Cornwall’s Best Food Festivals

Feast your way around Cornwall at these mouth-watering events.

Cornwall’s famous for its food: fresh fish flipped from sea to plate, sun-blushed veg and salt-seasoned meats, ice cream from cows grazing by the ocean. It’s a bold claim – but we’d say Cornwall’s culinary scene rivals even its beaches in the popularity stakes.

At this year’s Porthleven Food Festival, thousands flocked to the harbour for chef demos, lip-smacking eats and dancing by the sea, proving the appetite for food and music has never been stronger. And there’s plenty more on the menu.

Whether you’re heading down for a summer break or an autumn escape, time your trip to feast from coast to coast at Cornwall’s best food festivals.

Porthleven Food Festival

2–4 May 2025, Porthleven Harbour

This harbourside celebration kicked off the season in style, with three days of top-tier chef demos, dancing and street food. Local chef Jude Kereama curated a brilliant culinary line-up, while Britpop nights, Old Time Sailors and a wellness zone kept things lively with feel-good vibes. Dates are soon to be announced for 2026. Think music, mindfulness and mackerel rolls – all wrapped up with sunset vibes and a giant paella by the sea.

St Ives Food & Drink Festival

16–18 May 2025, Porthminster Beach

Chef demos, artisan stalls, and a big helping of beachfront energy make this one of Cornwall’s most iconic foodie events. Grab a crab taco, dig your toes in the sand and watch the chefs in action – including Padstow’s own Ross Geach. It’s free by day, but you’ll want to snap up tickets for the Sunset Sessions, which lift the celebrations up a notch with live bands and DJ sessions.

Falmouth Food Festival

23–26 May 2025, Falmouth Events Square

This four-day fiesta blends cracking Cornish street food with Falmouth’s creative spirit. Local makers, live music and a buzzing harbourfront vibe set the tone for a long weekend of culture and cuisine by the sea. It’s fast becoming one of the West Country’s biggest foodie weekends.

Mevagissey Feast Week

22–29 June 2025, Mevagissey

Dating back over 250 years, this is a week-long smorgasbord of traditional celebrations, full-throttle parties lighting up land and sea, and a giant food fest. Seafood feasts, chef demos, fireworks and foot-stomping tunes take over the harbour, while families get stuck into carnival parades, crabbing competitions, and the fete on the field. A true taste of Cornish community.

Newquay Food Festival

10–13 July 2025, Killacourt, Newquay

Brand new for 2025, this free event brings big flavours, artisan stalls and live-fire cooking to Newquay’s coastal green. Expect live music, a lively showcase of the town’s tastemakers, and a real sense of community. It’s a brilliant way to get under the skin of Newquay, all in one delicious long weekend.

Rock Oyster Festival

24–27 July 2025, Dinham House near Rock

Part gourmet weekend, part summer music festival, the family-friendly Rock Oyster Festival is right on our doorstep and our favourite summer party. Just across the estuary from Padstow, it brings big names and big flavours to our neighbourhood – with UB40 and Rag’n’Bone Man on stage, alongside Mark Hix and MasterChef’s John Torode in the kitchen. Shuck oysters, sip champagne, learn to forage, or spa your way through the weekend. There’s silly Olympics and circus workshops, too.

Bude Food Festival

10 August 2025, The Castle, Bude

This one-day August extravaganza fills Bude with the smell of sizzling street food, sweet treats and local tipples. Tuck into locally reared sausages, fresh bakes and stock up on gourmet dog snacks for your four-legged friend. Set against the backdrop of Bude’s castle and beaches, it’s perfect for loading up your picnic basket for days in the waves or a stomp along the coast.

Cornwall Street Food Festival

6–8 September 2025, Par Market, St Austell

A riot of global flavours hits St Austell as over 20 sizzling street food stalls serve everything from Caribbean jerk to Korean BBQ, Uzbek plov to Afghan dumplings. Much more than your average food fest – it’s a bold, open-air feast where smoky grills meet street beats, with banging burgers, craft brews and big flavours turning up the weekend heat.

Penzance Food Festival

19–21 September 2025, Penlee Park, Penzance

The organisers of Falmouth Food Festival are behind this laidback garden party in leafy Penlee Park. Just minutes from the prom in Penzance, this community-powered event brings natural wines, street food, and sweet tunes to the subtropical setting. The vibe? Creative, relaxed, and unmistakably Penzance.

Truro Food Festival

24–28 September 2025, Lemon Quay, Truro

Truro turns foodie central for this city-based bash of artisan produce, chef demos and craft drinks. Free to attend, it’s a great way to discover local legends and taste your way around Cornwall. Don’t miss the dessert stands.

Falmouth Oyster Festival

9–12 October 2025, Falmouth

Rounding up the foodie events is the long-standing annual celebration of the native Fal oyster and Cornwall’s traditional sailing fishery. Falmouth Oyster Festival brings cookery demos, boat races and champagne-fuelled oyster shucking to the party. A swanky, salty celebration of sea, food and heritage, that’s totally unique to Cornwall.

Feeling hungry?

Book your holiday cottage in and around Padstow – the perfect base to graze your way around Cornwall’s finest food festivals. Come for the seafood, stay for the music, and leave full to the brim.