Summertime in Padstow is a glorious celebration of the land and the sea. And in recognition of its prime location on the edge of the Atlantic coast, numerous festivals and events are held to showcase the finest Cornish food, drink, music, and entertainment. As lockdown eases, more and more festivals in Cornwall are slowly coming back to life. To make sure you know what's on in Padstow this summer, we've gathered together the best events in Cornwall in 2021, allowing you to plan your visit around one of the many unique experiences taking place.
Atlantic Coast Express Summer Nights Supper Club, Padstow
24th July 2021
Kicking off their summer dates on the 24th of July, The Atlantic Coast Express offers diners the chance to have beautifully prepared alfresco cuisine whilst watching the sun dip below the horizon of the Camel estuary. Situated halfway along the river estuary, it is only possible to arrive by bike, on foot, or by boat, so make sure you've planned your arrival (and departure). These are popular evenings, so check out the Atlantic Coast Express website for availability and booking details.
Booking and more details here.
Rock Oyster Festival 2021, Rock
30th July 2021
Conventionally located across the water from Padstow, the Rock Oyster festival returns to Cornwall this year, and is hosted for the first time by Michelin-starred chef and restaurateur Paul Ainsworth. With family activities throughout the day, live music to keep you jiving into the night, and enough sumptuous food and locally sourced drink to fuel you through the entire weekend, the Rock Oyster festival perfectly combines the family festival experience with a summer Cornish getaway. And Padstow is the ideal location from which to enjoy the festival; far enough away to avoid being overrun by festivalgoers, but close enough to dip in and out of the action, make one of Padstow Break's beautiful holiday cottages your base from which to get into the festival spirit.
Booking and more details here.
Travelling Feast Festival - Boconnoc Estate, Lostwithiel
6th-7th August 2021
If the Rock Oyster festival has whetted your appetite for great music and sublime food, then you need to add Paul Ainsworth's inaugural Travelling Feast festival to your diary. With cookery demos from a selection of the country's finest chefs, and massive headline music acts that include The Human League, Top Loader, and Gabrielle, it's worth the short drive across the county to experience Cornish festivals at their best.
Booking and more details here.
Travelling Feast Festival - Royal Cornwall Showground, Wadebridge
18th-19th August 2021
Continuing his quest to bring the best music and food to the people of Cornwall, the Travelling Feast festival arrives at Wadebridge with the Kaiser Chiefs as the headline act. Food and cooking demos from a selection of highly talented chefs including Niall Keating, Tom Kerridge, John Hooker, James Martin, Jason Atherton, Atul Kochhar and Rick Stein, plus special guest appearances from Angela Hartnett & Richard Corrigan, there's lots to enjoy in this weekend extravaganza. Wadebridge is just a short drive from Padstow, so if you're not up for indulging in the entire weekend, why not dip into the party vibes with a festival day pass?
Booking and more details here.
St. Ives Food and Drink Festival, St. Ives
17th-19th September 2021
So this isn't exactly on Padstow's doorstep, but it's definitely worth taking a trip down to St. Ives to soak up the atmosphere of this 3-day food and drink festival. Beautifully placed on Porthminster Beach, the festival combines family entertainment, live music, a host of cooking demonstrations, and the obligatory range of sumptuous cuisines for you to get your teeth into. And when you're done, you can make the drive back up the coast to Padstow, ready to watch the sun go down with a cocktail in hand.
Booking and more details here.
That's the list of festivals in Cornwall 2021 so far. But watch this space, with restrictions lifting and the world readjusting to its new normal, we expect to see many more exciting events in Padstow this summer. To make sure you don't miss out on the latest event news and information, subscribe to the Padstow Breaks mailing list. And if you need accommodation in Cornwall at any time of year, visit our homepage for availability and booking.
