Esedhvos Festival

The Cornish equivalent of the Welsh Eisteddfod and Breton Gorsedd, it is held in Cornwall every year in the days surrounding the annual Gorsedh Kernow bardic ceremony.

The range of events is wide, open to the public and mostly free of charge, taking place in locations close to the current Gorsedh ceremony site.

Festival events usually include a ceilidh, a concert, a bi-lingual Sunday Evensong and the opportunity to try out a bit of the Cornish language for yourself. Often there are talks, walks or demonstrations of local interest.

On Gorsedh Saturday itself, the impressive ceremony is augmented by colourful stalls on the Gorsedh Field. Here you may browse stalls offering Cornish crafts, foods and drink, you can find information on local organisations and societies and also learn about Cornwall’s native language, Kernewek.

The whole experience gives you the opportunity each year to visit one of Cornwall’s beautiful, historic but maybe lesser-known towns and to explore Cornwall’s heritage and culture in a friendly, happy atmosphere of celebration.