Golowan Festival 2020

Golowan is a midsummer community arts festival.

Golowan is an annual midsummer arts festival celebrating the Feast of St John, which takes place each year in Penzance. 2020 will celebrate the 30th Golowan Festival since its revival in 1991.

This year’s theme, ‘Golowan Gets Connected’, highlights the festival’s partnership and connection with the Telegraph Museum, Porthcurno which will have its own special celebration in the summer – the 150th anniversary of the first telegraph cable landing on the beach at Porthcurno. The theme also indicates that for 30 years Golowan has been proud to ‘connect’ with local schools, community groups and organisations.

Golowan is a ten day event which this year will run from June 19 – June 28 but the main events will take place from Thursday 25 – Sun 28 June. Thursday 25th June will see the anarchic Mock Mayor of the Quay Election. A spectacular fireworks display, courtesy of Penzance Town Council, will take place on the evening of Friday 26th. On Mazey Day, Saturday 27 June, expect wonderful, colourful school and community parades, music, theatre, dance, song, a street market and children’s entertainment throughout the town. In the lovely Morrab Gardens, HeadStart Kernow, another of the festival’s partners, will be hosting an event aimed at young people and there will be activities and refreshments for children and families in the gardens. The final day is Quay Fair Day when, as the name suggests, the action takes place around the harbour side and promenade. There will be a street market, a folk stage, a young people’s skate park activity, Kids on the Prom activities for younger children and music and entertainment all around.

This year may also see the exciting Golowan Museum Project, an exhibition which will describe the history of the festival and feature many interesting artefacts and images, as well as film and music.

There will be something for everyone at this amazing, vibrant, Community Arts Festival!