The Feast
of
St John
Help Secure the Future of Golowan
Golowan
19-28 June 26
Golowan Festival is Penzance’s vibrant 10‑day celebration of Cornish culture, creativity and community. Each June, the town comes alive with parades, street performance, live music, markets and the spectacular Mazey Day procession of giant sculptures. Revived from the traditional Feast of St John, Golowan has grown into one of the South West’s most loved street festivals, a joyful midsummer celebration made by and for the whole community.
Friends of Golowan Launch Party
7pm @ The Ritz, Penzance
Entry: £7.50 — Tap to Buy Tickets
Kick off the Golowan season with a night of music and community spirit featuring:
The Golowan Band
Amelia Acheson
Wild Blue and Yonder
No Rif Raf
Joe Doyle
Marmalade Shed
All artists are performing for free to support the festival that “makes Penzance – Penzance!”
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 – 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.
The torchlit parade is always held on St John’s Eve, which is traditionally 23 June each year.
MOCK MAYOR ELECTIONS
Thursday 25 June
Dy'Yow 25 mis Metheven
FREE Event 6.45pm START
The Golowan Marquee – 25 June | Wharfside Car Park,
Penzance
19:45 – The Regalos
21:30 – Night Motor
Pengelly’s Cornish Bar brings the festival spirit to The Golowan Marquee for a full‑throttle night of live music, DJs and good vibes.
Expect buzzing bars, big sounds and that unmistakable Golowan energy.
Mock Mayor – A Proudly Ridiculous Golowan Tradition
Rooted in centuries of Cornish mischief, the Mock Mayor
began as a playful rebellion, locals poking fun at authority, flipping the
rules and electing a “mayor” who served only joy and chaos. What started as
satire is now one of Golowan’s most beloved rituals: loud, colourful and
gloriously unruly, introducing the true Lords of Misrule!
Today’s ceremony is pure festival magic with costumes,
characters, humour and a crowd ready to cheer (or boo) with gusto. Candidates
create outrageous personas and even wilder manifestos, then face the baying
crowd. One shot on stage, win them over or be booed off without mercy.
Presiding over the mayhem is the ever‑glorious Lord Justice Socks.
The loudest cheers crown the new Mock Mayor, who joins
Penzance’s official mayor to address the town from the Market House steps on
Mazey Day.
Feeling brave enough to enter the chaos?
Stand for Mock Mayor!
Email: penzancesimonreed@gmail.com
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 ‘An Eye! An Eye!’ 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
Mazey Day Parade Times
10.00 – Civic Procession From St John’s Hall → up Clarence Street → round and down Causewayhead → along Market Jew Street → Market House for the Mayor & Mock Mayor address.
11.00 – Crowst Parade From St John’s Hall → down Market Jew Street → return.
13.00 – Dinner Parade From St John’s Hall → down Market Jew Street → return.
15.00 – Crib Parade From St John’s Hall → down Market Jew Street → return.
16.45 – Men and Maids Serpent Dance through the streets of Penzance with the Golowan Band, starting at St John’s Hall.
Please see our Golowan Festival Programme for a full list of events.
Mazey Day Music & Performance Stages
Acorn Theatre Steps
11.00 – Just Ukes
12.00 – Grace & Johanna
12.50 – SCAMPZ!
13.40 – No Riff Raff
14.30 – Hannah Johnson
15.15 – The Gleaves
15.50 – Liam Jordan
16.30 – Petty Criminals
Queen’s Square Mazey Day
12.00 – Beauty of Diagrams
13.00 – Joe Smith
14.00 – Fungus
15.00 – What the Goose?
16.00 – Du Glas
17.00 – Hanterhir
The Globe & Ale House, Queens Square
12.30 – Mr. T
13.30 – Tony Fox
14.30 – End of the Line Blues Band
15.30 – Firewalk (Jon Jones & Ged Kingsford)
16.30 – Guy Harandon
The Union Hotel, Chapel Street
12.00 Dave Miller
13.00 The Meadowlarks
14.00 Dan Levine
15.00 Fishing for Compliments
16.00 Pagan Teapot
17.00 IGNATZ
Farmer’s Arms Mazey Day Stage, Causewayhead,
12.30 – Pendans
13.40 – The Ghost of Fishboy Tractor
14.50 – Mint
16.00 – The Electric Timothy
17.10 – The Lagan
Morrab Gardens Bandstand Mazey Day
11.00 – St. Erth Concert Band
12.00 – Barbed Choir
13.00 – Cape Cornwall Singers
14.00 – Richard Gibbons & Malcolm Star
15.00 – George Wakfer
16.00 – Tim Ridley
17.00 – St. Erth Concert Band
Sea Shanty Crews – Penlee Park Community Stage
Month’s Advance
The Perraners
The Rusty Tubs
Cork An Barbor
Wild Blue & Yonder
Folk Stage Line Up Mazey Day
10:00 – Pensans Morris
10.40 – John Warburton
11.10 – Bagas Crowd
11.50 – Du Glas
12.30 – Dalla Duo
13.10 – Tros An Treys
13.50 – Bagas Fellyon
14.30 – Red River Singers
15.10 – Kekezza
15.50 – Richard Trethewey And Molly Biscoe
16.30 – Henavek
17.10 – Hayle River Band
For the full festival schedule: Please see the Golowan Festival Programme for all events, activities and venue details.
QUAY FAIR DAY
Sunday 28 June
Dy'Sul 28 mis Metheven
FREE Event 10am START
Quay Fair Day fills Penzance with music, performance and summer energy across the harbour, the Quay and Penlee Park. Enjoy live music outside the Boatshed, street performers along the waterfront, and both Penlee Park stages running throughout the day. Wherrytown hosts the Model Boat Display and the high‑energy Plaza Skate Jam, while the Golowan Marquee in the harbourside car park offers a full weekend of live music.
Exmouth Shanty Men
Wild Blue & Yonder
Month’s Advance
Rumbellion
Pensans Morris
Order of the Geep
Dartmoor Border Morris
Morris Lowenek
Carn Brea Morris
The Wad
11.00 – Robin Shaw
11.50 – Pitch & Holler
12.40 – Sarah Ménage
13.30 – Fishing for Compliments
14.20 – Rob Boughton
15.10 – East Meets West
16.00 – Rio Riva
10.30 – Youth Folk Ensemble
11.10 – Tros An Treys
11.50 – Pendans
12.30 – Golowan Band
13.10 – Foxes Fair
13.50 – Penzance Guizers
14.30 – Heb Mar
15.10 – Martha Woods
15.50 – Salt and Sky
16.30 – Shindig
17.10 – Raffidy Dumitz
For the full festival schedule, please see the Golowan Festival Programme for all events, activities and venue details.
THE GOLOWAN SEA SHANTY FESTIVAL
Sunday 28 June
Dy'Sul 28 mis Metheven
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. It’s 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 – 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 – 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 – A great 10-piece local Shanty band
12pm – Electric Timothy
1 – 6pm – DJ Takeover Penzance and Newlyn Youth with Amplify and special guests.
SUNDAY 29TH JUNE
LOWER FIELD – MUSIC STAGE
11am – 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.
3.15pm– Desperate men – The Balloon Toss
3.30pm – TBD
THE GOLOWAN MARQUEE
Thursday, June 25, to Sunday, June 28
Ticketed evenings of Friday 26th & Saturday 27th see link below.
GOLOWAN MARQUEE 2025 RUNNING ORDER
THURSDAY 26TH – MOCK MAYOR ELECTIONS
OPEN 6:30PM
6:45PM – 7:45 THE REGALOS
8PM – 9PM – MOCK MAYOR ELECTIONS
9:30 AN GOF
FRIDAY 27TH – MAZEY EVE
OPEN 7PM
7PM DJ/MUSIC
7:30PM – TRUE FOXES
8:30PM – 9PM DJ/MUSIC
9PM – 10PM WILD OYO
10 PM – DJ/MUSIC
10:30PM – RUDI’S MESSAGE
SATURDAY 28TH – MAZEY DAY
OPEN 2PM
3PM -DJ/MUSIC
4:30PM – NIGHT MOTOR
5:30 PM – 6PM DJ/MUSIC
6PM – DIE SPANGLE
7PM CLOSE AREA
SATURDAY 28th MAZEY SOIREE
DOORS 7:45/8PM
7.45 – BOOGALOO DEE
8:30 – DJ QUEEN BEE
10PM – THE ALLERGIES
11:45PM FRANKIE
SUNDAY 29TH – QUAY FAIR DAY
BAR OPEN 1:30
2PM – RUMBA DIABLO
3:30PM – 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?
It’s 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?
What’s 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 ‘biodegradable’ 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 – 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 you’ll 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 it’s 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 – will it be you and your mates or family?
We can’t 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
