List of maritime music festivals
List of maritime music festivals is a sortable incomplete list of regularly occurring festivals, throughout the world, which feature or which usually contain significant performances of maritime music, a style of folk music largely based on the sea shanty. This list may have some overlap with list of folk festivals and list of early music festivals.
Shanties had antecedents in the working chants of British and other national maritime traditions. They were notably influenced by songs of shanty repertoire borrowed from the contemporary popular music enjoyed by sailors, including minstrel music, popular marches, and land-based folk songs. The music has since appeared at early folk festivals, and by the late 1970s, the activities of enthusiasts and scholar-performers at places like the Mystic Seaport Museum and the San Francisco Maritime Museum established sea music—inclusive of shanties, sea songs, and other maritime music—as a genre with its own circuit of festivals, record labels, performance protocol, and so on. Some of the performances may be held at maritime museums, in conjunction with boat shows or maritime festivals, or at other venues friendly to acoustic music.
The performances at festivals can take several forms, as shanty performances today reflect a range of musical approaches and tastes. There are performers who favor a "traditional" style, who often perform work songs a capella or only with light instrumentation typical of sailors. A great many of the performers of shanties do so in what might be distinguished as a "folk music" style, often accompanied by guitar and banjo. Still other performers come to shanties from backgrounds in pop, rock, or theatrical music, and perform in what may be called a "contemporary" style. Some shanties are performed in a "classical" choir style.
Related lists and categories
The following lists may have some overlap:- List of music festivals
- List of folk festivals
- List of early music festivals
- List of Celtic festivals
- :Category:Music festivals
- :Category:Maritime music festivals
- :Category:Maritime music
- :Category:Folk festivals
Festivals by location
Festivals by date
The following table is a selection of the European event calendar remso.eu - Shanty- festivals with more than 4 performers only. All reported festival-events up from 3 groups you can find here: , , , , , . Click on date below to watch participants of that event and listen to some of their songs.| days 1st year | 2017 yy/mm/dd | 2018 yy/mm/dd | 2019 yy/mm/dd | 2020 yy/mm/dd | Festival Organizer | groups audience | Location |
| February | - | ||||||
| Fry-Sun | 17/03/03-05 | Deunen & Deinen | 16 |  NL-1600 Enkhuizen | |||
| May | - | ||||||
| 1 May 1999 | 18/05/01 | Maritimer Frühschoppen | 05 |  D-32120 Hiddenhausen | |||
| Chr.Himmelfahrt 1995 | 17/05/25 | 18/05/10 | Friesischer Frühschoppen | 05 | D-33334 Gütersloh-Isselhorst | ||
| June | - | ||||||
| Sat,Sun 1993 | 17/06/03-04 1. Juni-WE | 18/06/01-03 | Internat. Shanty-Festival-Seelze | 10 2'500 | D-30926 Seelze | ||
| Sun 2000 | 18/06/03 | Shantychorfestival | 05 | D-59192 Bergkamen | |||
| July | - | ||||||
| Fry-Sun 2013 | 17/06/30-02 | 18/07/06-08 | Shanty-Festival Travemünde | 38 60'000 | D-23570 Lübeck-Travemünde | ||
| Fry-Sun | 17/06/30-02 | 18/06/29-01 | Festival Maritim Tourismus Service Großenbrode | 12 | D-23775 Großenbrode | ||
| August | - | ||||||
| Fry-Sun 1989 | 17/08/11-13 | no | no | Festival du chant de marin | 160 145'000 |  F-22500 Paimpol | |
| October | - | ||||||
| Sat,Sun | 17/10/14,15 | 18/10/13,14 | Stader Shantychor-Festival Stade Marketing und Tourismus GmbH | 17 | D-21680 Stade | ||
| - |
Outdated
| 2015 mm/dd | 2016 mm/dd | 2017 mm/dd | days 1st year | Festival Organizer | groups audience | Location |
| February | ||||||
| 15/02/20 | 16/02/26-28 | Fry-Sun | Deunen & Deinen | 16 | Netherlands, Enkhuizen | |
| 16/02/25-28 | Thu-Sun 1981 | Intern. Sailors' Songs Festival Krakowska Fundacja.. "HALS" |  Poland, Kraków | |||
| March | ||||||
| 15/04/03 Good Friday | 16/03/26-27-28 easter | Fry-Mon | Sea Shanty Festival National Waterways Museum, | 06 ? |  United Kingdom, Ellesmere Port | |
| May | ||||||
| 15/05/10 Muttertag | Sun | Soltauer Shanty-Festival | 05 | Germany, Soltau | ||
| 15/05/14 Himmelfahrt | 16/05/05 Himmelfahrt | Thu | Shanty-Festival am Museumshafen | 08 | Germany, Büsum | |
| 15/05/14 Himmelfahrt | Himmelfahrt | 17/05/25 Himmelfahrt | Thu 1995 | Friesischer Frühschoppen | 06 2'500 | Germany, Gütersloh Lothar Kache |
| 15/05/25 whitsun | 16/05/16 whitsun | Mon | Shantyfestival Brummen Shantykoor "De Ijsselboei" | Netherlands, Brummen | ||
| 15/05/17 | Sun | Landes-Chortreffen "Zwei Küsten - ein Norden" Kurverwaltung Insel Poel | 05 | Germany, Insel Poel | ||
| 15/05/22 | Fry-Sun | Gloucester Shanty Festival gloucestershantyfestival.co.uk/ | 28 | United Kingdom, Gloucester | ||
| 15/05/30 | Sat | Shantyfestival Winschoten | 11 | Netherlands, Winschoten | ||
| 15/05/30 | Sat | Regge Coast Shanty Festival Shantykoor "Die Regghe Sangers" | 10 | Netherlands, Hellendoorn | ||
| June | ||||||
| 15/06/05 | 16/06/03 | Fry-Sun | Langesund Intern. Shanty Festival Langesund Mandssangforening | 14 |  Norway, Langesund | |
| 15/06/06 1. Juni-WE | 1. Juni-WE | 17/06/03 1. Juni-WE | Sat,Sun 1993 | Shanty-Festival-Seelze | 10 2'500 | Germany, Seelze Rolf Zikowsky |
1. Juni-WE | 1. Juni-WE | Fry-Sun 1980 | Shantys zum Vegesacker Hafenfest | 04 | Germany, Bremen | |
| 15/06/12 | Fry-Sun | Bravour Shantyfestival / Havendagen Zeemanskoor Bravour | 07 | Netherlands, Woerden | ||
| 15/06/12-14 | 16/06/17-19 | Fry-Sun | Falmouth Intern. Sea Shanty Festival | 53 25'000 | United Kingdom, Falmouth | |
| 15/06/12 2.Fry Jun | 16/06/10 2.Fry Jun | Fry-Sun | Dahmer Shantychortreffen Kurbetrieb Ostseebad Dahme | 13 | Germany, Dahme | |
| 15/06/14 2.Sun Jun | 16/06/19 3.Sun Jun | Sun 2012 | Tag der Shanty-Chöre Verkehrsverein Rheingrafenstein e.V. | 05 | Germany, Bad Münster am Stein-Ebernburg | |
| 15/06/19 | Sat,Sun | Rosses Point Shanty Festival rossespointshanty.com/ | 22 |  Ireland, Rosses Point | ||
| 15/06/20 3.Sat Jun | 16/06/18-19 3.Sat Jun | Sat,Sun | Tag der Shantychöre Nordseeheilbad Cuxhaven GmbH | 16 | Germany, Cuxhaven | |
| no | 16/06/25 every 4. year | Sat | Shantyfestival Maritiem Shantykoor de Admiraliteitssjongers | ? | Netherlands, Dokkum | |
| 15/06/26 4.Fry Jun | 4.Fry Jun | Fry-Sun | Shanty-Festival Travemünde Kulturbühne Travemünde gUG | 40 | Germany, Travemünde | |
| 15/06/28 | Sun | Scholtenhagen-Festival Lionsclub Haaksbergen | 12 | Netherlands, Haaksbergen | ||
| July | ||||||
| 15/07/11 2.Sat Jul | 16/07/09 2.Sat Jul | Sat,Sun 2007 | Shanty-Festival Carolinensiel | 07 1'200 | Germany, Wittmund Gerhard Sander | |
| 15/07/12 2.Sun July | 16/07/10 2.Sun July | 17/07/09 2.Sun July | Sun | Festival der Shanty-Chöre Steinhude | 06 | Germany, Wunstorf |
| 15/07/12 | Sun | Shanty-Festival Hude Shanty-Chor Hude | 05 | Germany, Hude | ||
| 15/07/18 every 2 years | no | Sat,Sun | Shanty-Festival des Altländer SC | 12 | Germany, Grünendeich | |
| 15/07/19 | Sun | Shantychortreffen Shantychor "Reriker Heulbojen" e.V. | 06 | Germany, Rerik | ||
| 15/07/24 | Fry,Sat | Shantys und MeerDie Warnemünder Jungs ? | 10 | Germany, Rostock-Warnemünde | ||
| 15/07/24 | Fry-Sun | Shantykor Festival caroline-s.dk | 08 |  Denmark, Svendborg | ||
| 15/07/31-02 1.Sat Aug | 16/08/05-07 1.Sat Aug | Fry-Sun | Festival Maritim | 14 100'000 | Germany, Bremen | |
| August | ||||||
| 15/08/02 | 16/08/07 | Sun 2015 | Shanty-Festival auf dem Fischerfest Rheinisches Fischerfest Gernsh.GmbH | 07 | Germany, Gernsheim | |
| 15/08/08 2.Sat Aug | 15/08/13 2.Sat Aug | Sat 2013 | Shanty-Chortreffen der Seeteufel | 04 500 | Germany, Seegebiet Mansfelder Land Annelore Schöllner | |
| 15/08/09 | Sun 2011 | Shanty-Open Air Shantychor Geeste e.V. | 08 | Germany, Geeste | ||
| 15/08/12 | Wed-Sun | Melodien der Meere Stadt Bremerhaven | 31 | Germany, Bremerhaven | ||
| 15/08/14 | no | ? | Fry-Sun 1989 | Festival du chant de marin Assoc. "Festival du chant de marin" | 160 145'000 | France, Paimpol Julie Aoura |
| 15/08/16 | Sun | Inselfest Steyerberg Shantychor Nendorf | 05 | Germany, Steyerberg | ||
| 15/08/28 | 16/08/26-28 | Fry-Sun | Intern. Shantyfestival 'Bie Daip' Stichting Bie Daip | 34 | Netherlands, Appingedam | |
| 15/08/28-29 | 16/08/26-28 | Fry,Sat | Shanty- und Seemannschor - Festival | 06 | Germany, Usedom | |
| 15/08/29 | Sat | Shantyfestival in Stadskanaal Shantykoor De Noszélie Singers | 10 | Netherlands, Stadskanaal | ||
| 15/08/13-16 | 16/08/17-21 | 17/08/16-20 | Wed-Sun 1998 | Saint-Jean-Port-Joli | 10 15000 | Canada, Saint-Jean-Port-Joli, QC |
| September | ||||||
| 15/09/04 | Fry-Sun | Internationaal Shantyfestival Stichting Shantyfestival Rotterdam | 23 | Netherlands, Rotterdam | ||
| 15/09/04 | Fry-Sun | Vliegende Hollander Festival Stichting Shantyfestival Zeeuws Vlaanderen | 15 | Netherlands, Terneuzen | ||
| 15/09/05 | Sat,Sun | Shantyfestival | 11 | Netherlands, Delfzijl | ||
| Fry-Sun | Treffen der Shantychöre | 07 | Germany, Zingst am Darß | |||
| 15/09/12 | Sat | Shantyfestival te Leeuwarden | 05 | Netherlands, Leeuwarden | ||
| 15/09/13 | Sun | Shanty & Seasong Festival Havenkoor Fortitudo | 12 | Netherlands, Willemstad | ||
| 15/09/13 | Sun | Intern. Shanty and Seasong festival Stichting Shanty Cultuur Emmen | 07 | Netherlands, Emmen | ||
| October | ||||||
| 15/10/03-04 | United Kingdom, Liverpool | |||||
| 15/10/03 | Sat | Shantyfestival Norddeich Norddeicher Shantychor 2000 e.V. | 05 | Germany, Norden | ||
| 15/10/03 | Sat | ShantyFestival Spijkenisse shantyfestivalspijkenisse.nl/ | 10 | Netherlands, Spijkenisse | ||
| 15/10/09 | Sat,Sun | Harwich Intern. Sea Shanty Festival The Harwich Intern. Shanty Festival | 17 | United Kingdom, Harwich | ||
3.WE Oct | 16/10/15-16 3.WE Oct | 17/10/14? 3.WE Oct | Sat,Sun 1994 | Stader Shantychor-Festival Stade Aktuell GmbH | 17 | Germany, Stade Manfred Höftmann |