Avast ye!  Plymouth Pirates Weekend is back on 7 & 8 May in the Barbican and Sutton Harbour so get your Jolly Rogers, eye patches and treasure maps at the ready to enjoy a rip-roaring weekend of family fun celebrating life on the high seas.

This is a great opportunity to explore the shops around the waterfront. It’s the perfect place to enjoy traditional seaside treats so tuck into tasty fish and chips, grab an ice cream or indulge in a traditional afternoon tea. If you need inspiration, check out the Shop4Plymouth website or head to our Food and Drink page. 

Here are our five top suggestions to make the most of the weekend.

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Enjoy the full line-up of entertainment

Immerse yourself in the free Pirate entertainment including pirate puppet shows and storytelling, acrobats, demonstrations of canon and musket firing, mermaid tours, stilt walkers, arts and crafts activities and face painting.

Click here to download the Plymouth Pirates Weekend entertainment leaflet.

   

Follow the Pirate Trail

Come alongside and pick up your map from the Barbican Tourist Information Centre.

It’s fun for all the family, maps cost £2.50.  Find all the treasure and hand in your completed map to the Barbican Tourist Information Centre crew to win a prize.

Buy your map at the Barbican Tourist Information Centre.

   

Climb onboard Tall Ships

Explore the two Tall Ships docked at Quay Square - the Grayhound and Johanna Lucretia. Both are free to climb aboard from 10am to 4pm on Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 May. Also on the horizon you’ll see the Atyla Tall Ship It’s the only wooden ship of its kind that does adventure sailing trips internationally.

Click here for further information.

   

Listen to Sea Shanty Bands perform throughout the weekend

Enjoy an amazing line-up of sea shanty bands at Plymouth Pirates Weekend. Sea shanties are a type of collective folk song, typically performed on ships by fishermen, merchant sailors or whalers.

Click here for the full programme and timings.

    

Take a thrilling Powerboat ride

Join the Mount Batten Pirates on a 30-minute Powerboat Experience during Plymouth Pirates Weekend and see the Hoe, Drake’s Island and Plymouth Sound from a Powerboat! 

Pre-booking available for 4 people only £35.Minimum age 8+ and all under-16s must be accompanied. 

Please note Pirate Powerboat Experiences will depart from the Mayflower steps - you must book online in advance 

Click here for full details of Plymouth Pirates Weekend.

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Plymouth is easily accessible by train with a wide range of services running from a variety of locations within England. Although some services may require a change or two.

Travelling from London takes around 3 hours with Great Western Railway, if you're coming from the north, the trip from Manchester can take 5 hours 15 minutes. 

Alternatively, the recently renovated Night Riviera Sleeper service runs Monday – Friday and Sunday evenings. Visit gwr.com/sleeper for more details on times and how to book.

We recommend using GWR.com to search for the fastest and best route for your journey, and book in advance for the best price.