Be Newquay Festival celebrates success
4Motion bring their dance moves to the KillacourtThe Be Newquay Festival has concluded with resounding success, marking a significant milestone in the town's event calendar. Over the past five weekends in November, nearly 2,900 locals enjoyed music, art, and community spirit in the heart of Newquay as part of the festival programme.
Funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and delivered by Cornwall Council's Experience Newquay project, with support from local partners, the festival featured an impressive lineup of artists, captivating performances, and a variety of engaging activities from local businesses.
Designed with the community at its heart, organisations like Trenance Cottages and ALMA Artspace were awarded grants to curate and deliver workshops and events. Reflecting Newquay’s multi-faceted identity, the festival provided a platform for creatives to share their work and engage with the community, fostering a vibrant cultural environment and revitalising the town centre during the typically quiet month of November.
The festival significantly contributed to regenerating the high street and repositioning Newquay by highlighting its vibrant creative community. Footfall on each weekend in November 2024 increased by an average of 42% compared to 2023, demonstrating the power of events and activities to drive engagement and attract visitors to the high street.
Daisy Rickman and band perform at ALMA Winter Arts WeekendHighlights included headline acts from renowned musicians such as local folk band Kana and the spellbinding Daisy Rickman, vibrant street art murals by Kleiner Shames and Ella Koziupa taking the town centre by storm as part of MUQY Street Art Trail (produced by Slapdash Studio), To The Moon & Back immersive performance, and interactive workshops from local businesses such as Phil Strugnell x SeaSpace, Tor Pottery, Olla Hiki Sauna and Dick Pearce Bellyboards. Collectively, the programme showcased the town's rich cultural heritage.
"We are thrilled with the overwhelming positive response to the Be Newquay Festival and how the local community got involved to show off what a wonderful town we live in", said Councillor Louis Gardner, Cornwall Council Cabinet Portfolio Holder for Economy and local Member for Newquay Central and Pentire.
"The energy and enthusiasm from both performers and local people have been incredible. It's been a true celebration of creativity and community, breathing fresh energy into the town centre. We know from data that events like this drive footfall and foster a proud sense of place. The festival's variety of activities for all ages, either free or at affordable prices, has resulted in its resounding success and seeing an increase in footfall to our town centre.
The MUQY Street Art Trail is a particular highlight, with the Experience Newquay project team driving the investment of phase one, the town now boasts an enviable collection of artworks. With more murals to come in 2025, it's clear the project will leave a lasting impact on the town."
Local businesses were delighted to receive extra support during the quieter months and the opportunity to try new things.
Lol-A-destination Comedy Night at Dead Famous
Andy Peace from Saltwalls Gallery, who partnered with Headland Hotel as its artist in residence for the festival month, said: "The Be Newquay Festival has been fantastic for our community and my business, giving me the opportunity to try something new.
"Throughout the month, I hosted two workshops for the local community at Headland Hotel and participated in the live painting Seascape auction as part of November’s Big Newquay Market on Killacourt. Using the amazing coastline as creative inspiration, I was able to share my craft with a wider audience. I enjoyed bringing people together and sharing my painting process, which also supported my business during the typically quiet time of November."
Andy Pearce from Saltwalls at the live Seascape painting event
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