Look out for days out and sample something new

Discover new flavours and connect with like-minded seafood enthusiasts at upcoming events

Here are some of the top fish and seafood festivals in the UK, along with their typical calendar dates:

• Cornwall Seafood Festival (Newquay, Cornwall)
  • Date: Usually held in September
  • Details: Celebrates the best seafood Cornwall has to offer with cooking demonstrations, seafood stalls, and live music.

• Cromer Crab & Lobster Festival

  Each year, the two North Norfolk towns of Cromer and Sheringham come together to host their famous Crab & Lobster festival. The once great rivals honour their rich maritime heritage and active fishing communities with this traditional seaside spectacular. Hosting an array of superb seafood, cookery demonstrations and seafaring crafts, complete with live music and entertainment, an opening concert at the Pier Pavilion Theatre on Friday night kick-starts a weekend of fun and feasting.

  Visitors will also be able to follow the Festival’s Art Trail to hunt out decorated mooring post lamps located in shop windows around Cromer. The lamps have been decorated by artists and will be displayed all summer before being auctioned off for local charities in August.

  When: 17th - 19th May 2024

  Visit cromercrabandlobsterfestival.co.uk for more information 

• Whitstable Oyster Festival (Whitstable, Kent)
  • Date: Typically held in July
  • Details: A celebration of Whitstable’s famous oysters with oyster eating competitions, live music, and parades.
• Hastings Seafood & Wine Festival (Hastings, East Sussex)
  • Date: Generally takes place in September
  • Details: Combines the best local seafood with local wines, live music, and family entertainment.
• Clovelly Lobster and Crab Feast (Clovelly, Devon)
  • Date: Usually held in September
  • Details: Focuses on lobster and crab with food stalls, cookery demonstrations, and live music.

• SEAFEST: Dorset Seafood Festival

   

  Weymouth’s beautiful harbour and seventeenth century waterfront provide the perfect setting for the award-winning Dorset Seafood Festival. Featuring a jam-packed programme of events devoted to local produce, sustainability and, of course, delicious food, attendees can expect fascinating foodie talks, local chefs giving hands-on cookery sessions, and experts debating the future of fishing.

  Drawing seafood enthusiasts, industry professionals and sustainability advocates from across the nation, visitors can enjoy the freshest Dorset fish and shellfish washed down with a refreshing Badger Beer or a fine English sparkling wine. Continuing its commitment to the Weymouth fishing community and to seafood sustainability, last year the festival raised over £6,000 for The Fishermen's Mission and has been recognising as an exceptional contributor to ocean health within the industry.

  When: 7th & 8th September 2024

  Find out more at dorsetseafood.co.uk

   

• Loch Fyne Food Fair (Cairndow, Argyll)
  • Date: Normally held in May
  • Details: Features local seafood, including the famous Loch Fyne oysters, alongside other local produce.
• North East Fish Festival (Various locations, North East England)
  • Date: Dates vary, often in the summer months
  • Details: Celebrates the fishing heritage of the North East with seafood stalls, cooking demonstrations, and family activities.

• Lymington Seafood Festival

   

  Graze and nibble your way around 80 delicious food stalls where seafood is clearly top of the bill! Lymington Seafood Festival is back for another year, this time with a new format and some exciting new events! Packed with delicious stands selling pretty much every fishy delight, bars will also be stocked with the best local craft beers and award-winning wines.

  The beloved Chef's Stage is set to return with some of the most exciting and talented chefs in the region showcasing seafood and championing local and sustainable produce in their cooking demos. Plus, this years new Cookery School will be enticing guests with their culinary experiences including 'crab cracking' and ‘canapé and cocktail making' masterclass.

  If you’re thinking of turning the festival into a weekend mini break, then there are lots of options for accommodation in the local area. Whether camping under the stars or a little VIP luxury, this is one seafood festival not to be missed so book tickets now to avoid disappointment. 

  When: 12th - 14th July 2024

  Visit lymingtonseafoodfestival.co.uk for tickets

   

• Clovelly Herring Festival

   

  The humble herring is the focus of North Devon’s much-loved food festival, which aims to promote the delicious and nutritious quality of this underrated fish whilst raising awareness of sustainable fishing methods. Privately owned since the Elizabethan times, the festival is held in the picturesque village of Clovelly. Clinging to a 400-foot cliff, the village has no vehicular traffic, just donkeys and sledges, as its steep, cobbled streets tumble down to the ancient fishing harbour.

  Preserved by a historic atmosphere, the town comes alive each November with the sounds of laughter, sea shanties, and tantalising wafts of smoked kipper. Visitors can expect live music, street entertainers, face-painting, art workshops, an exhibition of Clovelly herring fishing, and a selection of stalls serving herring-based delights to please one and all.

  When: 17th November 2024

  To find out more about this years events visit clovelly.co.uk

   

• Brixham Fish Market Tours and Festivals (Brixham, Devon)
  • Date: Tours run regularly, with festivals often in May or June
  • Details: Offers tours of the fish market and showcases local seafood through festivals and events.
• Rock Oyster  Dates 24th -27th July  Place Wadebridge

• Falmouth Oyster Festival

   

  Falmouth Oyster Festival is celebrating 25 years as one of the most highly anticipated events in the Cornish foodie calendar. Held to celebrate the start of the oyster-dredging season, which runs from October to March, devotees to the mighty mollusc come in their hoards to enjoy four days of feasting and festivities.

  Held at Events Square in the town’s bustling marina, the festival highlights the traditional methods of harvesting, using only sail and oar. Championing the native Fal oyster and the diversity of Cornish seafood through cooking demonstrations, guest can also enjoy live music, local crafts and over 100 local food stalls. Plus, don't miss the Working Boat Race, a truly magnificent spectacle as boats race head to head, under full sail across the sea. 

  When: Held annually in October

  Visit falmouthoysterfestival.co.uk to plan your trip

   

• Grimsby Fish Festival (Grimsby, Lincolnshire)
  • Date: Generally held in August
  • Details: Highlights Grimsby's fishing industry with seafood stalls, demonstrations, and entertainment.
• Pembrokeshire Fish Week (Pembrokeshire, Wales)
  • Date: Typically late June to early July
  • Details: A week-long celebration of Pembrokeshire's coastal cuisine with events across the county.
• Seafest (Scarborough, North Yorkshire)
  • Date: Usually held in July
  • Details: Combines maritime heritage with seafood, featuring cooking demonstrations, live music, and street theatre.

For the most accurate and updated information, it's always a good idea to check the official websites or local tourism boards of these festivals closer to the dates.