The desire to hold a special gathering close to home in Cornwall has been on the Fisherman’s Friends’ minds for some time. While still holding down their day jobs, the group regularly sell out venues across the UK and are bursting out of tents at local festivals. The group has announced that in 2026, they will be hosting their very own Fisherman’s Friends Festival, celebrating Cornwall right in the heart of the Duchy. They are inviting fans, old and new, to join them for a feast of top-class music, entertainment, friendship, and fun over the Bank Holiday weekend (22nd to 24th May 2026) at Stithians Showground, near Penryn.
The Fisherman’s Friends themselves will open and close an eclectic bill of artists and entertainers from near and far, including Jools Holland and his 20-piece Rhythm & Blues Orchestra with special guest Roachford and guest vocalists including Ruby Turner. Other acts include Mercury Prize winner Kate Rusby, Skipinnish (Scotland), Sharon Shannon (Ireland), Seth Lakeman (Western Isles), and Bristol-based sea shanty act The Longest Johns. The Main Stage line-up is completed by the Porthleven Town Band, Falmouth singing group The Oggymen, the Cornish Splann Ceilidh Band, plus sets from Kernow King and Johnny Cowling, who will also compere.
Band member Jon Cleave said: “The Fisherman’s Friends are so excited to invite you, one and all, to their brand new festival down in the very heart of our wondrous county at Stithians, in what promises to be a Cornish occasion for all friends you’ve known for years and for all those you’ve yet to meet. We’ll see you all dreckly!”
To turn this bright idea into reality, the chaps have partnered with David and Laura Farrow of DMF Music, the team behind staging the perennially popular Beautiful Days festival held each August in Devon since 2003. They said: “We’ve known the Fisherman’s Friends and their team for a long time and were delighted to be asked to get involved in the festival. It’s shaping up to be a great weekend!”
Stithians Showground is best known as the venue for the annual summer Stithians Show, steeped in the tradition of Cornwall’s agricultural community. A spokesperson said: “Stithians Agricultural Association are delighted to be welcoming the Fisherman’s Friends to the Showground. We are very proud of our site and are super excited to see it be transformed next May and can’t wait for people to come and experience the festival vibes. It’s certainly going to be something to celebrate.”
Tickets, which include day and weekend tickets, discounted tickets for children, day or weekend car parking, add-ons for camper vans and caravans and bell tents available for hire, go on sale at 10:00am on Thursday, 19th June 2025 and can be found at this link.
