Boardmasters will run from 5 to 9 August across Watergate Bay and Fistral Beach in Newquay, with more than 50,000 people expected to attend. The split site matters because Fistral events are free to attend, while Watergate Bay is limited to Boardmasters ticket holders.
The festival spans five days and four stages, giving the crowd a schedule that runs well beyond a standard day event. On Friday 7 August, Fatboy Slim, The Kooks, James Arthur, Rose Gray, Take A Chance On Us and Dizzee Rascal are set to perform.
Watergate Bay and Fistral Beach
Saturday 8 August brings Lily Allen, Nia Archives, REN, Alessi Rose, Kerr Mercer, Cornwall Rock Choir and Example, before Sunday 9 August closes with Kasabian, Loyle Carner, Joy Crookes, Brooke Combe, Asha Banks and Tinie Tempah. That spread across Watergate Bay and Fistral Beach means anyone planning the weekend has to separate what is open to the public from what needs a ticket.
Boardmasters in August is also working to a staggered operating pattern. The arena is open from 11:00 to 02:00 BST from Friday to Sunday, gates open on Wednesday from 17:00 to 02:00, and the arena opens from 15:00 to 02:00 on Thursday.
Big Green Coach and GWR
Big Green Coach is this year's travel partner, with coach tickets directly to the site available from £20. Trains will run to Newquay via Great Western Railway, and A Festival Shuttle will be available from the station. For a festival expecting more than 50,000 arrivals, that mix of coach, train and shuttle options is the difference between a crowded arrival window and a workable one.
The shuttle runs continuously on a loop between Watergate Bay, Newquay Train Station and Manor Road Bus Stop, while taxis will drop off at Blue Gate next to the Shuttle Bus Station. A Festival Shuttle wristband, which allows unlimited trips around the events sites, is available from £15.
Newquay Train Station and Manor Road
The bus service is scheduled from Wednesday to Thursday between 07:00 and 22:00, then Friday to Sunday between 07:00 and 03:00, before a Monday service from 07:00 to 14:00. Manor Road Bus Stop is a 20 minute walk to Fistral Beach, so passengers using the shuttle still need to plan the last stretch on foot.
The practical takeaway is simple: Boardmasters is not one arrival point but three stops and two festival sites, each with its own access rules. Anyone heading to Newquay needs to work out whether they are going to Fistral Beach, Watergate Bay, or both, before they set off.
