Festival first-timers 'excited' for Boardmasters

Festival first-timers who have travelled to Newquay for Boardmasters festival say they were attracted by the music, seaside and camping experience.

Groups of friends said they would be taking care of one another while enjoying the festival atmosphere.

Kaleb, who travelled more than eight hours overnight from London, said he was looking forward to enjoying the festival with friends. The 19-year-old said: "We've seen the line-up and we thought we haven't done anything like this before."

Boardmasters director Rob Spring said his team had worked hard to ensure people at the festival, as well as the local community, felt safe during the event.

Kaleb said he was looking forward to having fun with his friends "going camping for five days, just enjoying the south west of England and just doing something before we go our separate ways".

Lillah,18, travelled from the Forest of Dean on Tuesday night for her first taste of Boardmasters. She said it was a trip away with friends before they went to different universities. She said she was "excited for the main acts".

Her group said they arrived early to get a good tent space as they had heard the festival "got packed".

Lillah said they planned to "stay together, because none of us have done it before, so we don't really know what to expect".

Other first-timers said they wanted to be near their friends and were attracted to a festival by the sea.

Lilly,18, from Newton Abbott, said: "I've got the whole house with me, I've brought everything with me, I've got a four-man tent for the two of us."

She added: "I just wanted to say I've been to a festival."

She said she was excited was excited to see Dizzee Rascal, Tinie Tempah and Lilly Allen.

Lily added she was taking steps to stay safe among the thousands of other festival-goers. "We're not leaving each other, absolutely not," she said.

For Will, 17, from Reigate in Surrey, the festival was a chance to enjoy the spectacular Cornish backdrop.

"When there's no music going on you get to chill down the beach and see the surfing, so it's good fun."

Spring said Boardmasters was keen to ensure those "at the festival feel safe - but also the people in the local community".

Seven people were taken to hospital after a crowd surge at the festival in 2024.

Spring said the festival had a "good close working relationship" with Devon and Cornwall Police, RNLI, coastguard, ambulance service, Newquay Town Council and Cornwall Council.

He also said it was important to be "a good neighbour" to Newquay and organisers had listened and communicated with the local community.

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