Feast on food, art and culture in St Ives

With 2016 well under way and spring within touching distance, we can feel the all too familiar bubbles of excitement building for the year ahead. St Ives is a beautiful place to visit at any time of year but if you like to satisfy your inner culture vulture whilst travelling, why not coincide your holiday with one of our favourite festivals? There is certainly plenty to choose from…

St Ives Literature Festival

Saturday 14^th – Saturday 21^st May

If you’re a wordsmith at heart then we highly recommend a visit to St Ives during the literature festival. Packed with events celebrating the written word there is a busy schedule of events taking place across the town from open-air poetry readings and comedy to book launches and live music. Just around the corner in Norway Square you can listen to live music and poetry readings every day (for free) and if you have always flirted with the idea of penning your own work, there are a range of drop-in workshops to get you started.

If a luxury literature break sounds like your cup of tea, take a look at the remaining availability in our luxury self-catering apartments in Cornwall here.

St Ives Food and Drink Festival

Saturday 15^th & Sunday 15^th May

St Ives Food and Drink Festival celebrates some of the regions finest producers, chefs and local food on Porthminster Beach. The weekend plays hosts to a number of talented local chefs who will be showcasing their culinary skills with some fabulous cookery demonstrations, rumour has it there may even be a few well known chef’s also paying a visit to the cookery stage! There will also be a live music stage to really add that festival flavour and if you’re feeling a bit peckish you’ll be spoilt for choice with the range of food stalls offering street food style catering. The producers market will be bigger and better this year so have a wander and try a few nibbles for free.

If the foodie vibe floats your boat we have put together a special package for the festival weekend, find out more here.

St Ives September Festival

10^th – 24^th September

One of our favourites and most certainly a highlight of the year, St Ives September Festival is a cultural feast offering two weeks of live music, art, performance and exhibitions across a huge number of venues in the town. With something for everyone this festival is hugely diverse and spans all genres from world music, folk and jazz to name just a few. The headline acts are beginning to trickle through and so far the confirmed names include ‘Rick Wakeman’, ‘Baka Beyond’ and ‘Sound of the Sirens’. The majority of events are ticketed but you’ll also find lots of quirky street artists on hand to provide lots of free entertainment throughout the festival.

If getting knee deep in culture has your pulse racing checkout our remaining availability for the festival weeks here.

Kelly x

September in St Ives...

With so many things to see and do in St Ives in September, why not consider booking your out of season holiday now and view the town when its vibrant arts and music heritage comes alive with the St Ives September Festival running between Saturday 12th to Saturday 26th September…

With limited availability remaining, our luxury accommodation acts as a perfect base to view the town throughout the day and night, by being only a short stroll from the harbour front, bypassing all hills and putting you in amidst the action as the side streets and nooks play host to live musicians and artists alike.

To book an apartment for the festivities, or to find out more about our luxury St Ives accommodation call 01736 799175, alternatively please see availability below.

Katy x

Driftwood | sleeps 2

Laid-back and luxurious 5 star accommodation in St Ives for two with an open-plan living-kitchen-diner, double bedroom and family bathroom. Driftwood is a light and spacious apartment with plenty of space to relax.

Available Friday 18th September £879

Lighthouse | sleeps 2

A luxurious 5 star self catering hideaway with double aspect views across St Ives from the loft-style living-kitchen-diner on the top floor with a sumptuous bedroom and family bathroom below.

Available Friday 11^th September £879

Available Friday 18th September £879

Surf | sleeps 2

Compact and contemporary luxury self catering accommodation in St Ives with everything you need for a comfortable stay, perfect if you plan to get out and about exploring.

Available Friday 11th September £759

Sail Lofts Cottage | sleeps 5

The Sail Lofts Cottage is an idyllic fisherman's cottage in the heart of St Ives with a luxurious 5 star interior. This traditional cottage is moments from a number of beaches as well as being a stones throw from the harbour front.

Available Friday 11th September £1539

Beach | sleeps 6

Three bedrooms, two en-suites and a family bathroom along with wonderful spacious open plan living, make this a fine example of our luxury accommodation in St Ives.

Available Saturday 19^th September £1599 *6 nights

Available Friday 25th September £1589

Slipway | sleeps 6

Exquisite 5 star luxury accommodation in St Ives. With 3 ensuite bedrooms and a large kitchen-diner, Slipways piece de resistance is a large sunny sitting room complete with its own private balcony overlooking Porthmeor Beach. A private car parking space in our onsite garage is also included.

Available Friday 25th September £2159

Looking for reasons to visit St Ives this September…

St Ives September Festival, Saturday 12 - Saturday 26

September in St Ives is when the town starts to mellow, the weather is still favourable and the evenings are still long, making it the perfect time for a luxury self catering getaway. The Sail Lofts coastal position is perfect for long evening strolls along the cliff tops and around St Ives cobbled streets, ending with laid back drinks and delicious food relaxing around the harbour front watching the boats bob along gentle waves.

During September the St Ives annual music and arts festival kicks off on Saturday 12^th and runs for 2 weeks, up until Saturday 26^th and features a well rounded host of live acts including musicians, theatre and comedy acts, cabaret and street entertainment, not to mention art workshops and art exhibitions embracing St Ives rich cultural heritage.

Acts confirmed so far for 2015 include Show Of Hands, Steve Knightley, Johnny Cowling, Miranda Sykes & Rex Preston, The Acoustic Strawbs, The Rollin’ Clones and Mad Dog Mcrea. 

The St Ives September Festival began in a back kitchen in Teetotal Street just around the corner from The Sail Lofts in September 1977 bringing together the diverging interests of several arts and music professionals. The first Festival, which ran from 14th to 24th September 1978 was already ambitious in its scope and covered folk music, dance, fine arts, chamber music, poetry, arts & crafts and theatre, and even featured a very young Nigel Kennedy.

The Festival has continued over the past thirty-five years, with a few short breaks, and with different organisations responsible for arranging the programme. It has always been a very important part of the town’s cultural life, and people come from year to year to take advantage of the very wide range of events that are on offer.

So if you are considering a holiday in St Ives this September and are looking for self catering accommodation please contact us on 01736 799175 or to view availability please use the link below…

Katy x

September Availability

My favourite time of year...

No not July, or August or even June or May... its September. For me it sums Cornwall up, heres why:


1) St Ives September Festival - if you haven't been, try it... Music, arts, celebrations and all round fun - its a bit like a celebration of the end of the season for locals and those in the know.


2) Amazing sunsets - I don't know why it is, but September seems to have the most amazing sunsets, much mellower than earlier in the summer.


3) Surf - it goes without saying for many, but September is THE month for surfing in Cornwall - warm water, powerful swells and offshore winds.

4) Calming - as the children head back to school and the masses think summer has ended the county quietens down, the traffic eases and life becomes a bit more relaxed again. The locals come out to play and the atmosphere is relaxed and friendly.

5) Greenaway Pro - In memory of a popular local surfer, a surf competition with much more soul than normal surf comps. The Guildhall normally hosts live music in the evenings to add to a weekend of fun.


The list could go on and on but for now this has put happy thoughts in my mind just thinking about it. Luckily for you though we still have some availability for this popular month, but be quick as last year we were fully booked!

St Ives September Festival 10-24 September

Ahh, the St Ives September Festival - one of those special times in St Ives. The school holidays are over, the sun is shining, the sea is at its warmest, a sense of relaxation settles into the town as the season is coming to an end - time to celebrate!

The September Festival is time for locals (and everyone in the know ;-) ) to celebrate the end of another summer with two weeks of live music, arts, poetry, and everything in between. Guests who stay during the festival almost always book for the next year, if you haven't been before - try it!

This years line up is even bigger and better than before, the important thing is to get your tickets early for the main acts...

Here is our pick of the bunch for this years festival:


The Big Chris Barber Band - Saturday 10th September 2011 8pm at the Guildhall
81 year old band leader Chris Barber is world renowned, now with an 11 piece band the combination of blues and jazz make this a must see! Tickets are £25 and we strongly recommend booking these early.

Brodsky Quartet & Jacqui Dankworth - Monday 12th September 2011 8pm at the Guildhall
The Brodsky Quartet are at the forefront of the international chamber-music scene, mastering the string quartet to become very well know for their work with other artists including Elvis Costello, Bjork and Sting. Their skill lies in their diverse performances of complex compositions from the likes of Hayden, Beethoven, Bartok, Britten and more. If you like this type of music it should be an excellent night of music.

Lau & Adrian O'Reilly Wednesday 14th September 2011 8pm at the Guildhall
 A must see if you like folk, winners of Best Group at the Radio 2 Folk Awards for three years in a row (2008, 2009 and 2010) this is the perfect time to see Lau. Three very talented chaps make up the group who are by no means restricted to the 'folk' genre and instead explore across genres to create a fabulously unique sound.


We'll be back with more recommendations as and when the acts are announced. If you still haven't arranged for accommodation in St Ives during the festival we recommend booking early as it is a very popular time.

If you have any other comments or recommendations do feed them back on the blog!

St Ives September Festival

We are pleased to be supporting the St Ives September Festival 2010 which is set to be a great week of music, art, theatre and events. The Guildhall will once again be hosting the majority of the music with St Ives Parish church acting as a secondary venue.

Some highlights of the festival this year include:

Guildhall

Battle of the Bands - 13th 7:30pm £7.50 presented by Every Child Matters.

Eddi Reader - 14th 8:30pm £20 Eddi Reader is a Scottish singer known both for her work with Fairground Attraction and for an enduring solo career. 

Atlan - 15th 8:30pm £20 Atlan emerged during the 1990s as one of Ireland's premier traditional bands. 

Donavan - Thursday 16th 8:30pm SOLD OUT The 1960s folk singer/songwriter Donavan is coming to St Ives. With support from Kirsty McGee. 

The Imagined Village - Friday 17th 8:30pm £25 A popular live show featured at lots of festivals around the UK and Europe. 

Paco Pena - Saturday 18th 8:30pm £20 Flamenco guitar at its best.

Kila - Sunday 19th 8:30pm £20 A superb Irish folk/world music band.

The Fishermans Friends - Monday 20th 8pm SOLD OUT.  An array of sea shanties.

Mousehole Male Voice Choir - Wednesday 22nd 8pm £7.50 The choir has an impressive repertoire and have toured across the world.

Robin Trower Band and Hamsters - Thursday 23rd 8:30pm £20

The Beat and John Otway - Friday 24th 8:30pm £15 The Beat fuse ska, pop, reggae, punk rock and soul with special guest John Otway. 

For Those About To Rock - Saturday 25th 8pm £16 The UK's leading high energy rock show featuring Live Wire, ACDC, and Limehouse Lizzy. 

St Ives Art Club (Our pick) 

Edgar Macias Quintet Tuesday 21st 8:30pm £12 A five piece band that combines different jazz styles and rhythms from funk to South American. 

Ken Nicol and Phil Cool Saturday 25th 8:30pm £12 adv. Phil Cool, comedian and impressionist teams up with Ken Nicol guitar virtuoso of Steeleye Span to produce a two hour show full of music and laughs. 

Arts and Literature (Our Pick) 

Bernard Leach - open daily 10am to 4:30pm

Tom Cross Retrospective - Open Monday to Saturday 10am - 6pm at Belgrave Gallery. 

Kiln Opening - Sunday 19th, Leach Pottery 12-2pm. 

Late at Tate St Ives - Friday 24th Tate St Ives. 7pm-9pm A chance to visit the current exhibitions for free. 

Workshops (Our Pick)

Feltmaking - Friday 17th, St Ives Library. With local Jo McIntosh, all ages welcome and materials provided. £5. 

Drop-in Beginners' Oil Painting 14th and 21st Starting with some basic colour theory and colour mixing exercises, this an ideal introduction to this popular medium. 

Films (Our Pick)

Toy Story - Saturday 18th 4pm St Ives Art Club. £3

Hairspray - Saturday 18th, Porthmeor Beach, 8:15 Tate St Ives presents a unique screening on the beach of this cult family classic.