Having celebrated its 30th birthday last year, Boardmasters has long established itself as Cornwall’s premiere music festival, hooking an increasingly impressive music line up to the best in skate, surf and BMX competition, entirely in fitting with the epic venue.

Held at two of Newquay’s best beaches, day and night sessions running at the legendary Fistral and the main stages located a short shuttle bus away above the cliffs of Watergate Bay, north of the town.

Fistral plays host to both the sports and day and night events, a lot more intimate than the main action they begin on Wednesday 8th August with Reel Big Fish, and featuring Xavier Rudd and The Black Seeds in the pick of these smaller sessions. Watergate’s eight stages open on Friday 10th August, with Ed Sheeran and Dizzee Rascal headlining the Friday and Saturday nights respectively, supported by Maximo Park, the Ting Tings and that ever-faithful favourite of the flip flop rocking bleached blonde mop army, California’s moustachioed surfer Donavon Frankenreiter. Unsurprisingly, sponsor Vans contribution is a stage of sweaty half pipe skate rock with Pulled Apart by Horses and Set Your Goals leading the charge.

If it’s sunny, the pick of the bunch for us this year are the epic electronics of Northern Island three-piece The Japanese Popstars and new soul man Maverick Sabre. If the weather closes in Clash’ll be huddled up with the wintry bleeps of Delilah, or getting sweaty with DJ Fresh and Zinc, who are holding it down on the dance stages. An epic location for a festival, and laden with the horizontal atmosphere of the Westcountry, Boardmasters is one to make the journey for.

Words by Kingsley Marshall