Boardmasters bids to raise capacity to 65k by 2025

UK surf and music festival Boardmasters is hoping to increase its capacity to 65,000 by 2025 after submitting a licensing application to Cornwall Council.

If granted, the new licence will allow the event, which was headlined by Lorde, Liam Gallagher and Florence + The Machine in 2023, to grow its capacity from 53,000 to 58,000 next summer, and expand by a further 7,000 the following year.

Organisers say it would also enable the Superstruct-backed festival to increase the economic impact for Cornwall, creating more jobs and opportunities for more direct contracts for businesses in the area, as well as scope for even bigger music artists. The festival brought £40 million (€46m) into the local economy in 2022.

At Fistral Beach, where the Boardmasters OPEN surf competition takes place, capacity will remain at 22,000.

“It would allow us to further elevate festival facilities, create more space, and enable us to continue to invest in our industry leading safeguarding work”

“We have exciting and ambitious plans for Boardmasters and under the proposal, we would be able to take the festival to the next level,” says Boardmasters Festival founder Andrew Topham of Vision Nine. “That means even bigger artists from all over the world, even more content for our attendees to enjoy, greater economic impact locally, more jobs as we increase staffing numbers and much more.

“Operationally, it would allow us to further elevate festival facilities, create more space, and enable us to continue to invest in our industry leading safeguarding work. Boardmasters is proud to be a part of Cornwall, generating millions each year for the County, as well as fundraising efforts through the Boardmasters Foundation which contributes to local charities and organisations.

“We look forward to the consideration of all of the relevant parties and thank residents whose feedback we value greatly. As always, we will continue our work to produce a world-class festival in Cornwall.”

Boardmasters returns to Newquay from 7-11 August, with the first wave of acts for its 2024 line-up to be announced this week.

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