Boardmasters 2023

8:00am 09 Aug - 11:30pm 13 Aug, 2023

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Newquay, Cornwall, United Kingdom

Boardmasters 2023: The Ultimate Surf, Skate and Music Festival

Surfs up when Boardmasters hits the Cornish coast in the United Kingdom. Europe’s ultimate lifestyle and surfing festival delivers the goods by bringing events to two epic locations. The home and birthplace of the UK surf scene Fistral Beach plays host to the best in action sports including surfing, skateboarding and BMX competitions. You can see all the action starting on Wednesday right on the beach.  

There will also be Surf Village, Beach sessions and bar at Fistral beach that will keep you going for the whole weekend. Starting on Friday, August 11 the party heads to the music festival site at Watergate Bay, a 15 minute drive from Fistral Beach.  

Witness rad international bands and DJ’s perform at the top of the bay.  Known across the UK as Cornwall’s festival, Boardmasters will bring on a laid back festival vibe to bring out the inner surfer in you. So live it up with this summer!

‘Surf alongside pros, hit the skateboard, hot tub with friends and party all night long. When you get to Boardmasters you’ll realise summer days are better spent venturing along 300 rad miles of England’s Cornish coast.’

Your experience at Boardmasters

Cornwall sure knows how to show the English summer a good time! 

Events galore are on offer, a 5-day smorgasbord of yoga, coasteering, surf lessons, Quiksilver Open, shopping, family fun, Cornish pasties, camping, glamping and the best music acts in the whole flipping world. 

Sunkissed and fancy free, Boardmaster’s has kidnapped the best 300 miles of the Cornish coast so you can use it as your playground.  Take part in adventure sports like kayaking, enjoy a calm coastal run, learn circus skills inside the big top or watch the pros take on the World Surf League (WSL) qualifying series (QS).  

Get down to Fistral Beach, where all the entertainment and events are free. Watch the pros compete in surf, BMX and skate comps while enjoying music, surf village shopping, creative workshops and arts in a super chill setting. DJ’s and live bands play in the beach bar all day long under the warm English sun, ideal for grabbing a beer and some friends to watch the sun go down over the water.

Cornish pasties are a must-have, make sure you enjoy the fresh produce and seafood that Cornwall is famous for like oysters, squid, pastries, farm to plate produce and frothy pale ales or hard cider.

Then it’s time to head to the party. Many stages dot the coastline and other major venues in the area and your Boardmaster tickets will get you inside. The Main Stage at Watergate Bay has the top shelf world-class acts like George Ezra, James Bay, Snoop Dogg, and Ben Howard.  Unleashed at Watergate Bay is the largest indoor rave with DJ’s meet big music like Craig David, Jaxx Jones, Sigma, Kano and Zane Lowe.

The music is played on 11 stages and intimate setting alike, beginning on Wednesday night and then slowing building up for the biggest shows held on the weekend. After parties are sought after, you can find out around the festival where the smaller shows are being held into the wee hours. 

Whether you pace yourself and hit a fresh spot every night or try to get to them all, the party is on beachside all week long. 

Best views at Boardmasters

Without a doubt, Fistral Bay is one of the best views. Better yet is to join the Beach BBQ in the evenings to watch the sunset after a day of watching pro surfers. The VIP Bar is also a great way to rub shoulders with the pro athletes and musicians who pop in for refreshments.

Ahhh the hot tubs from Cornwall’s first eco-friendly spa are situated in a great spot, overlooking the bay, where you can marinate in wood-fired warmth, admire the view, hop in a yurt sauna and then chill out some more in their bean bag adorned lounge. 

What to wear

Sea monster or mermaid costume for the “Under the Sea” Parade
Snorkel or dive gear
Wetsuit
Yoga Pants
Party jacket

What to pack

Swimsuits
Hats, Sunscreen and sunglasses
Surfboard, skateboard, and bmx gear
Running shoes
Loose pants with elasticated waistbands for eating all those cornish pasties!

Buy tickets

Boardmaster’s celebrates it’s 40th year, with payment plans beginning from just £30, you can pay off your tickets for 8 rad months before you head off to the coast.

There’s a number of different ticket options:

Camping tickets for 5 days 
VIP tickets 
‘Charger’ tickets which is for the full experience

It’s extra to book tickets for music sessions, afterparties, surf lessons, coach travel and glamping. Each venue has set its own prices. 

Boardmasters Festival 2023 Schedule

Boardmasters packed calendar of events is played out over 5 magnificent days, with 80,000 visitors taking advantage of all the action.

Day time:

You can get down the Fistral Beach daily for all the pro events:

Surfing WQS:

Boardmasters holds the biggest surfing competition in the UK part of the World Surf League qualifying series. The main events are the Mens Quiksilver Open and the Roxy Ope as well as the Men’s and women’s. 

LQS1000 (longboard) comps. Watch Britain’s best surfers take on the world’s best. All of the surfing contests will be held at Fistral Beach and will be free to watch. Just rock up at the beach and enjoy the action. 

The Surfing starts on Wednesday and goes on all weekend finishing on Sunday, August. Other sporting events include The Women’s Open, WSL Women’s Longboard, Boys/Girls Pro Junior and Under 12’s.

Check out the Surf Village for the latest clobber, food, drinks and live music guaranteed to keep you entertained.

Skateboarding & BMX Events:

The Boardmasters Invitational Skate and BMX contests at the mini ramp will be taking over Fistral beach. Watch the best skaters and BMX’s in the UK go nuts! There will also be the Boardmasters Young Gun invitational (under 16’s) to discover the next generation super groms. All the skate and BMX action is free to watch just head down to the event area.

Night Time:

Music Lineup on 11 separate areas take over Cornwall for Boardmasters, beginning on Wednesday night and amping up towards the weekend. 

Top Tips

You can fill your karma cup by taking part in the Fistral beach clean. Volunteer and help make the planet a greener place while doing some good during festival time.

Have breakfast on the beach, the surf village opens early so you can enjoy a wonderful start to the morning. 

Book tickets early for the Beach Sessions and listen to world-famous music acts in an intimate session. You’ll never know who will turn up. 

There’s now contactless payment available across all sites.

Boardmasters Festival History

Fistral beach’s pro surfing competition was held in 1981, and it’s been a mainstay in Newquay ever since. Taking place usually in the first two weeks of August, Boardmasters has been growing every year, into the rad summer fest that’s enjoyed by 80,000 visitors these days. 

Holding on to it’s surfing identity and attitude the festival continues to innovate and try to be as eco-friendly on the area as possible, hiring staff to keep the area clean and green. Over the years it has networked and cooperated extensively with local businesses to ensure the whole area benefits from the event. It aims to advocate for local products wherever it can. 

James Blunt was the first headliner In 2005 when the music festival site was first created, with a capacity for 5,000 people.  Music is now held at Watergate Bay and to the North of Newquay. The capacity for the concerts is 53,000 party goers. 

As the festival embarked into the 2020s, it has gone contactless for payments at the event and now does a beach cleanup as part of the event schedule, aiming to educate on sustainability as well as showing people a good time. 

Things to do in Newquay

As well as hitting all the action at the beach, snapping up pastries at the bakeries and dancing all night, there are some eco and family-friendly events during festival time.

Mindfulness arena – Zennor Haven is home to yoga and family yoga sessions, massage and reflexology, wellness workshops and talks, eco spa with saunas and hot tubs, and mindful eating, drinking and chill out space. 

Take part in the adventure side of the festival. Stand up paddleboard your way around the bays at sunset, explore the rock pools, run the coastline, go diving or snorkeling with guided tours and learn how to surf. Boardmasters will get you in the mood to try something fresh and different.

What to eat in Newquay

Well, Cornwall is known for its fresh fish and Cornish Pasties, with so much fresh produce grown locally by farmers, you’ll never run out of great things to eat while visiting the area. 

Cornish Pasties ready for customers at crib (break) time at 10 am daily. Filled with turnip, beef, onion and potato, and wrapped in a crimped authentic Cornish made pastry, they are perfect for eating 30 minutes after coming out of the oven. Cornish Pasties have been given PGI status, meaning you can only get them in this region, made in this traditional way. So when in Cornwall… go for it! 

A ‘clotted cream tea’  is another Cornish experience not to be missed out on. Enjoy fresh-made scones called a ‘split’ which are extra fluffy. Then add the authentic simmered clotted cream with some homemade strawberry or Kea plum jam made in the area. 

The area is also known for its fresh shiny mackerel, Cornish Jack cheese and saffron spiced fruit cake. Local craft beer, wine, cider and sloe gin are available throughout the place.

How to get to Newquay

Newquay Cornwall Airport is easily accessible if flying in from UK and selected countries such as Italy, Exeter International Airport can be accessed if flying from Europe and other countries. Great Western rail connects Cornwall to London, including a night service called the Riverina Night Sleeper. To rent a car in London, it’s a five-hour drive down to Cornwall. Bus Services also link London to the Cornish coast.

Where to stay in Newquay

Secret cabins, snug seaside cottages and Italian inspired villas await you on the Cornish coast. If not camping, there are many local tourism accommodations ready to take you in.

Stay in a traditional fisherman’s cottage in one of the fishing villages. With 2 bedrooms, it’s ideal for 4 guests, boasting 1.5 bathrooms. Small and tidy, with a stable style front door, it has all the modern comforts in a cozy seaside setting. Only 2 minutes walk finds you at the harbor, beach and local shops in Looe.

The secret cabin overlooks the village of PortHolland. Enjoy views of the coastline on the deck, nestled into the sand dunes and enjoy the eclectically built wood cabin set behind it.

Feeling like a proper holiday at the beach, open the french windows to let the breeze in and take in the tranquility. Residing near the Eden Project and Heligan Gardens and a brief walk to the village or beach means you’ll never be bored. 

How to get around

Most visitors travel around Cornwall in their own cars. Grab a lift by using Cornwall’s CarShare program, which is a cost-effective service that reduces traffic congestion and gives the opportunity to travel with friends and make new friends. Bicycle hire is available and is a great way to explore the coast and country lanes around the area. Town bus services will get you here and there and then there’s a scenic railway that links the coastal towns together, a beautiful way to get to see the area. 

Do you like music and surfing? Read more about the Sumol Summer Fest in Portugal. Fancy a music festival in the snow? Check out Tomorrowland Winter in France and Snowbombing in Austria.\

Boardmasters 2023 Dates

The next Boardmasters will be hitting the beach on August 9-13, 2023. 

Photo credits: Boardmasters

United Kingdom Travel Tips:

Plan ahead: Book your perfect trip with our United Kingdom travel guide and destination information. Does United Kingdom require a visa? Check the visa requirements before you get caught up during your travel.

Spend money wisely: Take public transport and dine in from time to time are common saving tips during traveling. How to spend money wisely in United Kingdom? Make use of technology. There’s an app for everything.

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