Gloucester Shanty Festival & Pirate Walk set to delight crowds

Ahoy me hearties and land lubbers, at the end of this month, Gloucester City Centre will be awash with more sea fairing shenanigans, with the free Gloucester Shanty Festival and Pirate Walk – 25th & 26th May.

As part of the much-anticipated Tall Ships Festival, the Gloucester BID funded events will see an impressive sea-fairing line-up of acclaimed acts performing in various venues across the city centre. With the performers also singing in Kings Square to delight the crowds of Gloucester.

Along with the singing, pirates of all sizes and ages are welcome to join the crew in the Pirate Walk on Saturday 25th May from Café Rene at 3pm. Join the lively dressed-up jaunt around the city centre raising vital funds for the Severn Area Rescue Association. It’s a great chance for all the family to join in with the frolics for Gloucester Shanty Festival and Tall Ships weekend.

Over 20 acts have been confirmed so far for the Shanty Festival, including; Nordet, The Silver Darlings, Flash Jack, Freddie’s Barnet, Mel Babb, Short Drag Roger, The Steepholmers, The Lower Deckers, Gloucester Diamonds, The Rusty Tubs, Loct Up Together, The Steepholmers, Portsmouth Shantymen, Captain Crabb, Rod Penlington, Lil Cabin Boy, Ships n Giggles Shanty, Gloucester Folk Choir, Kings Shilling, The Mighty Shinkickers, High and Dry Shanty and the Pirate Jam.

The ten venues include;  The Fountain Inn, Cafe Rene, The Pelican Inn, The New Inn, The Turks Head, The Folk of Gloucester, King’s Square, The Tall Ship, St Mary De Crypt and Warehouse 4.

Helen Bates, Landlady at The Fountain Inn said, “We are delighted to be hosting part of the Shanty Festival this year at the Fountain. It is a fantastic event for the whole city alongside the Tall Ships Festival. It not only brings visitors from far and wide but is a fantastic weekend for the people of Gloucester. This is definitely one of the Fountains highlights of the year.

Festival Project Manager, Jojo Roche said, ‘It’s wonderful to be bringing the Shanty festival back to the city centre this year and for the streets and venues to be alive with much merriment and madness! Welcoming back shanty crews from all over the country for a weekend of maritime fun will be amazing!’

Gloucester News Centre – http://gloucesternewscentre.co.uk