Boardmasters Festival


Boardmasters Festival is an annual event held in Cornwall, United Kingdom, usually held over five days on the second weekend of August. The event is a combination of live music and surfing/skateboarding competitions in and around the town of Newquay. The festival was founded in 1981 through the surfing competition, although in 2005 the music side of the festival was created, taking place at Watergate Bay. The current capacity is 53,000.
The majority of the music performances take place to the north of Newquay near Watergate Bay. The Men's Pro 5 Star WQS surf competition takes place on Fistral Beach where a skate ramp is built for the BMX and Skateboard competitions. Other sporting events include The Women's Open, WSL Men's Longboard, WSL Women's Longboard, Boys/Girls Pro Junior and Under 12's.
The event is owned and managed by Vision Nine Group.
The event also has a well-being program featuring aerial yoga, massages, wood-fired hot tubs and champagne.

Music Festival

The Watergate Bay site hosts the music arena and all festival camping. The festival runs from Wednesday to Monday, with music performances running from Friday to Sunday across ten stages; The Main Stage, Unleashed, The Point, The Land Of Saints, Corona Sunsets, The View, The Netloft, The Dockyard, Keg & Pasty and the VIP Bar/Stage. Past years have seen acts performing such as Bastille, Faithless, Chase & Status, Snoop Dogg, The Chemical Brothers, Stormzy, Ed Sheeran, Deadmau5, George Ezra, Two Door Cinema Club, Calvin Harris, Catfish and the Bottlemen, Years and Years, Dizzee Rascal and Craig David. As well as music there is a variety of bars, stalls and fairground rides on the site, including a virtual reality hypercube.

Surf & Skate

At Fistral Beach the surf, BMX and skate competitions take place along with more music during the evenings. A small mini-ramp is set up on the headland and the vert ramp is built in the beach car park. A purpose built beach bar hosts more musical acts and evening beach sessions.

Professional Surf Competition Winners


EventWinnerSecond
2014 Men's OpenJock Barnes
2014 Women's OpenKeshia Eyre
2014 Longboard ProBen Skinner
2013 Men's OpenBilly Stairmand
2013 Women's OpenKeshia Eyre
2012 Men's OpenCharly Martin
2012 Women's OpenMiku Uemura
2011 Men's OpenRomain Cloitre
2010 Men's 5 Star WQS SurfMarc LacomareJay Quinn
2010 Aerial AssaultAlan StokesOli Adams
2010 Vans Summer Sessions Skate VertSam BeckettAndy Scott
2010 Vans Summer Sessions BMX Mini RampAlex ColburnTobias Wicke
2009 Men's 5 Star WQS SurfDaniel RossTxaber Trojaola
2009 Aerial AssaultMicah LesterReuben Ash
2009 Vans Summer Sessions Skate VertAlex PerelsonSam Beckett
2009 Vans Summer Sessions BMX Mini RampBen WallaceMartin Cooper

List of Music Headliners

2020
Skepta, The Kooks, Mura Masa, DJ EZ, Blossoms, Little Simz, Ocean Wisdom, Honey Dijon, Jeremy Loops, Easy Life, Hannah Wants, Kojey Radical, Jade Bird, Sports Team, Folamour, Prospa, Haai, Flava D, Miraa May, Conducta, Dan Shake, Jessica Winter, Caravana Sun, Tender Central, Aaron Smith, Bou, Ed Solo & Deekline, Tora, Dixon Brothers, Mollie Collins, Ekkah, Wuh Oh, Sean Koch, The Allergies, The Tribe, Andy Quick Band, Cakeboy, Penny Eyes, The Eyelids, Palooka 5, Lucy Gallant, Sadie Horler
Kings Of Leon, Dizzee Rascal, Sam Fender, CamelPhat, Lianne La Havas, Basement Jaxx, Example, Maribou State, Palace, Elderbrook, Gabrielle Aplin, Allah-las, The Four Owls, Gerd Janson, Krystel Klear, Gengahr, Hollow Coves, Bad Sounds, DJ Boring, DJ Hype, Kawala, CC:Disco!, Feet, TC, AC13, Illyus & Barrientos, Stray Beast, Harriet Jaxxon, Riley Pearce, Alex The Astronaut, The Big Sets, The Barefoot Bandit, Sam Richardson, Zeb, Tribo Groove, Felon, Visionbi, Lulah Francs, O'Deus, Andrew Cushin, Bailey Tomkinson
The 1975, Loyle Carner, Damian "JR Gong" Marley, Andy C, Mabel, Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes, Hot Chip, Pale Waves, Hybrid Minds Outline, CruCast, Ghetts, The Big Moon, Palms Trax, Artwork, Beabadoobee, Gentlemen's Dub Club, Trevor Hall, Jayda G, Chaos In The CBD, Eva Lazarus, Sherelle, Lily Moore, Phibes, John, Bambara, Casey Lowry, Tay Oskee, Land Of The Giants, Joe & The Shitboys, Finlay, DJ Proof, Hearing And Beige, Holly Humberstone
2019
2018
2017
2016
2015
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010
2009
2008
2007
2006
2005
Due to ex-hurricane Bertha causing chaos across Britain, the organisers of the festival were forced to cancel the final day of Boardmasters 2014 at the Watergate Bay site. Artists due to perform were Bastille, George Ezra, Reel Big Fish, DJ EZ, 2manydjs and Catfish and the Bottlemen.
However, the surf competition at Fistral Beach continued as normal and full refunds for the cancelled day were received by customers.
The 2019 event was also cancelled hours before it was due to take place after serious concerns of bad weather forecast to disrupt.
Boardmasters was then cancelled for a second year in a row in 2020 due to the Coronavirus pandemic.

Award Nominations

Boardmasters was nominated for ‘Best Medium Sized Festival’ at the 2014 UK Festival Awards, alongside Secret Garden Party, Camp Bestival, and winners We Are FSTVL.