The St Ives September Festival defied the thunder and rain to storm through the middle weekend of the town’s 15 days of music and arts.

Heavy rain forced the start of the Festival’s second Saturday of street entertainment under cover in the loggia at the front of Tate St Ives but, after Cornish group Hevva danced there, the rain stopped, the sun came out and the rest of the performers returned to the streets.

It also coincided with the Tate’s UK premiere of A Sun Dance with dancers following the path of the sun as it passed across the Tate St Ives building on the equinox weekend.

Pensans Morris 2024
Pensans Morris (Picture: Mike Sinclair)

The “Sold Out” notices continued to go up with capacity audiences including three St Ives Jazz Club nights at the Western Hotel, St Ives’ singer Molly Hocking at St Ia Church and Winter Mountain at St Ives Arts Club.

St Ives Rotary’s Spot The Artist charity painting sale once again saw the keenest bargain hunters braving the rain to queue overnight in Back Road West for first pickwhen Porthmeor Studios opened their doors on Sunday morning.

First in the queue at 7am on Saturday - 26 hours before the sale began – was Rick Clarke who had travelled down form Manchester especially to target the pictures he wanted at the viewing day and add to his collection of Spot The Artist paintings.

The St Ives Society of Artists’ Square Deal sale at their Mariners Gallery also saw Buyers queueing round the block ahead of last Friday afternoon’s sale.

A Sun Dance
Dancers at the UK premiere of A Sun Dance at Tate St Ives (Picture: Mike Sinclair)

This weekend will see the climax of the 2024 Festival with the sounds of the Rio Carnival at the “Late At Tate” on Friday night and a third Saturday afternoon Big Cauldron marathon music session at the Western Hotel.

There are still tickets available for Friday night shows featuring Cornish country/pop duo True Foxes at St Ia Church and UK-American husband and wife duo Our Atlantic Roots at the Arts Club. 

Saturday features final night shows with Penzance-based harmony folk singers Baldrick’s Plan at the Arts Club, St Ives duo Carly and Sven at the Western and Ray Lewis, former lead singer of the legendary Drifters, at St Ia Church.

For more Information and to book tickets online, visit: www.stivesseptemberfestival.co.uk