A wave of events announced for Ocean City Festival

Over 45 events, all with a sea theme, will be taking place in Plymouth this September for the spectacular Ocean City Festival.

Organised by Plymouth City Council, and sponsored by Ocean BMW, the festival runs from Saturday 5 to Sunday 27 September.

Celebrating everything that makes Plymouth’s waterfront location, and its relationship with the sea, so special; the events offer a real variety for families, schools and businesses and are designed to appeal to all ages.

Deputy Leader of Plymouth City Council, Pete Smith, said: “The Ocean City Festival celebrates what makes Plymouth so special. The events that are scheduled appeal to all audiences and sectors so make sure you pick up a programme and get involved.”

The popular Rockfish Blue Mile kicks the festival off making its big splash on Saturday 5 September. Starting at the historic Mayflower Steps participants can swim, kayak or paddleboard their way around the waterfront in a one-mile circular course.

Watch films from above and below the water’s surface as The Ocean Film Festival World Tour stops in at Mount Edgcumbe on Sunday 6 September. Watch some of the world’s most amazing ocean films and immerse yourself in the wonders of the ocean without getting your feet wet.

The Royal William Yard will be hosting a ‘Weekend of Wonders’ on Sunday 6 September, part of this will include the Invisible Circus being held in addition to the Good Food Market. 

The circus theatre company will bring their special brand of creative magic to the Yard in the first of a series of collaborations on the site, animating the streets and greens with some of the finest street performers in the country and workshops from Invisible Youth throughout the day during the award-winning monthly food market.

Special guests include Strong Man - Sir Leopold Aleksander - The Lion of London, The World’s Tallest Bubbleologist, Hula Hooper Miss Merlin and Slack rope impresario the Great Bullzini to name but a few!

The Open Air Cinema will make a return this year providing an authentic ‘Plymouth Arts Centre Experience’ at the historic Royal William Yard. Tickets are on sale for the following shows; The Grand Budapest Hotel (15) 10 September, Mamma Mia! (PG) 11 September and Jurassic World (12A) 12 September.

Another highlight of the festival is the 80th anniversary of the Tinside Lido. Experience a 1930s themed weekend on Saturday 12 and Sunday 13 September. Entrance to the Lido will be 1 penny, the same as it was when it first opened in 1935. Staff will be dressed in 1930s swimwear and Lifeguard uniform, with cream teas available along with 1930s music.

Plymouth is globally recognised for its world-leading marine science and technology, which plays a key part of the festival.  The Shallow Survey Conference, at Plymouth University’s Roland Levinsky Building on the 14 to 18 September, is the 7th International Conference on High Resolution Surveys in Shallow Water, promoting progress in seabed mapping in the coastal environment.

Saturday 19 September visitors can put their engineering skills to the test with the Institution of Mechanical Engineers’ Cardboard Boat Race. Build a boat out of nothing but a few bits of cardboard and some sticky tape and sail it around a course in Sutton Harbour. The winner is the last team to sink.

Returning for a fourth year as part of the Festival will be the National Marine Aquarium’s STEMFest (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) for schools. STEMFest will bring primary and secondary school pupils from around Plymouth and the South West to the Aquarium, where they will experience a full day of hands-on, interactive activities.

The event is aimed at helping pupils to recognise how the school subjects of science, design and technology, computer science, engineering and mathematics can lead to rich and varied careers in Britain’s Ocean City, with a fun and engaging approach. Primary STEMFest will take place from Tuesday 15 to Friday 18 September, with Secondary STEMFest from Tuesday 22 to Thursday 24 September.

The National Marine Aquarium will also be hosting Aquarium Lates, themed around sustainable seafood. On Thursday 24 September from 6pm until 11pm adults can enjoy the aquarium in a relaxed atmosphere, chill out in front of the shark tank with a glass of wine, listen to specialist talks or get hands on in the dissection workshops.

The Ocean City Festival will draw to a close with the final flagship event, the Seafood Festival, sponsored by Plymouth Gin. Saturday 26 and Sunday 27 September will see the Barbican and Sutton Harbour come alive with activities and entertainment in a showcase of local seafood produce. Sunday will finish with teams of local traders battling in the water at Commercial Wharf for the annual Barbican Raft Race.

With lots of other events and activities such as rockpooling, guided boat tours, a Plymouth Lifeboat Open Day (RNLI), talks about shipwrecks and submarines and the Invisible Circus there’s lots to choose from. For more information, pick up a programme in the Tourist Information Centre or visit www.oceancityfestival.co.uk.