Salcombe Crabfest 2024: All You Need to Know
Salcombe’s crab fishing industry is coming out of its shell from 10am on Sunday 5th May to celebrate Crabfest...
by Janine de Lange / Events
Dart Music Festival 2019 will be the 22nd incarnation of Dartmouth’s popular three-day musical extravaganza. As well as the quality and range of live music on show, the festival has become known for its generosity (all the music is absolutely free!) and its warm, friendly atmosphere.
This year’s event is scheduled for Friday 10th, Saturday 11th and Sunday 12th May.
For visitors to South Devon who come here for its beautiful beaches and countryside, events like the Dart Music Festival offer a valuable chance to see some lesser-known things about the area: its vibrant culture, artisan businesses and hugely active communities. As well as opportunities to hear some wonderful music, you’ll be able to eat delicious street food, drink local wines and ales, and enjoy the atmosphere of lots of Dartmouth’s pubs, cafes and restaurants – many of which host musical acts during the festival.
Read our blog on What’s on in South Devon to find out more about what is happening in the region
As many as 83 acts (and counting) take to the stage during Dartmouth’s much-loved music festival, with genres ranging from sea shanties to big band jazz. You’ll hear interpretations of your favourite songs as well as plenty of original numbers, and no matter how specific your tastes you’re sure to find something you’ll enjoy. With 15 venues across town hosting the various performances, the only problem will be deciding which acts you see first!
The best way to find out about the Dart Music Festival while at the same time supporting the event is to purchase a programme from the organisers. You can do this online from April once all the acts have been confirmed.
While programmes are optional and the music is free, most of the acts need to be paid for their performances. This means that donations are very welcome during the event. Volunteers carrying buckets are likely to approach you at some point over the three days, and a £5 donation will result in your receiving a wristband that means you’ll be left alone from then on!
During the Dart Music Festival, almost every available space in the town seems to become a music venue.
As Dartmouth is such a compact town, you’ll have no trouble navigating between each venue. If you’re torn between two acts performing at the same time, in most cases you can catch the start of one show and, if it turns out to not be your cup of tea, walk over to the other and you won’t have missed much.
The bandstand in Royal Avenue Gardens is the hub of the festival, where lots of stadium-style acts are often hosted in the open air. Bayard’s Cove Fort and Market Square are also popular open-air venues, with the former in particular providing a really atmospheric space.
Pubs that often host live music throughout the year such as the Royal Castle Hotel, Café Alf Resco and The Old Market Square, are excellent spots to watch singalong acoustic acts along with the locals.
One venue that is a little out of the way is the Guildhall on Victoria Road. It’s easy to miss the excellent acts that perform in this ideal space for concerts. There’s plenty of room, some seating and a pop-up licensed bar, making it a good place to settle in for an evening’s entertainment.
Find out more about our favourite Dartmouth pubs.
The best place to park during Dart Music Festival is at the Park and Ride car park at the top of town. Parking is £5 per car per day, which of course includes use of the bus for the car driver and all the passengers (provided they ride together). Full South Hams car park permits are valid for this service.
Here are five of our highlights from this year’s line-up. It is also worth keeping an eye on the site, as the organisers are still waiting to confirm some acts, so there will be a few new ones appearing site fairly soon:
With the fiddle leading the charge, Noble Jacks are out to take no prisoners as they come on with their high-energy footstompin’ rhythms which have taken crowds by storm across the UK.
Noble Jacks have been touring relentlessly, stompin’ their way round the UK music scene with sold out headline shows promoting their debut album ‘What the Hammer’, as well as shows at major festivals including Glastonbury, Cambridge Folk Festival and Beautiful Days to name a few.
The True Strays are a vintage loving, blues fuelled, delta rock and roll band. Their live shows are a joyous hoedown of huge bass driven riffs, a howling tornado of resonator guitar, cacophonous drums and soaring Hammond organ!
Here are a few of their tracks: https://soundcloud.com/true-strays/tracks
The Captain’s Beard are pirate folk minstrels from the humble fishing village of Brighton. Playing a mixture of rocked up maritime folk music from the British Isles and original tunes. The band combine in earnest the precision of Steel Eye Span with the unashamed lunacy of the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah band!
Drum and Bass MC turned singer songwriter Billy Rowan, aka The Undercover Hippy, is definitely not your average singer songwriter. His music brings together soulful vocals, infectious reggae rhythms, and the lyrical delivery of a skilled MC. Combining intelligent, provocative lyrics with dangerously catchy hooks and a feel good groove, this is music for the thinking man to shake his stuff
Expect a musical journey that not only leads you through choral works that reflect literal representations of the theme but also explores sacred interpretations. The choir loves the programme and hope you will be inspired by its eclectic mix of the familiar and the less familiar – including an unfamiliar twist on a very well-known song!
If you’re looking for accommodation in Dartmouth during the Dart Music Festival, we strongly advise early booking due to the ever-increasing popularity of the event.
Coast & Country Cottages offers an extensive range of self-catering accommodation in Dartmouth, suitable for all party sizes and requirements.
View our properties in Dartmouth.
by Janine de Lange / Events
I’ve had the privilege of living in the beautiful South West since 2010, and in my opinion there’s no better place in the worl...
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