you’ll find celebrations the week leading up to Sunday 5th, with plenty of Cornish food and drink on offer.
Towns throughout the county hold parades through the streets, with the two biggest usually found towards Cornwall’s most south-westerly tip, Penzance and Turo.
Padstow May Day
When: Mon 1st May
Where: Padstow
Price: free
If you’re not a fan of large crowds, this might be one for you to miss. However, if you love the feeling of community, dancing, singing and, dare we say, a tipple or two, May Day is a wonderful Padstow tradition not to be missed.
Padstow May Day celebrates the Celtic feast of ‘Beltane’ and pays tribute to the fast approach of Summer. The festival takes place in Padstows’s narrow streets and around the harbour and includes drumming, singing, dancing and local people dressed in customs decorated with ribbons, cowslips and bluebells.
Of course, the real stars of the show are the two Osses, the red ‘oss’ and the blue ‘oss’, which date back to the 19th century. The osses dance through the streets to the beat of the music. This Cornwall event concludes at midnight when the locals sing the ‘May Song’.
Fowey Festival of Arts and Literature
When: 12th – 20th May
Where: Fowey
Price: Varies on events
For culture vultures and book lovers, head to Fowey Festival and Arts and Literature this May for a week of arts, music, performances, guided talks and a whole-hearted celebration of the written word.
Recognised as Cornwall’s premium literacy festival, if your dream weekend is having endless time to read in a comfy chair, this festival is for you.
Royal Cornwall Agriculture Show
When: 8th, 9th, 10th June
Where: Wadebridge
Price: £46 - £2.75
You’ll want to set aside a whole day for this mammoth annual show. Marvel at the array of cattle, sheep, pigs and other agricultural animals on parade, most gunning for ‘best in show’. Sample the best of Cornwall’s produce, with plenty of homemade cheeses, jams, honey, chutneys and more. There are a lot of trade stands to see as well, alongside the classic agricultural machinery exhibitions.
The Royal Cornwall Agriculture Show is popular amongst, you’ve guessed it, royals, with King Charles (then Price) in attendance in 2022.
Falmouth International Sea Shanty Festival
When: 16th – 18th June
Where: Venues across Falmouth
If the Royal Cornwall Agricultural Show is the best of its kind when it comes to rural shows, then Falmouth’s International Sea Shanty Festival is the big one when it comes to shanty festivals. And as you can image, there are plenty around Cornwall.
Falmouth’s harbour has long been the backdrop for choruses, making it a fitting location for this Cornwall event of musical merriment.
Cornwall Pride
When: Throughout the Summer
Where: Across Cornwall
Price: free
If you don’t want to pin down a specific date in your diary, but you know you’ll be looking for a Cornwall event during your Summer visit, you’ll find plenty of Pride events and parades in Cornwall in 2023.
To celebrate 50 years of Pride in the UK, Cornwall has ramped up their events scheduled for the coming year, with events spanning towns throughout the country, rather than just the usual singular Pride event in Newquay.
Each location has a unique theme, embracing love for all, celebrating Celtic culture, and supporting human rights and trans rights.
Expect lots of colour, music, art and dancing.
Montol Festival
When: 21st December
Where: Across Penzance
Price: Free
It’s only just approaching Spring, but it’s never too early to get dates in your diary for Cornwall events in 2023. The Montol Festival is one of the best traditional Cornish festivals in the county, and takes place each year on the same night as the Winter Solstice.
This midwinter custom stretches back hundreds of years and includes a six-day arts and community festival leading up to the 21st December. This big Cornwall event celebrates music and dancing and also sees the appearance of ‘guise guilds’ and ‘obby’ osses.
These are just a handful of unmissable Cornwall events in 2023. If none of them takes your fancy, you’d be the first, and if you’re now wondering where you’ll stay while visiting these events, we’ve got you covered there too.
Located a stone’s throw away from Fistral Beach, Pentire offers sweeping sea views and a warm welcome for all. Whether you’re looking to visit one or more of these unmissable Cornwall Events, Pentire is the perfect place to stay.