The Feast
of
St John
Help Secure the Future of Golowan
Golowan
19-28 June 26
Golowan is an annual 10-day festival of events that culminates in a street festival on the last weekend in June where thousands attend a spectacle of giant wicker models paraded through the town, street performances, street music, theatre, and the Golowan live music and DJ Marquee. This annual event is much loved and is the biggest event in the calendar for this southwest Cornish community. It is a 35-year revival festival of the Feast of St. John and the midsummer solstice that is delivered by the whole community and has grown into one of the biggest street festivals in South England.
THE GOLOWAN LAUNCH PARTY:
Friday 19 June
Dy'Gwener 19 mis Methevenβ―
6.30pm START
CIVIC CHURCH PARADE FOR THE FEAST SERVICES:
Sunday 21 June
Dy'Sul 21 mis Metheven
10.30am START
Civic Parade and Church Service at St Johns.
Leaves St Johns Hall at 10.30am β service starts at 11am.
TORCHLIT PROCESSION:
Tuesday 23 June
Dy'Meurth 23 mis Metheven
9.30pm START
Top of Chapel Street to celebrate St. Johns Eve and the Midsummer Solstice.
MOCK MAYOR ELECTIONS
Thursday 25 June
Dy'Yow 25 mis Metheven
FREE Event 6.45pm START
In association with The Golowan Festival, the Cornish Crown will host The Golowan Marquee, located in Wharfside Car Park from 26th June to 29th June. Four days of fun with live bands, DJs & bars serving refreshments all weekend.
Β
Come help elect Penzance’s Mock Mayor! Some unlikely candidates will be vying for your vote! The election for Mock Mayor (The Ancient Competition to elect the Mock Mayor of the Quay) is at 8pm. Come and meet the candidates, hear their manifestos, and cast your vote for what is possibly the most influential political position in Cornwall! The candidates really go to town in their outfits and characters. The musical talent accompanying this rag tag bunch will be The Regalos (6.45pm) and An Gof (9.30pm)
MAZEY EVE FIREWORKS & PENGLAZ 2025
Friday 26 June
Dy'Gwener 26 mis Metheven
FREE Event 10.45pm START
Quieter fireworks using low bursting effects.
FREE ENTRY (Donations to Golowan Welcome)
Come and be dazzled by the Golowan Fireworks display, the best views are from Abbey Slip and Ross Bridge.
Then be mesmerized by the knocking for Penglaz at 11pm at the Barbican next to the Dolphin Pub as groups gather to twirl to the serpent dance CRYING βAn Eye! An Eye!β rushing through the hands of the head of the serpent as it snakes along Coinagehall and winds its way around the lustrous streets of Penzance to gather and end back at the harbourside.
MAZEY DAY CELEBRATIONS
Saturday 27 June
Dy'Sadorn 27 mis Metheven
FREE Event 10am START
Mazey Day Parade times:
10am Civic Procession
From St. Johnβs Hall, up Clarence Street, round and down Causewayhead, continuing down Market Jew Street to Market House where the Mayor and Mock Mayor address the crowds.
11am Crowst Parade
From St. Johnβs Hall, down Market Jew Street & back
1pm Dinner Parade
From St. Johnβs Hall, down Market Jew Street & back
3pm Crib Parade
From St. Johnβs Hall, down Market Jew Street & back
4.45pm Men and Maids
Dance the Serpent Dance through the streets of Penzance with the Golowan Band from St. Johnβs Hall
Acorn Theatre Steps
Acorn Theatre Steps
11am Fishing For Compliments
12pmGrace & Johanna
12.50 Sandra Cox
1.40 Richard Gibbons
2.30 Nervous Wreck
3.15 Tim Ridley
3.50 Megan Chapman
4.30 Petty Criminals
Queen’s Square Mazey Day
12 St Ives String Band
1pm Tycklemore Goats
2pm Baz Swainsbury
3pm Fungi
4pm Du Glad
5pm The Beauty of Diagrams
The Globe & Ale House, Queens Square
12.30 Baz Swainsbury (aka Lonesome Rider)
1.30 Hanterhir
2.30 Jackson’s Claret
3.30 Fishing For Compliments
4.30 Jon Jones & Ged Kingsford
Farmerβs Arms Mazey Day Stage, Causewayhead
12.30 β Jacksonβs Claret,
13.40 β Electric Timothy,
14.50 β Lafayette
16.00 β An Gof
17.10 β The Hamsters From Hell
Morrab Gardens Bandstand Mazey DayΒ
11am Cape Cornwall Singers
12 Barbed Choir
12.30 St Earth Concert Band
1.15 Robin Shaw
2pm Lynn Florkiewicz & Jim James
3pm Barry Hunt
4pm Rob Bougton
5pm Pagan Teapot
Penlee Park Community Stage Mazey Day
11.00 – Dancing Flea
12.00 – Electric Timothy
13.00 – 17.00 PZ Youth DJ Sets
Folk Stage Line Up Mazey Day
10:00 – Pensans Morris
10.40 – John Warburton
11.10 – Bagas Crowd
11.50 – Gwerin Tbc
12.30 – Dalla Duo
13.10 – Tros An Treys
13.50 – Bagas Fellyon
14.30 – Red River Singers
15.10 – Caracana Tbc
15.50 – Hanterhir
16.30 – Henavek
17.10 – Hayle River Band
Please see our Golowan Festival Programme for a full list of events.
QUAY FAIR DAY
Sunday 28 June
Dy'Sul 28 mis Methevenβ―
FREE Event 10am START
Today the action moves to the harbourside and Prom where you can browse market stalls, listen to street music, sea shanties and the Golowan Folk Stage entertainment with dancing and singing and donβt forget to visit the Spanish tall ship GaleΓ³n AndalucΓa docked in the harbour. The Golowan Skate Competition will take place at Wherrytown Plaza Skatepark and donβt forget the Model Boat Display at Wherrytown boating pond.
The Golowan Marquee in the Harbourside car park will host a star-studded cavalcade of music with entertainment throughout the weekend and the youth music stage will be in full swing in Penlee Park with a bar and food stalls.
Folk Stage Line Up on the South Quay
10.30 β The Woodcarts
11.10 β Tros An Treys
11.50 β Salt And Sky
12.30 β Golowan Band
13.10 β Jacksonβs Claret
13.50 β Heb Mar
14.30 β Penzance Guizers
15.10 β Jaycee & Bee
15.50 β Pendans
16.30 β Shindig
17.10 β Raffidy Dumitz
Penzance Dry Dock will see the Sea Shanty in full swing with a bar and hog roast. There will be a lively music session outside the Boatshed and street music.
THE GOLOWAN SEA SHANTY FESTIVAL
Sunday 28 June
Dy'Sul 28 mis Methevenβ―
FREE Event 10am START
Golowan is proud to introduce the Golowan mini-Sea Shanty Festival!
If you fancy the spectacle of swarthy men bellowing wild songs with plenty of embellishments and choruses sung with gusto, then what better place than to visit the Golowan mini-Sea Shanty festival on Quay Fair Day on the Quay at the Penzance Dry Dock! This new addition to the Golowan Festival is bursting at the seams with talent:
Shanty and Morris running order:
Inside the Dry Dock:
10. Sudden Squall
10.45 Rumbellion
11.30 Pensans Morris
12.00 Exmouth Shanty Men
1.00 Wild Blue & Yonder
2.00 Cornish A Capella Shout
2.30 Pitch & Holler
3.00 A Capella Moonshine
4.00 Month’s Advance
5.00 Exmouth Shanty Men
Outside the Dock Gates on the road:
1.30 Carn Brea Morris
3.30 Order of the Geep
4.30 The Wad (TBC)
5.30 AN Other Morris (TBC)
NEW TO GOLOWAN: THE PENLEE PARK EVENT
Saturday 27, and Sunday 28 June
FREE Event 10am START
THE PENLEE PARK EVENT
Mazey Day and Quay Fair Day
Saturday 28th & Sunday 29th June 2025
FREE Event 10am START
New to Golowan 2025! The Penlee Park Event!
Introducing our new Mazey Weekend area in Penlee Park. Itβs a TAKE OVER of the two fields of Penlee Park in the centre of Penzance. You will find entertainment and activities for all ages, food stalls, a bar, coffee, entertainment, inflatables, craft stalls and in the new Tree Lounge hang out space for young people, FREE FOOD FOR 11-17s, open 1 – 6pm.
SATURDAY 28TH JUNE
LOWER FIELD – MUSIC STAGE
11am β 5pm – Qube Records move their stage from town into the park. All the musical talent from Mount’s Bay School will be on display.
6pm β Bagas Fellyon will set all our feet moving with traditional Nos Lowen music and dancing.
UPPER FIELD – THE BIG TREE STAGE
11am – Wild Blue Yonder β A great 10-piece local Shanty band
12pm – Electric Timothy
1 – 6pm β DJ Takeover Penzance and Newlyn Youth with Amplify and special guests.
SUNDAY 29TH JUNE
LOWER FIELD – MUSIC STAGE
11am β 5pm – Qube Records continued wild tracks from Mounts Bay School.
UPPER FIELD – THE BIG TREE STAGE
11.15am – Fox Rox Choir is a vibrant, community choir open to anyone who loves to sing.
12.15pm – The Believe Academy bring this school of dance for a fantastic display from all ages.
1.15pm – Penzance Makaton Signing Choir,
Keur Arwodha Kemeneth
1.45pm – Poets of Penzance – Spoken Word with local poets Grey Lightfoot and Jacky Garratt.
2.15pm – Minack Theatre – The Rising Stars, a Penzance based youth musical theatre group will be performing musical theatre numbers from shows we all know and love.
3.15pmβ Desperate men β The Balloon Toss
3.30pm β TBD
THE GOLOWAN MARQUEE
Thursday, June 25, to Sunday, June 28
Ticketed evenings of Friday 26th & Saturday 27th see link below.
GOLOWAN MARQUEEΒ 2025 RUNNING ORDER
THURSDAY 26TH – MOCK MAYOR ELECTIONS
Β OPEN 6:30PM
6:45PM – 7:45 THE REGALOS
8PM β 9PM – MOCK MAYOR ELECTIONS
9:30 AN GOFΒ
FRIDAY 27TH – MAZEY EVE
OPEN 7PM
7PM DJ/MUSIC
7:30PM – TRUE FOXESΒ
8:30PM – 9PM DJ/MUSIC
9PM – 10PM WILD OYO
10 PM – DJ/MUSIC
10:30PM – RUDIβS MESSAGE
SATURDAY 28TH – MAZEY DAY
Β OPEN 2PM
3PM -DJ/MUSIC
4:30PM – NIGHT MOTOR
5:30 PM – 6PM DJ/MUSIC
6PM β DIE SPANGLE
7PM CLOSE AREA
SATURDAY 28th MAZEY SOIREE
Β DOORS 7:45/8PM
7.45 – BOOGALOO DEE
8:30 – DJ QUEEN BEE
10PM – THE ALLERGIES
11:45PM FRANKIE
Β SUNDAY 29TH – QUAY FAIR DAY
BAR OPEN 1:30
2PM – RUMBA DIABLO
3:30PMΒ – KERNOW VIBRATION
4:30PM – NOAH
5:30PM – JACK MAYLEM & JAGO PENGELLY
6:30PM – IRON5IDE
7:30PM – GROOVE LOUNGE
8:30PM – ROBBINS
9:30PM – KING LOUIS
CLOSE 10:30PM
Golowan - On the Crest of a Wave
How will you dress for Golowan in 2025?
Itβs not just about helping out with Golowan (though please do if you can) more importantly-
WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO WEAR?!!
Shiny, sparkly, shimmering, glowing, radiating⦠Or shining a light on your favourite community hero or heroine, past or present?
Whatβs it going to be?
Here are five tips to shine, without casting a shadow on the environment
1. Check out local charity and vintage shops in Penzance and put together a unique outfit. Upcycling and reusing saves money, waste and throwaway buys
2. Think twice on the glitter and stick-on face decorations. Even the βbiodegradableβ stuff is bad for the sea and soil. Opt for brilliant make-up or face paint instead
3. Get creative on head dresses, masks and accessories β head to Buttons and Bows for the extra glimmer in things like buttons, ribbons and sew on items
4. Do a clothes swap with your mates. Dig out the fancy dress box and festival gear and between you we guarantee youβll concoct some new and dazzling designs
Make sure you leave a belt hook for a carabiner clip, so you can attach a refill bottle for your water from home. Even better if itβs a shiny one!
The Mock Mayor will be keeping their beady eyes on to scout for those Shining Together, to choose the Shiniest people out and about β will it be you and your mates or family?
We canβt wait to see what you come up with
Golowan
Pictures by John Stedman
Volunteer For Golowan
Golowan needs YOU!
Volunteers play a major part in Golowan celebrations.
Volunteering is a great way to participate and to feel connected and supportive of our community festival.
By giving your precious time, Golowan volunteers help bring our community together in celebration and Mazey madness, making Penzance a place we love to live in.
Volunteer roles we need to fill are:
stewarding the processions; collecting donations; litter picking; giving out water during the processions; running the Golowan pop-up shop and stall PLUS The Golowan Green Brigade who wake up early on Mazey morning to decorate Market Jew Street with greenery and bunting for Mazey Day
Golowan 2025 is getting closer by the day and if you are interested in volunteering, please contact us at community@golowanfestival.org
Penzance Council
Penzance Council is our lead supporter and Golowan Festival is very grateful for its continued support of the festival, contributing both financial support and advice, and assistance in other ways.
Finances are tight for all of us so we are also thankful to the following organisations and businesses for their continued help and support.
If you are a business or an individual interested in becoming a supporter or sponsor of Golowan, we would be delighted to hear from you.
Our supporters and sponsors
