How to get to Cornwall’s biggest festival

As preparations for Boardmasters Festival 2024 are in full swing, it’s time to sort out your travel plans if you haven’t already. The festival, which is Cornwall’s biggest music and surf event, is set to attract thousands of visitors to the cliff-top site at Watergate Bay and neighboring Fistral Beach in Newquay from August 7-11.

More than 40 artists, including The Streets, Maisie Peters, Ghetts and Professor Green, are set to join the stellar line-up, which includes headliners Chase and Status, Sam Fender and Stormzy. As per tradition, all music and camping activities will take place at the Watergate Bay site, while all surfing, shopping and beach activities will be hosted at Fistral Beach.

If you’re looking for last-minute travel tips on how to get to Boardmasters, we’ve got all the details you need below. Whether you’re thinking of traveling by train or driving to the festival, here’s everything you need to know about getting there.

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Stay up to date with all the latest news and updates about Boardmasters Festival 2024. You can find all our coverage – past and present – right here.

Travel by train

If you’re going to the festival, why not ditch the car and take the train? First, get on a train to Newquay Station. Once you have arrived in Newquay there will be shuttle buses from outside the station. If you are heading to Watergate Bay, get on the bus outside the Great Western Hotel for Fistral outside the Burger King.

Remember, if you plan to bring your surfboard, some services don’t allow it. Be sure to check your baggage information and don’t forget your card (if you have one).

Make sure you book your train ticket in advance to avoid disappointment and don’t forget your train card if you have one. You can book in advance through GWR.com.

Express bus

Once in Newquay, Boardmasters encourage festival goers to use the shuttle bus service that operates between the festival site at Watergate Bay and Newquay. It’s quicker than driving your own car as it uses closed roads and parking in Newquay is limited.

The shuttle bus service is set to make your festival experience a breeze, operating from 8:00am to 9:00pm Wednesday to Thursday and 7:30am to 4:30am Friday to Monday. It will seamlessly transport festival-goers between the Watergate Bay Festival Site and Newquay Town Centre, which acts as the gateway to the surfers’ paradise of Fistral Beach.

With multiple buses running, you won’t be twiddling your thumbs waiting for a ride until Monday morning when service slows down a bit. The buses will leave from the Blue Park.

For those keen to run between Watergate and Fistral, don’t worry, because they’ve got it covered with a dedicated route both ways. Shuttle buses cost just £3.50 for a one-way journey and are the recommended method of getting around the festival sites as these shuttles travel on exclusive routes off-limits to regular traffic.

Watergate Bay > Fistral Beach route

1. Watergate Bay Festival Venue (Bus Station, Arena Entrance)

2. Cliff Road (next to Aldi, Newquay Station)

3. Manor Road Bus Station (10 minute walk to Fistral Beach)

Fistral Beach Route > Watergate Bay

1. Manor Road Bus Station (10 minute walk to Fistral Beach)

2. Cliff Road (next to Aldi, Newquay Station)

3. Watergate Bay Festival Venue (Bus Station, Arena Entrance)

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Coach travel

Boardmasters will be working with Big Green Coach again in 2024, offering a cheap and sustainable way to get to and from your favorite festival by coach. You will be transported directly to the official Boardmasters coach fleet and can choose to arrive on either Wednesday or Thursday.

Pickup locations for a weekend return coach: Barnstaple, Basildon, Basingstoke, Bath, Bedford, Birkenhead, Birmingham, Bodmin, Bournemouth, Bridgend Sarn, Bridgwater, Brighton, Bristol, Camberley, Cambridge, Cardiff, Carmarthen, Chelmsford, Cheltenham , Chester, Chichester, Cornwall Services, Coventry, Dalton Park, Dartford (Bluewater), Derby, Dorchester, Evesham, Exeter, Falmouth, Gloucester, Guildford, Haverfordwest, Helston, Kidderminster, Launceston, Leeds, Leicester, Liverpool, Llanelli, London ( Croydon), London (O2 Arena), London (Richmond), London (Victoria), Manchester, Merthyr Tydfil, Middlesbrough, Milton Keynes, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Newport, Newton Abbot, Northampton, Norwich, Nottingham, Okehampton, Oxford, Pencoed, Penzance, Plymouth, Poole, Port Talbot, Portsmouth, Reading (Calcot), Redhill, Salisbury, Sheffield, Southampton, Stafford, Stevenage, Stockport, Stoke-on-Trent, Stratford-upon-Avon, Swansea, Swindon, Taunton, Tewkesbury (Ashchurch) ), Tiverton, Torquay, Truro, Warwick, Watford, Wolverhampton and Worcester.

If you wish to arrive on Friday, Saturday or Sunday, your coach will return to one of the 14 pickup locations as posted. These include: Bodmin, Cornwall Services, Exeter, Falmouth, Helston, Launceston, Liskeard, Okehampton, Penzance, Plymouth, Roche, St Austell, Treverbyn and Truro.

Insure your coach journey for £1 and split the rest into large monthly installments – interest free. Learn more on the Big Green Coach website here.

Traveling by car

If you plan to drive to the festival, organizers urge attendees to carpool as much as possible to reduce the number of vehicles traveling to the site. The premium on-site parking is the green car park, which is sold out but subject to a re-entry fee.

For a more cost-effective option, you can use park and ride from the white car park. You will be able to park from £10 and board a shuttle bus to the show. A return bus journey will cost £3.50.

For those driving to the festival, if coming from the north, follow the A39 to St Columb Major, then take the A3059 towards Newquay and look for green/blue car park signs. If you are coming from the east or west, follow the A30 A39 A3059 and again follow the signs for the car park.

To get to Fistral Beach, follow the signs for Newquay Town Centre. However, it is important to note that parking near the Fistral Beach site is very limited, so it is recommended to use the shuttle bus from Watergate Bay.

I fly in

For those flying to Boardmasters 2024, Cornwall Airport Newquay is a convenient option. There are 10 airlines flying from 21 different destinations including London, Manchester, Edinburgh, Newcastle and Dublin.

For more information on flight details and timetables, visit the Boardmasters website.