If dancing to sea shanty bands, sampling delicious food and drink, having fun in the water, looking for fishy clues on a walking trail and taking part in free fun activities sounds like your kind of thing – then get yourselves down to Plymouth’s Seafest 2024 Festival this month.
Seafest is taking place on the city’s Barbican and around the waterfront on Saturday September 14 and Sunday September 15, and is set to wow visitors with all it has going on.
Not only is it one of the most popular events of the year and a perfect way to see Plymouth’s stunning waterfront in all its glory, this year there is even more going on that families will enjoy.
The ‘Seafest Sound Stage’ is just one new addition to the festival for 2024, and is set to be a huge hit.
Organisers Plymouth Waterfront Partnership, are excited to announce a ‘shoal’ of new features for this year’s Seafest, and say it promises to be a fantastic weekend for all the family.
This year, PWP are partnering with Plymouth City Council and Plymouth Sound National Marine Park to make the festival even bigger than ever by providing an even greater focus on marine activities, opportunities to engage with the water and ways to look after our much-loved Plymouth Sound. Plymouth Sound National Marine Park is made possible with The National Lottery Heritage Fund.
Seafest 2024 Sound Stage set to be a highlight
One of the highlights of this year’s Seafest will be the brand-new entertainment stage, the ‘Seafest Sound Stage’. This dedicated space, located on West Pier, by the Mayflower Steps will host a variety of performances throughout the weekend, including shanty bands, entertainers and family-friendly fun all adding to the colourful and vibrant atmosphere of Seafest.
You just know this is going to be the place to be!
Live music will also be played at a variety of locations across the waterfront during the weekend including on Southside Street, Commercial Wharf, and The Parade. The entertainment will carry on into the early evening at local venues too.
Jon Walton, CEO and Kim Downer, from Plymouth Waterfront Partnership, said: “We’re really pleased to be able to bring the ‘Seafest Sound Stage’ to the festival this year and provide a focal point for the excellent shanty bands and entertainers singing and playing to entertain the visitors to Seafest.”
“Seafest really is only achievable because of our levy payers and key stakeholders so we always want to ensure that each year we strive to provide the ‘best one yet’. The collaboration with Plymouth Sound National Marine Park is a natural fit – we’re really excited by the partnership.
“Seafest is the epitome of Plymouth’s waterfront – family friendly, local produce, entertainment, a fantastic local offer, showing off our wonderful marine and maritime heritage – we’d encourage everyone to come along for the weekend and ‘sea’ and experience it.”
Activities for the whole family at Seafest 2024
In addition to the new ‘Seafest Sound Stage’, Seafest will continue to feature a wide range of activities for the whole family. Visitors can enjoy delicious food and drink, browse local stalls, enjoy finding some fishy clues in the ever-popular trail around the Barbican, and in partnership with Plymouth Sound National Marine Park take part in a range of free activities both on and off the water.
Traders lining The Parade, Quay Square and West Pier at Seafest will be offering all sorts of local produce for visitors to enjoy on the day as well as take away. You’ll find everything from street food and shellfish, to cheese and organic produce to local gins, cool beers, refreshing ciders and sparkling wines.
Fun will stretch across the waterfront
Seafest 2024 will transform Plymouth’s historic waterfront, from Bretonside to Royal William Yard and reaching across the water to Mount Batten and Mount Edgcumbe.
Across Plymouth Sound National Marine Park at Mount Batten, Tinside Lido and Mount Edgcumbe there will be a wide range of taster sessions to get people in, on, under and near the water.
These will include free swimming sessions, SCUBA diving, sailing, kayaking, and stand-up paddleboarding.
There is also the chance to visit the Mount Batten Tower on the Sunday to take in the most stunning views of Plymouth Sound. Ocean Conservation Trust will be hosting an evening at the National Marine Aquarium on the Sunday evening, celebrating Seafest with a special event, and The Box will have free puppetry workshops for children following the story of The Whale’s Tale.
At West Hoe Pier, volunteers will be taking part in a marine clean up, and visitors can also find out about the history that lies on the bottom of Plymouth Sound. And don’t miss the season-ending doggy dip at Tinside Lido on the Sunday afternoon – even if you don’t have a furry friend yourself, it’s always a brilliant sight to see!
More fun to be had at Royal William Yard
Hop on the ferry from the Barbican to Mount Batten or the Royal William Yard to join in even more fun.
The Yard is once again joining in with Plymouth’s Seafest celebrations, offering a weekend of free family fun and entertainment. Visitors can expect live performances, Hide & Seek trail, a BBQ at Hook & Line, fresh fish market, children’s crafts, garden games, circus skills, face painting, pop-up stands, an Interactive Geo Trail, South West Coast Path guided walk, a walk and art tour, stand-up paddleboarding sessions, free ‘Shark & Ride’ shuttle bus and much more! Find out more about Seafest 2024 at Royal William Yard here.
Ocean MINI is Seafest’s headline sponsor this year. Alice Duxbury, Group Marketing Manager at Ocean Group said: “Ocean MINI is thrilled to be the headline sponsor of Seafest 2024 in Plymouth. This year, MINI has launched exciting new all-electric models, and we are delighted to showcase the brand new All-Electric MINI Cooper and the first All-Electric MINI Countryman at the event.
“Be sure to visit our stands at the Barbican and Royal William Yard, where you can see these fantastic new models up close. We’ll also have lots of fun, interactive competitions for all ages, so come along, say hello, and join in the excitement. We can’t wait to see you there!”
Other sponsors include Ventons Devon Cyder and The Early Bird who are the Seafest’s official bar and entertainment programme sponsors respectively.
Go online to see the full list of live music for Seafest and click here to find out the best ways to get to Seafest.
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