Harwich International Shanty Festival 2026

Date: 9 October 2026 – 11 October 2026

Location: United Kingdom

Organizer: Harwich International Shanty Festival (volunteer-run; supported by Harwich Town Council & Harwich Society)

The Harwich International Shanty Festival has run every October since 2006, and the 2026 edition takes place from October 9 to 11. For one weekend the old seaport on the Essex coast fills with the sound of shanties and maritime song coming out of pubs, boats, clubs and historic buildings, with crews travelling from across the UK and Europe to perform. It is a volunteer-run festival, supported by Harwich Town Council and the Harwich Society, and it keeps a broad programme around the singing: workshops, talks, guided walks, street theatre, maritime crafts and barge trips. Harwich itself does half the work. The historic quayside and old streets suit the material, and much of the weekend is informal enough that you can wander between venues and catch whatever is on. It is billed as the UK's premier shanty festival, and few would argue.

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