The St Ives September Festival gets under way today in the sunshine, with a host of familiar faces flocking back to the town, and lots that is new for 2024.
Festival veteran Bob Devereux (right, pictured with David Fenton) will be leading the open air performanes in Norway Square
For instance:
- The vibes of Rio are heading to Tate St Ives, with the samba rhythms of Love DeluxX creating a carnival atmosphere to complement the mesmerising works of abstract artist Beatriz Milhazes.
- The Tate also welcomes Australian artist Rochelle Haley for the UK premiere of A Sun Dance, with international and south-west dancers and a musician following the path of the sun as it passes through Tate St Ives on the weekend of the Autumn Equinox.
- The biggest-ever Street Entertainment Saturdays will include a vibrant array of performers making their September Festival debuts, including Redruth Festival Band and Tatters Morris, stilt performer Captain O’Goldie, Samba Cambada, Boudica — combining Border Morris with tales of the great Queen of the Iceni and Rolling Stones and Elvis Presley music! — Stuns’ls Shanty Group and Red Apple Honeys, alongside returning favourites.
- Look out for An Open Secret, an exhibition from Barnoon Arts’ Zoe Eaton and Peter Giles, featuring interventions, art drops, transient pieces and sound instillation across multiple outdoor locations.
- The popular and much-missed sandcastle competition returns to Porthminster Beach today, for the first time since the Covid lockdown.
While the Guildhall is not available because of its ongoing renovation programme, St Ia Church is headlining former Drifters lead vocalist Ray Lewis, world-travelled folk trio Trouble Notes, and Tango In The Night’s Fleetwood Mac tribute show, with Harry Glasson — composer of modern Cornish classic song Cornwall My Home — in An Audience with Will Keating, and Rue and her band and Winter Mountain at St Ives Arts Club.
Free festival pub music returns this year with the new owners of the Sloop and Union Inns — and the new R Bar in Fore Street — involved on all 15 nights, while visiting performers are welcome to three Saturday afternoon marathon music sessions and several evenings at the Western Hotel.
Other free events include Bob Devereux’s music and poetry every lunchtime in Norway Square — elsewhere if wet — exhibitions, open studios, and Spot the Artist and Square Deal art sales.
Plus, a vast array of walks, talks, films and workshops, ranging from painting, pottery, printmaking and tie-dyed T-shirts to poetry, photography, creative writing, church bellringing, trapeze, yoga, and more.
