Festival Groups
Take a look at who performed at the Falmouth International Sea Shanty Festival in 2025!
There are groups from the UK as well as groups travelling from overseas to be part of the festival. With performances from over 80 groups across various venues, Falmouth is filled with songs of the sea at the three-day festival. A big thank you to all of our sea shanty groups that participated in the 2025 festival, we look forward to welcoming you back soon.
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4Thought
4Thought is a dynamic saxophone quartet from the Falmouth and Helston areas, bringing energy and versatility to every performance. With seven years together, they’ve mastered an eclectic repertoire spanning swing, jazz, blues, pop, rock, and Great American Songbook classics.
For the Sea Shanty Festival, 4Thought will showcase specially arranged shanties and Cornish traditional songs including ‘This is my Cornwall’ – and they’re happy to take requests!
Regular performers at Princess Pavilion and festival favourites at events like Stithians Show and Healeys Cider Festival, the quartet also support their local community through performances for schools and community organisations. They’re proud to collect for RNLI and Cornwall Air Ambulance at their shows.
ACapella Moonshine
Acapella Moonshine are Falmouth’s premier female shanty group – the original and the best! Since their first visit to Falmouth Sea Shanty Festival in 2014, they’ve made it their home festival, returning year after year to what they call “the biggest and best.”
For Acapella Moonshine, there’s nothing quite like seeing Falmouth come alive with music, laughter and camaraderie – hearing shanties and songs of the sea flowing from every doorway, window and street corner. They’re in awe of the hard work and dedication that goes into creating this magical weekend.
The group brings powerful harmonies and infectious energy to traditional sea shanties, celebrating the maritime heritage that runs through Cornwall’s veins.
Aggie Boys Choir
Aggie Boys Choir are a loosely formed, rag-tag bunch of young upstarts from across Cornwall with a deep fondness for the sea and all things folky.
They’ve cut their teeth on the stages of Falmouth Sea Shanty Festival before taking their talents further afield – performing at Celtic festivals in Brittany and Ireland, turning their hand to theatre, delivering a TED Talk, and featuring on Channel 5’s Cornwall: A Year By The Sea and BBC 2’s Great Coastal Railway Journeys.
With outlandish banter, authentic original songs, and an irrepressible energy that’s uniquely Cornish, the Aggie Boys Choir will make you laugh, cry, and leave you demanding an encore. They’re proof that the best shanty groups are born from salt air, good mates, and a shared love of the sea.
Armstrong’s Patent
Armstrong’s Patent are a five-piece ensemble who bring sea songs and shanties to life with warmth, humour and unmistakable camaraderie. Their repertoire tells stories of ships, fishing, the sea, and the families waiting in port for their loved ones’ safe return.
Known for their narrative storytelling and rousing sing-along choruses, Armstrong’s Patent make traditional maritime music wonderfully accessible. The strong bond between these performers shines through every performance – they’re genuinely proud of each other and what they create together.
Seasoned international travellers, the group tours across Europe and beyond, sharing their love of folk and sea songs from Norway to the USA. Back home in the Netherlands, they co-organize the International Folk & Seasongs Festival “Bie Daip” in Appingedam – a beloved 24-year tradition bringing together around 30 groups each August.
Back Beach Boyz
Back Beach Boyz have been putting smiles on faces for over 12 years! Hailing from Teignmouth, this lively Devon crew bring energy, originality and Devonian charm to every stage they step on.
Since forming in 2013, they’ve made waves at festivals across the UK and beyond – appearing on BBC TV singing their own compositions and performing at iconic venues including Exeter Cathedral, the National Maritime Museum Cornwall, and Germany’s international Vegesack Maritime Festival.
With a strong catalogue of original songs alongside traditional maritime folk and sea shanties, the Back Beach Boyz serve everything up with a twist and a whole lot of heart. Their fun-loving approach shines through in their albums: Good Libations (2019), Captain Baarman’s Dog (2024), and Captain Jack Spratt (2024) – with many tracks penned by band members themselves.
Baldrick’s Plan
Baldrick’s Plan – Steve, Jinks and Helen – are a West Cornwall trio who bring “lovely harmonies” (as they’re often told!) to an interesting and varied selection of sea songs, all performed a cappella.
Over the years, this dedicated trio have travelled far and wide sharing their music – from folk festivals, pubs and clubs across the UK to shanty festivals as far afield as North Germany and Great Yarmouth. But it’s Falmouth that holds a special place in their hearts.
This year marks their tenth appearance at Falmouth Sea Shanty Festival – a testament to their love for the event and the warm welcome they always receive. There’s something about Falmouth that keeps Baldrick’s Plan coming back for more, year after year.
Barnacle Buoys
The Barnacle Buoys hail from Clevedon, North Somerset, though they range far and wide in their mission to enjoy great singing, raise funds for charity, and sample the regional grog along the way. Entertainment comes as standard!
With 12 years of experience under their belts, the ‘Barnies’ love singing a wide range of shanties and songs of the sea – old and new, popular and sometimes delightfully unusual. They pride themselves on always bringing something fresh to Falmouth, so keep a sharp watch for surprises.
Year after year, it’s Falmouth Sea Shanty Festival that brings this crew together to share treasured moments of music, camaraderie and maritime tradition. For the Barnacle Buoys, this festival is more than just another port of call – it’s a homecoming.
Barrel Seagals
Barrel Seagals are a vibrant all-female shanty group from Bude, bringing light-hearted humour, energy and standout performances to every stage. Their repertoire reimagines traditional sea shanties through a female perspective, alongside original material inspired by Cornish legends – giving them a distinctive voice in the shanty world.
In just a few short years, their growing reputation has seen them hold their own amongst seasoned crews at prestigious festivals across the UK, building quite the following along the way. Expect songs that celebrate the power of women, the sea and the pure joy of shanty singing. The Barrel Seagals are looking forward to meeting old friends, making new ones, and sharing the magic of Falmouth Sea Shanty Festival with you all.
Barrett’s Privateers
Barrett’s Privateers formed in 2019, born from a shared love of a cappella singing in local pubs on the Cornish side of the beautiful Tamar Valley. From the deep, resonating notes of their father and son bass duo to the soaring highs of the girls, their broad, rich harmonies have delighted audiences throughout Cornwall and well beyond.
They take each song and make it their own, with every voice finding a way to complement its neighbour – creating performances that are powerful, harmonious and hugely entertaining.
Singing sea songs, shanties, traditional folk, Cornish and mining songs, Barrett’s Privateers have been honoured to perform at an impressive range of events including the Interceltique Festival in Lorient, Royal Cornwall Show, Carnglaze Caverns, Rock Oyster, and the prestigious Canterbury Festival of Music and Fine Arts.
Bow Movement
Bow Movement – your mum’s favourite band! Hailing originally from the Gulf of Aden and washed ashore in Kennford, Devon in 2020, Bow Movement was forged from isolation, desperation and a shared love of attention.
Dubbed the “Take That of the shanty world” (by one overly generous aunt), they blend tight harmonies, offbeat instrumentation and songs that veer gloriously off the traditional shanty path. With charm, cheekbones and maritime-themed madness, Bow Movement deliver shows as unforgettable as a rogue wave to the face.
So brace yourself… and enjoy a Bow Movement.
Brise-Glace
Brise-Glace are a spirited quartet from the shores of the St. Lawrence River, blending Breton and French-Canadian maritime traditions into something truly special. Two Bretons, two Québécois – one shared passion for the sea.
Their powerful harmonies, driving rhythms and infectious foot-tapping turn every stage into a voyage, mixing traditional sea shanties with Celtic and Canadian folk, brought to life with guitars, banjo, accordion and four commanding voices.
For over a decade, Brise-Glace have crossed oceans and cultures, performing at festivals across Canada, the USA and Europe – and we’re thrilled to welcome them to Falmouth’s shores.
Bryher’s Boys
Bryher’s Boys have been delighting audiences at home and abroad since 2017, blending Cornish songs and sea shanties in their trademark “free harmony” style – meaning no two performances ever sound quite the same!
With over 500 gigs under their belts – from stadiums to sand dunes, pubs to poop decks, warships to weddings – they’ve carried the St Piran’s Flag to the Festival Interceltique in Lorient, Yn Chruinnaght on the Isle of Man, and the Tall Ships in Lithuania. Their music has reached millions through Rick Stein’s hit TV show and on the BBC when the G7 nations visited Cornwall – for which they wrote a brand new sea shanty to welcome them.
When you see Bryher’s Boys, be prepared to haul on ropes, climb ladders and sing your hearts out at the UK’s premier shanty festival!
C Birds
The C Birds are twelve women local to the Newquay area, united by their love of songs of the sea and their deep affection for the beautiful corner of Cornwall they’re lucky enough to call home.
Formed in 2022, they’ve already packed a lot in – promoting pasties, raising money for the RNLI, and singing at weddings, funerals, harbour quays, campsites and preaching pits alike.
Expect lush harmonies with a sprinkling of history, fresh twists on old favourites and some new crowd pleasers from this warm and welcoming crew. Cornwall’s sea shanty scene is all the richer for them.
C.A.S.K.
C.A.S.K. (Collings A cappella Shanty Krew) are a daughter and father duo from Teignmouth, singing new and old shanties, forebitters and a few special seasonings along the way.
Kathryn has sung since childhood, including 11 years with Wren Music performing and teaching, while shanties became a central part of her life when dad Steve joined the Back Beach Boyz. Her pure vocals refuse to be defined by genre – she simply sings the music she loves, weaving beautiful harmonies with Steve’s voice.
Arriving garbed as Mermaid and Pirate, C.A.S.K. bring a strikingly distinctive look to match their beautifully blended sound. The duo also fundraise for FNDFriends, a charity supporting those living with Functional Neurological Disorder – a condition Kathryn lives with herself.
Cadgwith Singers
Cadgwith Singers carry one of Cornwall’s most cherished musical traditions. For many generations, singers have gathered at the Cove Inn at Cadgwith – beginning with fishermen enjoying a well-earned drink and sing on Friday nights after a hard week at sea, and now welcoming a wide range of folk from near and far, singing traditional songs alongside a few modern favourites.
While Friday nights at the Cove continue in strength, the “away team” – originally led by Dave Muirhead and now enthusiastically led by Mike – can be found bringing that same authentic Cornish spirit to venues across the peninsula.
Cape Cornwall Singers
Cape Cornwall Singers were formed in 1997 with a mission to resurrect the singing traditions of West Cornwall in the local pubs around St Just, and to raise funds for local charities. Their distinctive sound quickly became familiar across the area, leading to guest appearances at the international Tall Ships concert in Falmouth and the Cornish Gorsedd.
Since then their support base has grown steadily, with international tours taking them to Ireland, Brittany, Wales and the Kernewek Lowender festival in South Australia. Much of their success is owed to singer-songwriter Harry Glasson, whose evocative songs about Cornwall, its people and its heritage sit at the heart of their repertoire.
Cape Cornwall Singers are ordinary people with ordinary lives – who sing with extraordinary passion for the enduring traditions and beauty of their homeland.
Catch Of The Day
Catch of the Day are an all-female shanty group from Salisbury, Wiltshire, singing mainly a cappella in three-part harmony with occasional accompaniment from guitar, penny whistle, ukulele and violin.
Their repertoire ranges from traditional sea shanties to songs with watery motifs, and they take pride in developing original music that shares the stories of women in seafaring communities. Whether tragic or humorous, their aim is simply to entertain.
Returning for their third year at Falmouth, Catch of the Day have embraced the festival’s spirit wholeheartedly – taking the Beat Betty Challenge seriously in support of the RNLI fundraising that makes this festival so special.
Croche Dedans
Croche Dedans are a four-piece sea shanty group from Nantes, France, who have been lighting up stages on the western coast of France and beyond since 2010. With over 300 concerts under their belts, they bring traditional chants de marin and original compositions to life with infectious, foot-stomping energy.
Featuring accordion, banjo, guitar and four strong voices, Croche Dedans have a reputation for turning every stage into a voyage – drawing audiences in and making them part of the experience. Their contagious enthusiasm and festival spirit are simply impossible to resist.
AHOY!
Culdrose Military Wives Choir
Culdrose Military Wives Choir was founded in 2012, inspired by Gareth Malone’s The Choir, and was one of the earliest groups in what has grown into a network of 72 choirs and nearly 2,000 members across the UK and overseas. A registered charity, the Military Wives Choirs bring women with a military connection together to sing, share and support one another.
Based at Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose in Helston, the choir has featured on three Military Wives Choirs albums and performs an eclectic repertoire of contemporary pieces at venues across Cornwall – with the magical Minack Theatre a particular favourite.
The choir is led by Musical Director Taylor London, a recent Masters graduate from the Royal Northern College of Music and a military spouse herself.
Dockyard Dogs
Dockyard Dogs are the RNLI City of London Tower Station shanty band, formed in 2023 to raise funds for the lifesaving charity through maritime music. Based in London and working across the south-east region, they’ve quickly made their mark on the shanty scene.
A highlight came when they travelled to Rye Harbour to record the RNLI’s 200th anniversary shanty – a project filmed by ITV Meridian featuring six locations, a drone pilot and the Atlantic 85 lifeboat. The performance was broadcast on national television and shared across the country.
The Dogs keep sea songs alive with pub banter, plenty of chorus lines and pints in hand – and they even run their own podcast, Shantycast, blending maritime music, naval history and the joy of keeping these traditions going strong.
Du Hag Owr
Du Hag Owr have been a fixture on the shanty scene for over 15 years – and while three of them are getting old (their words!), they’ve been lucky to welcome some youth and enthusiasm in recent years to keep them on their toes.
Their humour remains intact, paired with traditional and modern shanties including their own original tributes to the RNLI and the Mylor Oystermen. Regular visitors to Falmouth Sea Shanty Festival, they’ve performed everywhere from the Minack Theatre to the Golden Hind, at festivals, weddings and any other excuse for a beer.
A career highlight came in 2021 when they were asked to perform for the 12 world leaders and their partners at the G7 Summit’s end-of-term barbecue on the beach at Carbis Bay – a unique experience with plenty of tales. But those tales are secret… just ask!
Dutch Uncle
Hans Weehuizen – known as “Dutch Uncle” – brings his popular How to Play Bones workshop to Falmouth International Sea Shanty Festival. Hans is an accomplished singer and multi-instrumentalist, playing one-row squeezebox and concertina alongside his speciality: the bones.
One of the oldest rhythm instruments, bones (or rattle-bones) were originally made from whalebone by sailors who had few instruments aboard ship. Today they’re crafted from wood, offering wonderful rhythmic possibilities that you’ll often hear at shanty festivals worldwide – from Mystic Seaport in America to festivals across Europe.
Hans’s workshop teaches you the first steps: how to hold the bones, create your first rhythms with music, and join the tradition of this distinctive maritime sound. All workshops are free of charge – check the festival programme for times.
For more information, visit: How to Play the Bones website or contact hweehuizen@freeler.nl
Falmouth Shout
Falmouth Shout hold a special place in the heart of this festival – they’re the founders of the Falmouth International Sea Shanty Festival itself, bringing this beloved weekend to life and growing it into the celebration it is today.
This mixed group of friends simply enjoy a song and a drink whilst raising funds for two vital causes: the RNLI and Cornwall Air Ambulance. What started as mates singing together has become something much bigger – a festival that brings thousands of people to Falmouth’s shores each year to celebrate maritime music and community spirit.
Expect warmth, camaraderie and the genuine love of shanty singing that started it all.
Femmes de la Mer
Femmes de la Mer are a 14-strong group of women from across Cornwall, formed seven years ago by friends who attended Falmouth Sea Shanty Festival and were inspired to have a go themselves. Since then, they’ve evolved into one of the festival’s regular highlights.
The Femmes have graced the Minack Theatre, supported Ben Howard at The Eden Sessions and Brixton Academy, and featured in a BBC series. But their true passion lies in sharing stories of inspirational Cornish women and keeping traditional shanties and folk songs of the sea alive.
Alongside traditional favourites like Blood Red Roses and Haul Away Joe, the Femmes sing original songs telling the stories of three remarkable Cornish women – co-written by the group’s Musical Director, Claire Ingleheart.
Figurehead
Figurehead are an all female shanty group from North Cornwall who share a love of songs with a traditional, nautical and maritime flavour.
Over the years the personnel have changed but the love of singing in harmony together and entertaining people with foot stomping songs and shanties remains constant.
Currently the members are Cath, Rachel, Sharon and Gill. As well as singing at local events, they can be seen performing at a wide variety of festivals around the South West. In recent years they also enjoyed performing on Radio 5 Live Sunday breakfast and appearing on CBeebies!
Five Men Not Called Matt
Five Men Not Called Matt are a fun-loving set of singers formed many years ago, and they’ve become regulars at Falmouth Sea Shanty Festival ever since.
They perform a mix of traditional shanties and their own self-penned songs of the sea, bringing warmth, good humour and years of experience to every performance. The name says it all really – don’t expect them to take themselves too seriously, but do expect a good time.
If you spot five blokes singing shanties and none of them answers to Matt, you’ve found them.
Freddie’s Barnet
Freddie’s Barnet are an energetic and amusing folk trio formed in 2018, performing everything from traditional sea shanties to singalong classics – with the occasional original thrown in for good measure.
This lively crew love nothing better than singing old and new shanty songs, whether at open-air summer festivals by the sea or beside a cosy fireside on a winter’s eve. They travel the country from coast to coast, raising rousing songs, bringing smiles, and collecting a few pounds for the RNLI along the way.
Expect good company, infectious energy, plenty of laughs, and versatile repertoire that adapts beautifully to any setting – from summer sunshine to warming up a winter gathering.
Guillaume Yaouank
Guillaume Yaouank is a child of the Lorient coast, bringing the purest marine folk to audiences with his voice and guitar. His repertoire of salty sea songs carries an authenticity that transports listeners beyond the seas.
Guillaume has toured extensively across France and internationally – from England and Ireland to Luxembourg, Czech Republic, Hungary, Singapore and Vietnam – always seeking to connect closely with his audience. With five albums and collaborations with various sea-singing artists behind him, he brings a rich career’s worth of experience to every performance.
His interpretations of maritime texts and melodies capture something essential about the relationship between people and the sea – rooted, genuine, and deeply felt.
Hay Shantymen
Hay Shantymen sing traditional and modern songs of the sea with wit, warmth and gusto. Since forming in 2018, they’ve raised around £20,000 for their chosen charity, the RNLI – an impressive achievement that reflects both their dedication and their popularity.
They’ve performed at major events including Falmouth and Port Isaac Shanty Festivals, Latitude Festival, and of course every year at the Hay Literature Festival, attracting ever-increasing audiences each time.
Their arrangements and harmonies are stronger than ever, sung with a sense of lively friendship that engages audiences whether in intimate pubs or on large festival stages. There’s something genuinely infectious about this crew – the camaraderie is real, and it shows.
Hit and Miss
Hit and Miss have a lovely origin story – five school friends were overheard singing with the regular singers at the Blue Anchor Inn in Helston one spring evening in 2017. Someone suggested they form a proper group for the upcoming Helstonbury festival that August, and the rest is history.
Very well received at their debut, they returned to Helstonbury 2018 with a bit more rehearsal under their belts and have since gone from strength to strength, taking on many engagements across West Cornwall.
These friends thoroughly enjoy singing together and have built a strong reputation for their rich four-part harmonies. There’s something special about a group that came together so organically – and you can hear it in every performance.
Jen & Toby Kessell
Toby and Jen Kessell are a fresh new duo bringing together two of Cornwall’s finest traditional musicians. The husband-and-wife partnership draws on over 70 years of combined playing experience, gathered from performances across the UK and abroad.
Their travels have collected a rich treasury of tunes, songs and musical traditions, which they bring to life through a beautiful mix of Celtic music on viola, melodeons, guitar and vocals. Expect to hear a celebration of the best songs and tunes from Cornwall to Ireland and beyond – music that speaks of shared heritage, wild coastlines and the enduring power of folk tradition.
Karenza Lily-May
Karenza Lily-May is a young folk musician from Padstow who’s already experienced some remarkable opportunities. She’s supported The Oggymen at the Minack Theatre, performed in Will Keating’s Candlelit Tour, and appeared at Beautiful Days Festival, Hall for Cornwall, and the Cornwall Folk Festival. Since July 2024, she’s been part of the Cornwall Youth Folk Ensemble, which has expanded her musical journey considerably.
Her godfather Jason from the Fisherman’s Friends has influenced her accordion playing – an instrument deeply rooted in Padstow’s traditions. Karenza’s performances blend voice and guitar with the rhythmic drive of a stomp box, creating genuine foot-tapping energy.
She sings songs inspired by people, land and sea – some traditional, others her own compositions that reflect the spirit of Cornwall. Expect folk, sea shanties, contemporary songs, and a variety of Irish and Cornish accordion tunes, all delivered with youthful passion and genuine talent.
Kelp!
Kelp! are an eclectic crew of men from Swanage on the stunning Isle of Purbeck, brought together by their shared love of the sea. They’ve discovered deep joy in singing traditional sailors’ working songs – the sea shanties that once powered tall ships across the oceans.
With rich harmonies, infectious rhythm and the occasional guitar thrown in for good measure, Kelp! stir in contemporary shanties to create lively, heartfelt performances full of energy and character. Many of the group are sailors, lifeboat volunteers or long-time friends rooted in the local maritime community.
Through their music, they raise vital funds for Swanage RNLI and other worthy local causes – keeping the spirit of the sea alive while giving back to those who serve it.
Kessenyan
Kessenyan – meaning “harmony” in Cornish – are a young three-part vocal group from Redruth, Cornwall. Inspired by generations of singers before them, they specialise in English, Irish and Scottish folk songs and sea shanties.
The trio are becoming well known for putting their own unique spin on the songs they love – and enjoying every moment of it. With fresh arrangements, rich vocals and genuine love of tradition, they’re equally at home in a pub setting, intimate folk club or on the big stage.
Kessenyan’s aim is to develop that perfect blend of harmony and tradition within their songs – and to share their passion with the goal of getting more young people singing. They’re proof that these traditions are alive and well in the next generation.
Lemonaires
Lemonaires are a four-part a cappella group formed in Mylor Bridge for the anniversary of Mylor Harbour over 20 years ago – and they’re still going strong. They sing of Cornwall, fishing, farming and mining with the vigour you’d expect from proud Celtic men.
The group love entertaining and encourage crowd participation in their songs, blending Cornish folk songs with shanties from across the globe. Their lineup includes ex-merchant navy men, a fisherman who refuses to retire, and the Flushing Ferryman – voices steeped in genuine maritime experience.
For more than two decades, the Lemonaires have been entertaining across Cornwall at various events whilst raising money for local charities. There’s an authenticity here that can’t be faked – these are men who’ve lived the life they sing about.
Les Premiers De Bordee
Les Premiers De Bordée are a dashing “trio of four” from the Pays de Lorient in Brittany – young and dynamic fifty-somethings who’ve been rocked by the sea waves since birth.
Their repertoire navigates between traditional sea songs and contemporary compositions with a distinctly salty taste – a storm of dynamic and bold interpretations that capture all the colours of seafaring people. With personal texts alongside the classics, they bring both authenticity and fresh energy to the maritime music tradition.
Expect lively performances full of humour, passion and that unmistakable Breton spirit.
Les Souillés De Fond De Cale
Les Souillés de fond de cale – marinated songs, 35 years of foggy stopovers. Since 1991, this four-piece from Côtes d’Armor in Brittany has taken their maritime compositions from North to South and West to East – from Iceland to Italy, Canada to Estonia, passing through Poland, England, Ireland, Cornwall, Scotland, Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, the Netherlands, Madagascar and beyond.
With 1,380 concerts under their belts, Les Souillés have scoured the stages of maritime and folk festivals across Europe and the world. Coming from diverse musical backgrounds, the four members have created their own distinctive identity, filled with friendship and complicity.
Their repertoire mixes catchy songs and ballads, all perfumed with emotion, humour and laughter. These are songs that have been properly marinated – aged to perfection through decades of stopovers in ports across the globe.
Missin’ Tackle Shanty Crew
Missin’ Tackle Shanty Crew have a great origin story. Following the success of The Provident play at Brixham Theatre in 2015, a group of lads who’d had such fun singing together decided to form a shanty group – and Missin’ Tackle was born.
With varied backgrounds in singing, it’s the camaraderie that draws them together, along with their shared love of the sea and the different way of life in days gone by. They bring this passion to shanties and sea songs, including old favourites that everyone will want to sing along to.
The crew have enjoyed singing in Brixham and beyond for many local charities. Their free annual summer concerts down at the Old Fish Quay on Brixham Harbour, raising funds for local good causes, have become a beloved tradition and are always very well received.
Month’s Advance
Months Advance are Emily and Josh, bringing voices, fiddle, double bass and their distinctive take on maritime folksong. With shanties, ghost stories, forebitters and the odd bathtub holler too, they create a traditional shipboard feel that blends folk standards with striking originals.
The folk music they make for joy draws on many influences – local history and legend inspire songs rooted in Cornwall’s maritime traditions, ports and myths. As a sailor and a gig rower, their experiences of the Cornish coast infuse their music and lyrics with the timeless draw of the Celtic Sea.
Come and sing, dance, jump and get yourself pressed into service on the briny! This is maritime music that’s lived as well as loved.
Nankersey Male Choir
Nankersey Male Voice Choir was founded in January 1950 when 12 members of The Nankersey Glee Singers decided to pursue their interest in close harmony singing. (Nankersey is the old Cornish name for Flushing.)
The Choir now includes choristers from many towns and villages throughout Cornwall and has moved its base to Penryn Soccer Club on Kernick Road, while still adhering to its original motto: “To Sing For And Give Pleasure.”
In 2025 they celebrated their 75th anniversary with concerts throughout Cornwall alongside other Cornish Male Voice Choirs, raising several thousand pounds for charity. Three-quarters of a century of singing, community and giving back – a true Cornish institution.
Nelson’s Shantymen
Nelson’s Shantymen were established in Burnham Thorpe, the birthplace of England’s greatest seaman, Lord Horatio Nelson, and are now based at The Jolly Sailors in Brancaster Staithe on the North Norfolk coast.
This diverse group of enthusiasts are driven in equal measure by a love of singing and a desire to keep the tradition of authentic sea shanties alive. They’re a non-profit group dedicated to raising money for charitable causes – and to date they’ve raised an impressive £70,000 for good causes.
“England Expects That Every Man Will Do His Duty” – and Nelson’s Shantymen certainly do theirs, combining their passion for maritime music with genuine community spirit.
Nordet
This year will be the thirteenth time Nordet have participated in the “Falmouth International Sea Shanty Festival”. For more than 35 years Nordet has been performing traditional sea shanties and its own creations. The crew knows how to make people dance and sing in a festive spirit. Nordet have sailed from Lorient, their home port, to New York; from Paimpol to Liverpool and from Hoorn to Douarnenez. These five sailors, exuberant and joyful, will embark the audience, from dead calm seas to storms, from the middle of oceans to the docks, and from Breton taverns to Cornish pubs. So welcome on board you sailors.
Odds & Sods
Odds n Sods are as the name implies are a group of like-minded friends who enjoy singing together, over the last five years we have raised over £20,000 for various local charities.
This will be our second visit to Falmouth and if it’s anything like last year, will be a blast.
Oll An Gwella
Oll an Gwella hail from Newquay and wow audiences with their mix of Cornish, folk, seasonal and shanty songs presented a capella with a self-deprecating humour. A passion for Cornish culture & heritage resonates through their performances which include elements in Kernewek (the Cornish language). They have appeared live on BBC TV, ITV and Radio Cornwall and represented Cornwall at the prestigious Festival Interceltique in Lorient, Brittany as well as performing on the main stage at Boardmasters, but they are equally at home in a community hall or care home.
Oll an Gwella sing for pleasure but also for charity, raising thousands of pounds each year.
Port of Bristol Shanty Crew
This group are a crew of mates who just love to sing traditional working shanties along with more modern maritime songs and Bristol sea shanties, some written by their crew mate Nobby Dye. The Port of Bristol Shanty Crew mantra is “Fun and Friendship, Melody and Mirth”; they sing anything with a nautical theme and a good tune or a good lyric, but their priority is to enjoy themselves and to entertain their audiences.
The group give their time for free to support festivals or charity fundraising events. 100% of the money they raise goes to support the excellent work of the Teenage Cancer Trust, in the 30 months since they have formed, the group have raised over £42000 for the Teenage Cancer Trust.
Portsmouth Shantymen
The Portsmouth Shantymen have been described as a “power harmony group” who specialize in Sea Songs.
They were formed in 1978 when the Christchurch Festival unexpectedly found itself without a Shanty Crew, which almost certainly makes them the longest continually running Shanty Group in the UK.
Since then they have performed at festivals, historic ships including HMS Victory, clubs, book launches, schools, charity events , on Television and many other places too numerous to mention. They have performed all over the UK , the near continent and the USA, and over 45 years later they are still going strong!
Press Gang
Based in and around the St Austell Bay Area, The Press Gang are a group of eight singers and musicians who perform foot-stomping shanties, melodic songs of the sea and songs of their beloved Cornwall.
Well established and revered by audiences near and far, they are known for reworking traditional shanties and folk songs into their own harmonious, energetic style and mixing Cornish tradition with raucous entertainment.
From grand stages to small intimate venues, The Press Gang have been taking audiences near and far on maritime and Cornish heritage voyages through songs and shanties for well over a decade.
Come, stomp your feet, clap your hands and let them immerse you in the captivating melodies of the sea and Cornwall.
River Notes Choir
The River Notes are a mixed voice choir singing together since 2016. They take part in supporting many community events and perform a broad eclectic repertoire including popular tunes, Christmas carols and, of course, shanties. They have previously performed in a variety of locations even once in a shop doorway.
This group has an appetite for a good old time and are proud to be a non judgemental, a choir for one and all. They invite new members to join and ensures everyone will receive a warm welcome. Singing is a proven tonic for the Soul. What’s not to love?
Rive Notes meet every Monday during term time at the Falmouth Cricket club 7pm to 9pm.
Rum & Shrub
Rum and Shrub Shantymen are Cornish singers with a worldwide reputation for lively singing of shanties, sea songs and folk songs. Performing since 1991, their name comes from a well-known local drink reputed to have been enjoyed by smugglers.The group has performed throughout Europe, the USA and the UK and have produced many recordings of their singing with copies at all outlets. Rum and Shrub have appeared at Falmouth’s International Sea Shanty Festival every year since its inception and are looking forward to doing so again in the company of friends old and new.
Seaweed in the Fruit Locker
Formed in 2022, Seaweed in the Fruit Locker is an LGBTQIA+ sea shanty choir based in Plymouth, Devon. The choir perform traditional shanties and maritime folk songs, often utilising contemporary queer lived experience as inspiration for re-writing canonical songs, as well as penning original shanties.LINKSIMAGE CREDIT: Dom Moore
Severn Whalers
Severn Whalers are delighted to be returning to Falmouth International Sea Shanty Festival in 2025. They are a 4 piece A-Capella crew, singing shanties and songs of the seas, based to the North of Bristol along the banks of the River Severn.
Severn Whalers love to perform songs both traditional and modern, and you will often find them supporting the vibrant and often boisterous shanty scene in and around Bristol – as well as at festivals both near & far.
Shanty Bass
Shanty Bass is a 12-strong crew of ex-rugby players from Falmouth, bonded by years of battling in the mud, long away days, and plenty of post-match singing. Now, we swap tackling (still a foreign concept for many of us!) for harmonies with a mix of shanties, Cornish folk, and a few surprise crossovers. Formed for a wedding (which we didn’t ruin!), we’ve since sang at pubs, festivals and, yep, more weddings across Cornwall. With a growing set of crowd-pleasers and lesser-heard gems, we bring big voices, bigger hearts, terrible banter, and toe-tapping tunes you’ll love. Now, where’s the bar?
Shanty Sam Wheatley
Shanty Sam returns for his second Falmouth festival. You may have also seen him be featured in many other festivals around the county, where he has been honing his skills, adding to his set lists and having far too much fun doing it! His repertoire includes all the traditional favourites, other songs of the sea, and his own songs that will make you laugh, cry, or even blush! Each set is also unique to each performance, so make sure you try and catch them all for a chance to hear your favourites!
Sheringham Shantymen
The Sheringham Shantymen were formed in 1990. Over the last 35 years the group has developed its own style of performing songs of the sea, refining their music and always trying to entertain the public whilst raising funds for the RNLI and other charities.
The group has remained true to it’s roots as volunteers of the RNLI and still maintains a very close connection with the life-saving charity, which is reflected in the membership and badge they wear with pride.
The Sheringham Shantymen have performed in the UK, France, Germany, USA, Ireland and Holland over the years and we are delighted to be invited back to Falmouth for the 20th time this year.
Short Drag Roger
After celebrating their 20th anniversary with a sell-out theatre concert, Short Drag Roger continues to bring shanties and sea songs to the landlocked people of Oxfordshire and further afield. With their unique close harmonies, the group performs at shanty and folk festivals all over the UK and Europe as well as pubs, theatres, village shows, and other venues closer to home. Their a capella repertoire includes traditional shanties, more modern sea songs, and several they have written themselves.
Short Drag Roger also run interactive workshops where participants experience the tangy flavour of shanty singing, and life, on board ships in the days of sail.
Simon The Shanty Harpist
Far from the crying gulls, the breaking waves, the desert isles
Where once lurked the ancient mariner and the press gang vigilantes,
Beyond the sea-soaked quay, the narrow harbour and the moorings
You may find a harpist singing shanties.Is it yet the desolation of the minstrelsy of knowing
That the rushing of the sea-wind is the calling of the tide?
Is it restlessness or longing or a riptide in the soul
That sends a Shanty Harpist far and wide?So do go down to the lonely sea, the lonely sea and the shore
And hear the strings a-pinging to the songs that yet bewail
The sorrows of the sailors and the dangers of the deep,
And treat yourself to several pints of ale!
Sloop Groggy Dogs
Sloop Groggy Dogs are Bedfordshire’s favourite lively Shanty Band. Audience involvement is their goal at every event. From 8 to 80 this group has a little something special to appeal to all.
They have done many beer festivals, charity fund raisers, concerts, parties, pickle nights, wakes and weddings! Come and see them – you’ll have some fun!
Stuns’ls Shanty Group
Stuns’ls were formed in Mevagissey, Charlestown and Truro Cornish Pilot Gig rowing clubs and named from one our earliest songs “Old Maui”. Stuns’ls is sailors slang for the Studding Sail, an extra sail that can be hauled out on a square-rigged vessel’s yardarm to run in light winds.
We are a light-hearted bunch, who doesn’t take life to seriously and have a lust for harmonies, always seeking out that extra note. Over the last two years we have had the honour of singing for King Charles and the Queen consult, played a part in Rick Steins Cornwall (2021), and are the voices for Visit Cornwall’s G7 campaign, whilst also performing for German TV and singing at the Bremen International Shanty Festival in Germany.
We strive to make those chords ring and to put a smile on spectators faces, whilst ensuring that we promote Cornish harmonies and songs of the sea.
The 85ers
The 85ers are a shanty group made up of 5 active sea going lifeboat crew from RNLI Portishead. Fully acapella, They sing a wide range of shanties. The group was formed during a lock down in 2021 and have been regulars at Falmouth ever since. In 2023 The 85ers got to sing for the King at the Coronation Concert at Windsor Castle and last year they sang at in the Great Hall at Stormont in Belfast and at the Remembrance service in Paddington. You still cannot however beat the crowds of Falmouth International Sea Shanty Festival!
The Chantry Buoys
The Chantry Buoys are a Devon based shanty group who like to sing together on an informal basis, with the aim of raising as much money as possible for local charities. The group like to sing at many varied functions and venues, as well as shanty festivals all over the South West.
The Countrymen
It’s difficult to find a musical genre that would fully describe The Countrymen, but Folk Rock Harmony comes close. A five-piece band featuring tight four-part vocal harmony and strong instrumentation.
Primarily performing original songs and their own arrangements of lesser-known contemporary folk, the band’s lyrical inspiration is drawn from life in Cornwall, the demise of local industries and other rural issues that resonate throughout the country. The Countrymen are accomplished performers, engaging the audience with light-hearted banter and back-stories to their songs.
The Following Seas
The Following Seas are the semi-official shanty choir of King Charles the Martyr Church, Falmouth, featuring very experienced musicians who normally sing in Churches and Cathedrals but who like nothing better than a song of the sea or three.
Led by Richard Bailey, the Organist and Choirmaster of KCM, the Following Seas put a different spin on the traditional, with homegrown eight-part quasi-renaissance arrangements of some of the classics to the Nanny State version of the Drunken Sailor.
The Harry Browns
The Harry Browns are the longest serving group from Bristol. Named after the old Harry Brown sand dredger, they began singing as a “super group” in the late 1980s and expanded their repertoire to include a wide range of songs of the sea including contemporary and self-penned songs. They have toured Europe and sung at major festivals in the UK and abroad.
In addition to researching and giving life to many forgotten songs, the Harrys are renowned for their musical arrangements and harmonies, their humour and spontaneity.
Every Harry performance is unique and engaging. You have been warned!
The Longest Johns
Having met and bonded over sea shanties across a kitchen table in their native Bristol a decade ago, The Longest Johns – Jonathan ‘JD’ Darley, Andy Yates and Robbie Sattin – have sailed the seven seas in the name of the “rock ‘n’ roll of 1752” to grace the stages of international folk festivals, tour the UK, Europe and North America, and appear on TV.
To celebrate ten years of pitching and rolling in brotherly harmony, in October the band are set to release a tin anniversary edition of their self-released debut EP Bones in the Ocean. That follows their latest tour of Canada in September as they build towards the release early next year of a new studio album – their ninth but the first as a three piece following the departure of co-founder Dave Robinson in May.
By any standard The Longest Johns have enjoyed a whirlwind of a journey these last ten years. As well as eight full length albums, they’ve released four EPs and nine singles, including the 2021 version of ‘Wellerman‘ that began a sea shanty craze on social media as a 150 year-old folk song from New Zealand became a worldwide viral sensation, sweeping the group to the #2 berth on the US Spotify Viral Chart and #5 Global.
They’ve racked up more than 500 million streams across all platforms, signed up more than half a million YouTube subscribers and logged some 200,000 hours watched on Twitch. Their gaming partnerships include Sea of Thieves and Wanderworld and they’ve recorded the soundtrack to No Man’s Wife, a new film made by the co-producers of the Fisherman’s Friends films
The Lower Deckers
The Lower Deckers are a fun, contemporary shanty group who hail from the landlocked counties of Shropshire and Herefordshire and are delighted to be involved in the Falmouth International Sea Shanty Festival. Following their tentative first gig fundraising for the RNLI in 2017, they have gone from strength to strength, performing regularly in festivals, pubs and cafes. They’ve sung at Hereford’s River Carnival and entertained residential homes. Their other festival appearances include Mevagissey, Teignmouth , Weston Super Mare, Bristol & Gloucester, Barry Island and Port Issac.
They are keen charity fundraisers and regularly hold gigs to raise funds for the RNLI as well as local charities such as Shropshire’s Mayfair Centre, Herefordshire’s Home Start and several local food banks. The Lower Deckers repertoire embraces traditional Shanties, songs of the sea and sailing, folk songs and more, with a few surprises along the way! They look forward to performing to you and promise plenty of Hearty Shanties & Sea Faring Fun
The Navy Larks
The Oggymen
The Cornish have a proud tradition of expressing their loves, beliefs, hopes and fears through music. Songs chart the history of Cornwall’s Methodist past, the hardships of life as a tin miner, the peril of those at sea, or the lament of the cousin jack, longing for family and familiarity whilst working a long way from home.
The Oggymen’s songs are part of their culture; a bridge to both the past and the future. As they grew up in Falmouth they heard these songs regularly. Fathers sung them in male voice choirs, friends sung them after working boat races, brothers sung them gig rowing, and they all tried to sing them down the pub…
In recent years, the songs of their fathers have been heard less, and collectively they lamented the loss of this bridge to their Cornish past; hopefully they can do their part to stop the songs from being lost forever.
The Orkney Sea Shanty Society
Travelling the full length of the country to perform at this year’s festival are the Orkney Sea Shanty Society. A group of friends and family from the islands off the north coast of Scotland, they’ve been playing and singing together for many years, both informally and in Orkney’s thriving traditional music scene. After an impromptu invite on stage in 2023 by the Barnacle Buoys, the group is excited to return two years later to share a lively set of traditional Orcadian songs, tunes, dances, and some familiar shanty favourites!
The Orwellermen Sea Shanty Crew
The Orwellemen are a rollicking Shanty Crew who throw open their arms—and their songbooks—to one and all. Whether you’re a seasoned sea dog with salt in your veins or a landlubber dipping your toes into maritime melodies, you’re heartily welcome. They gather at the Steamboat Tavern, on the banks of the Orwell in Suffolk, to belt out shanties and songs of the sea. Their performances are brimming with energy, and they’ll have you singing along in no time. Come for the songs, stay for the camaraderie!
This year they are CYCLING from the East Coast to perform at the Falmouth International Sea Shanty Festival.
The Out Of Tunas
The Out Of Tunas rose like a phoenix from the ashes of the pandemic. A gentlemen’s club with a difference, now recording their own original songs. Sometimes described as ‘the bad boys of shanty’ or ‘a drinking club with a shanty problem’, this group will be performing at Falmouth’s International Sea Shanty Festival and playing through the speakers at full volume!
The Perraners
The Perraners are a long established and eclectic group from Perranporth who sing Cornish songs and songs the Cornish love to sing. With a huge repertoire including sea songs, shanties and lullabies in 5 part harmony, they can often be found at The Seiners Arms by the beach in Perranporth on a Tuesday evening, with glass in hand, in full voice! The Perraners were delighted to be invited back to sing again at The Falmouth International Sea Shanty Festival and are excited to be taking part alongside so many other talented singing groups.
The Pirates of St Piran
The Pirates of St. Piran are a St. Austell based nonprofit, charity fundraising group, who perform all over Cornwall and Devon to raise money for local charities. So far, they have raised over £100,000 for local charities including Children’s Hospice Southwest, The RNLI and the Cornwall Air Ambulance Trust, along with many other charities and good causes in their area.
The group are a rocky rumbustious sea shanty crew who perform in full pirate costume, playing at festivals, pirate events and taverns all over Cornwall and Devon. They sing traditional sea shanties and their own original songs of the sea.
The Rusty Tubs
The Rusty Tubs are a mongrel band of 10, A Cappella, sea shanty singing Jack Tars. As one of the country’s rowdiest shanty sides, they sing traditional sea shanties, songs of the sea, military songs, protest songs, folk songs, working songs & drinking songs. They are all based on traditional themes: being at sea, drinking, shagging, not shagging, working, getting mistreated, fighting, tragedy, poverty & general skullduggery. The Rusty Tubs are loud, rough & ready, with a punk attitude, but a certain style. Drunken revelry is a certainty!
The Sea Gals
All female renegade crew, hailing from Totnes in Devon. Set sail with The Sea Gals for a taste of traditional sea shanties and nautical numbers. Known for their melodious harmonies and soaring acapella, The Sea Gals will transport you on a voyage from taverns and harbours to the roaring waves. A little bit pirate, quite a lot shanty!
The Solent Shanty Buoys
The Solent Shanty Buoys are a group of friends who enjoy singing shanties but also some lesser known songs of the sea. They are thoroughly enjoying being able to perform again in Falmouth. They also love performing at birthday parties, sailing clubs, beer festivals and micro breweries…..can’t think why!! They enjoy performing to a wide range of audiences, always encouraging audience participation.
The Solent Shanty Buoys’ chosen charity is Wetwheels, a charity which offers access to the water for disabled people with a safe, barrier-free, enriching experience, whatever their situation.
The Steepholmers
The Steepholmers formed in Weston-super-Mare in early summer 2018, with a little help from a certain popular video game with a nautical theme (seriously!). We are the organisers of the Weston-super-Mare Sea Shanty and Folk Music Festival https://www.wsmshantyfest.com
We meet every Wednesday for rehearsal and perform a range of popular sea shanties and sea songs, always remaining keen on learning new ones to enhance our repertoire.
We perform in public for community groups, in pubs, in bars, and at Sea Shanty Festivals around the UK. We play every 3rd Wednesday with invited friends our regular monthly ‘Shanty Night’ in Fork ‘n’ Ale, Weston-super-Mare.
The Suitcase Singers
The Suitcase Singers – are a 50 strong community choir led by Musical Director, Claire Ingleheart and based in Penryn. Being by the sea, they have a love for shanties and folk songs, old and new and have a rich repertoire of traditional Cornish songs and contemporary songs that reflect the incredible stories of our Cornish heritage.
Treizhadenn
Treizhadenn is a Breton group (Crossing in English) coming from the Paris area.
It is composed of musicians (vocals, chromatic accordion, flutes, saxophone, bombardes, bass guitar and percussions). Treizhadenn is 18 years old. They perform throughout France and abroad in Wales and Cornwall. Their repertoire is almost exclusively composed of group creations (music and lyrics) is dedicated to the sea, sailors and Brittany.
Most of them are dance tunes from different terroirs of Brittany and Celtic countries.
Teizhadenn have recorded four CDs. For more details you can visit their website, where you will find videos and CD extracts.
Wellington Wailers
Hailed as ‘Sea Shanty Favourites’ in their native Shoreham-by-Sea, the Wellington Wailers were formed in 2012 by a small group of likeminded ‘sea dogs’ interested in singing traditional shanties. Their repertoire has expanded to include a number of ‘fore-bitters’ and some more bawdy favourites.
The Wailers regularly fundraise for the RNLI, contributing over £11,000 to-date.
Their performances focus on humour and enjoyment, with a harmonious and rousing sound that fans adore. Everyone is encouraged to join in with any mischief and shenanigans that the Wailers embark on
Will Keating
Will Keating Award-winning singer-songwriter known for his powerful voice and evocative storytelling, Will’s music blends traditional folk influences with modern sensibilities, capturing the spirit of Cornwall. With a loyal fanbase, he continues to enchant audiences with his heartfelt performances and deep connection to his beloved home of Cornwall.
Wrecked Again
Wrecked Again Shanty Crew are a group of friends singing in Cockwood and Dawlish, South Devon. They are a crew of male and female singers, taking it in turns to lead a variety of songs. Wrecked Again love it when audiences join in!
The group have been singing together for several years and enjoy the social side of shanty, as well as the songs! They have lots of fun singing at regional shanty festivals such as Mevagissey and Port Isaac, and local sea-themed events. Wrecked Again are thrilled to be part of the Falmouth International Sea Shanty Festival in 2025.
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