THE finishing touches are being made to Newquay’s brand-new arts festival which aims to attract people to the town.

Be Newquay Festival, which will take place on weekends throughout November, will bring together a blend of music, creativity, wellness, arts, workshops, theatre and comedy to showcase the community. 

The colourful programme of either free or affordable activities, events, pop-up performances and workshops will be taking place across different venues in the town centre, from St Michael’s Church to the Killacourt.

They have been expertly curated to engage, inspire, and entertain the local community and visitors of all ages in a myriad of ways. 

Highlights include stirring performances by local band Kana, performing its self-penned songs via candlelight to laidback comedy nights set to rouse a chuckle as part of the Cream of Cornish Weekender between November 1 and 3.

Other events include immersive theatre experiences under moonlit skies with To The Moon and Back by Grit Productions between November 15 and 16. There will be a series of community workshops ahead of the performance to help inspire the stories included in the piece.  

Bellyboard painting with Dick Pearce will be staged as a nod to Newquay’s surf culture on November 2 and 9.

Visitors can learn how to make electronic music on modular synths and create visuals using live programming software, as part of Alma’s Winter Arts Weekend: Moogie Wonderland Workshop on November 30.

Alma’s Winter Arts Weekend will be held on the finale weekend of the festival.

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A vibrant line-up of exhibitions, installations, walks, talks, and workshops are being organised ( )

A vibrant line-up of exhibitions, installations, walks, talks, and workshops are being organised, including a community flag-making workshop with Amy Brock-Morgan on November 30.

There will also be an arts installation by Leila Galloway in the Fly Cellars between November 30 and December 1, a special evening of live music from The New Eves and Daisy Rickman on November 30 culminating with a day of Monolith Celebrations with Stone Club and Robin Sullivan.

A day of Monolith Celebrations with Stone Club and Robin Sullivan ( )

For those looking to recharge and focus on the art of de-stressing, the festival will offer a range of wellness workshops that focus on practices such as mindfulness, meditation, yoga, sauna and breathwork.

There will even be a transformative TRE Tension & Trauma Releasing Exercises workshop, designed to help people release tension and restore balance to their body and mind at the A State of Mind Studio on November 9.

The BIG Newquay Market will return to the town, with traders peddling their wares on the Killacourt on Saturday, November 2.

There will be contemporary crafts, artisan makes, local lifestyle inspiration as well as food and drink. For the festival launch weekend, the Big Newquay Market will feature a special one-off event: Seascape: A Live Art Event and Auction.

People will be able to watch local artists at work as they are inspired by the wild Atlantic seascapes of the coastal town.

An auction, with split artist and community group profits, will launch on the day to give visitors the chance to bid on their favourite artwork, support Cornish artists and give to a local cause. Seascape is a real celebration of the Newquay coastline, artists and community.

There will be a MUQY Street Art Walking Trail featuring murals including an artwork by Elle Koziupa, which features a traditional fisherman working on a net at the junction of Fore Street and Sydney Road.

The mural of the fisherman fixing his net ( )

There will also be an abstract beach scene created by Cornwall-based artist Kleiner Shames at MIX NQY in East Street.

The abstract beach scene ( )

Alongside the street art trail, people can get involved with street art workshops and activities during November, including Phil Strugnell’s Artist in Residence at SeaSpace, which will include an abstract wood sculpture and card relief workshop on November 9.

An abstract collage workshop will be staged at Project Eighty Three on November 10. There is even a dose of festive activity taking place, with Trenance Trees and Tales: Lantern Parade, the Christmas Light Switch On is held on November 22 and a willow lantern making workshop on November 16.

Trenance Cottages will be illuminated during the Be Newquay Festival ( )

Many events throughout the festival are free to attend, making it accessible to all members of the community.

The Be Newquay Festival is commissioned by Cornwall Council’s project Experience Newquay and supported by Newquay BID and Visit Newquay. It is part-funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

Experience Newquay’s two-year project aims to encourage a resilient year-round visitor economy, put a spotlight on the low season and embrace Newquay’s unique identity. It supports Newquay’s visitor economy in four key areas: training and support, curation of a cultural offer, marketing, and evaluation of impacts. Designed to attract an even flow of local and national visitors who sustainably engage with the town throughout the year.  

For more details on the event schedule and ticketing information, visit the official festival website at benewquayfestival.co.uk/events