5 – 9 August - Newquay, Cornwall - Weekend Tickets from £125
Since 1981 Boardmasters has been an integral part of the British surf scene. From humble beginnings as a small surf competition, Boardmasters are now proud to present one of the biggest events on the professional British surfing calendar; not to mention its increasingly popular music festival.
Boardmasters is set across two closely linked sites and plays host to international musicians and extreme sports stars alike, all set against the stunning idyllic backdrop of the Cornish coastline. Instead of being set in a muddy field, with bottlenecked walkways and security fences that even hardened prisoners would feel daunted by, here you can feel the sand between your toes and experience the openness and freedom of a coastal horizon. Plus there’s no better hangover cure than a morning dip in the sea and the feel of a cold wave slapping the sense back into hazy minds. With Newquay town centre right on the doorstep providing easy access to regular shops, and shuttle busses running frequently between the sites (£3 one way, £5 return); your every need or whim should be easily catered for.
The Lineup
Faithless – Bastille – Rudimental
Faithless are set to return from a five year hiatus as a band to celebrate their 20th anniversary with an unforgettable live performance on the main stage at Boardmasters. Having sold over 15 million records worldwide, this year will mark 20 years since the release of their classic dance tune ‘Insomnia’ a track now widely regarded as one of the greatest dance anthems of all time. With a back catalogue full of hits such as We Come 1 and God Is a DJ, Faithless’ headline performance against the stunning backdrop of Watergate Bay will certainly be a highlight of the 2015 festival calendar.
Bastille took the UK by storm when their highly acclaimed debut album Bad Blood made them one of the biggest selling British debut acts of all time. Coincidentally it was a storm of a different nature that prevented them from taking to the Boardmasters stage in 2014. Having missed last year’s event after Hurricane Bertha ended the festival prematurely, the Pompeii hitmakers are set to make up lost time and give the Boardmasters crowd the show they have been eagerly anticipating for more than a year.
The main stage headline slots will be completed by fellow BRIT Award winners Rudimental who have topped the charts with No 1 tracks Feel The Love and Waiting All Night, and promise fans an unforgettable set when they grace Boardmasters main stage against the backdrop of Watergate Bay.
Other bands performing across the five-day music and surf festival include: Arrested Development, Catfish and the Bottlemen, Clean Bandit, The Darkness, De la Soul, Duke Dumont, Everything Everything, Groove Armada, Nick Mulvey, Seasick Steve, Blonde, Circa Waves, Drenge, DJEZ, EM, The Fat White Family, Low Steppa, Lower Than Atlantis, MNEK, Monki, Rae Morris, Raleigh Ritchie, Roni Size Reprazent, Reef, Skream, Sunset Sons, The Magician, T Williams, Waze & Odyssey. Plus many more acts still to be announced across 7 stages.
Stages & Venue
Just outside of the town itself, Trebelsue Farm by Watergate Bay is where you will find the campsite and main music events. Festival veterans or grommets alike will find something appealing across one of the varied performance areas.
The Unleashed Stage is host to the beat makers, who carry their band in a laptop and whose tunes will pound like a relentless beach break. The View has hay-bales and acoustic music, and unsurprisingly a stunning view across the bay where dolphins sometimes come to play. Mavericks, named after an infamous surf spot which was formed from an unusually shaped rock formation, is where the heavier bands congregate. Expect lots of clenched fists, down tuned guitars, haircuts that can’t make up their mind which way to go, and teenaged angst. The Point offers chilled beats during the day when it’s hot, with something more energetic as the sun goes down and body temperatures need to rise. There’s even a mock 14th Century pub, the Keg and Pasty, right in the centre of the main arena, which hosts stand-up comedy and local bands. And of course there is theMain Stage too.
Surf’s Up!
Fistral Beach is the other half of this Kernow collaboration. Here is where the surfing takes place, and as one of the biggest events on the British Surfing calendar it’s guaranteed to draw a huge crowd. Points gained here go towards competitors standing in other events all over the globe.
Professionals compete on longboards as well as short, with men, women and children all represented. The sea, however, can be a neurotic mistress, so on the dull days there are also various half pipes and ramps with skateboard and bmx demos, where people of all ages perform impressive mid-air aerobics riding these wooden waves with balls of steel.
On Wednesday and Thursday daytime the ramps are open for public use, but helmets must be worn at all times. There is no charge for spectating at any of the sporting events. The Beach Bar here also hosts the Beach Sessions; intimate gigs with limited tickets for £15 that have seen the likes of Skindred, Newton Faulkner; Fink, and Zero 7 all take part before.
In addition there’s a Cornish market, food stalls, and branded clothing pop-up shops galore; so whether you are a true surfer or just like to buy into the identity with quality made garments, there will be no shortage of ways to make your wallet lighter.
