Boardmasters Festival Faces Queue Woes and Local Business Frustrations in Newquay

Festival season brings a mix of excitement and challenges, and this year’s Boardmasters festival in Newquay is no exception. As thousands of eager festival-goers flocked to the event, many found themselves caught in lengthy queues that disrupted their initial experiences. To combat this congestion, organizers had set up a Park and Ride service at the fair fields off the A3059, allowing visitors to park their cars and take a shuttle directly to the festival gates. This initiative aimed to alleviate traffic issues and promote greener travel options. However, the implementation fell short of expectations, sparking frustration among the attendees. Local businesses have also voiced their concerns regarding the event's logistics. Many shop owners claimed that the police directed festival visitors straight to the music venue, inadvertently steering them away from local shops and cafes that typically benefit from the influx of tourists. This led to fears of lost revenue for businesses that rely on the festival crowd to bolster their summer sales. Mark Warren, the manager of Newquay’s Business Improvement District, acknowledged the mixed feelings surrounding large-scale events like Boardmasters. "I think it's a great thing; we get a lot of positive feedback from businesses," he remarked, highlighting that the festival injects over £40 million into the local economy. He pointed out that the event creates jobs and opportunities for local tradespeople involved in setting up and dismantling the festival infrastructure. However, Warren emphasized the necessity for better collaboration between the festival organizers and local businesses, suggesting that improvements could be made in how festival-goers are encouraged to explore the town. "Once they're in and settled, we then bring them back into the town centre - that's the next challenge," he said. As the festival continues, the balance between large-scale entertainment and maintaining the vibrancy of local commerce remains delicate. With the right adjustments and a focus on community engagement, both the festival and the surrounding businesses could thrive together, ensuring that Newquay’s economy benefits while providing an enjoyable experience for festival attendees.