Ocean Scilly Festival is scheduled across the Isles of Scilly from Saturday 22 to Monday 31 August 2026. The official tourism guide describes ten days focused on the sea, with water-based activities, marine life and maritime heritage across the archipelago.
New for this edition is St Mary’s Water Carnival on 22 August, a full day of raft racing, sailing regattas, angling competitions, nautical fancy dress, live entertainment and local food stalls.
This is the festival’s second edition. Its island-wide format means sessions may take place on St Mary’s, Tresco, St Martin’s, Bryher or St Agnes rather than at one fixed venue. The official event page should be checked for the final programme and the island attached to each activity.
Visitor information
Dates: Saturday 22 to Monday 31 August 2026, ending on the August bank holiday. An earlier version of the official guide gave 22 to 30 August; the current listing and its own description both say ten days to 31 August, so that is the range used here.
Venue: Multiple locations across the Isles of Scilly. Inter-island travel may be needed for individual sessions.
Admission: Not yet normalised. The published overview does not say that every activity is free or covered by one festival ticket. Check each programme entry before attending.
Programme: The confirmed themes include activities on and in the water, marine wildlife and the islands’ maritime history. Exact session times and booking rules belong to the official programme rather than this overview.
Allow for boat connections when combining sessions on different islands. Weather and sea conditions can also affect inter-island services, so recheck the programme and local boat boards on the day.
Where to stay
See Isles of Scilly visitor information and browse places to stay on the Isles of Scilly.
