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Celebrate our city by the sea with Seafest Plymouth, returning across the waterfront this month!
This year’s event is set to be bigger and better than ever before, thanks to a new collaboration between the Plymouth Sound National Marine Park and the Plymouth Waterfront Partnership. There’s more family-friendly activities than ever before at this year’s Seafest.
Check out all you need to know about this year’s fun!
When is it?
Seafest Plymouth takes place on Saturday 14 and Sunday 15 September between 10am and 5pm.
Where is it?
Seafest will take place right across the waterfront this year. Events are taking place on The Barbican, Sutton Harbour, Royal William Yard, Mount Batten, Tinside Lido, West Hoe Pier and Mount Edgcumbe in celebration of this year’s event.
The Barbican and Sutton Harbour
The historic Barbican and Sutton Harbour is always a popular venue for Seafest and as ever there are plenty of activities and things to do here throughout the weekend.
Visitors can enjoy food stalls, sea-themed crafts, and live music showcasing all genres of performances, at the all-new Seafest Sound Stage!
Highlights here include lobster pot-making demos, fish filleting, crab picking, and a fish auction. For families, there are interactive activities like face painting, shell painting, and themed trails.
Roaming performers, including giant seagulls and sea creatures are set to add to the vibrant atmosphere. Don’t miss the festival bar on West Pier. Sponsored by Venton’s Devon Cyder, it will be serving refreshing drinks across the weekend.
Find out what’s on and when at The Barbican and Sutton Harbour page.
Tinside Lido and West Pier
There are plenty of activities taking place at Plymouth’s iconic Tinside Lido over the weekend for Seafest. You can learn to swim for free as well as learn how to be safe in the water with several sessions across the weekend.
Try out scuba diving and even bring your dog with you for the dog swim session on the Sunday. Head down to West Hoe Pier and join the 1000 tires team of volunteers on a marine clean up.
Visit Tinside Lido and West Pier for further information.
Royal William Yard
The Royal William Yard is hosting Seafest again this year. There is plenty of activities to take part in at the year. Discover an assortment of free things to do at the family fun zone, head on a South West Coast Path guided tour, taste some fresh seafood at The Hook and Line, or take to the water on a stand up paddleboard.
Discover more about what you can get up to at the Royal William Yard this weekend for Seafest.
Mount Edgcumbe and Mount Batten
In a first, Seafest is coming to Mount Edgcumbe and Mount Batten this year. There’s opportunities to explore the 17th century Mount Batten Tower which is open on Sunday 15 September. At Mount Batten Watersports and Activities Centre there is ample opportunity to explore the seas with stand up paddleboarding, sailing and kayaking sessions all free to partake in!
You can explore the glorious gardens of Mount Edgcumbe and meet the oh so cute alpacas, as well as the fascinating Mount Edgcumbe House with tours taking place on Sunday 15 September.
Find out more and book activities at Mount Edgcumbe and Mount Batten for Seafest.
Other activities
There are other activities to take part in at various locations to celebrate Seafest. There’s South West Coast Path guided walks, events at The Box including the Planet Ocean exhibition as well as the National Marine Aquarium.
Check out other activities you can take part in for Seafest.
How to get there
If you are travelling by car there is parking available at/nearby all the locations for Seafest this year. All areas are expected to be busy due to the event and parking will be on a first-come, first-served basis. Visit our how to get to Seafest page for further information on specific locations.
If you’re travelling from further afield then GWR are the event’s Official Travel Partner, so check their website for train times and tickets.
You can also travel via bus with the all-new ‘shark and ride’ service taking place throughout the weekend. Operated by Plymouth Citybus, the service will run from 10am-4pm on Saturday and Sunday running every 45 minutes.
Why not try getting around the waterfront with the Beryl Bikes?
Furthermore you can reach Seafest by boat this year. Both Plymouth Boat Trips and The Mount Batten Ferry are offering 50% off tickets especially for the festival. These ticket will only be available on the day. There will be no advanced bookings and tickets are subject to availability. Find out more about the discounted ferry services and the timetables.
Road closures
The Parade / Basket Ope (from the junction at Vauxhall Street) – from 7am on Thursday 12 September to 2pm on Monday 16 September. Southside Street (from the junction of Notte Street to the junction of Lambhay Hill) – from 9.30am to 5.30pm on both Saturday 14 and Sunday 15 September.
Accessibility information
Seafest Plymouth is a very popular event so it can get very busy. If you prefer to visit when there are fewer people around then we’d recommend aiming to be there for the first hour of the day, between 10am and 11am, when it’s quieter.
There’s also a chill-out zone in the garden area at the entrance to Basket Ope, if you need to retreat to a calmer space at any point during the weekend.
There are public toilets, including disabled toilets and baby change facilities, on the Barbican (PL1 2LR), TPlymouth Hoe Promenade,West Hoe, and at Elphinstone (PL1 2NX).
If you find yourself needing any help on the day, pop into the Tourist Information Centre or look out for the stewards wearing yellow high-viz jackets as they’ll happy to help.
Information Towers will be dotted around the area to answer any queries that may be had.
Discover further accessibility information for Seafest.
For more information and to see exact timings, head to the Seafest Plymouth website. Seafest Plymouth is brought to you by the business of the Plymouth Waterfront Partnership.
For further themed Plymouth inspiration, exclusive offers and things to do in the city, sign up to our free Visit Plymouth e-newsletter.
In partnership with GWR, Destination Plymouth’s lead travel partner
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