This summer’s June and July festival line-up has everything.

You’ll find symphonies in church halls, ska anthems shaking a rugby ground and barefoot folk in wildflower fields (will you be one of them?)

They don’t follow a formula and range from polished to homespun, high-brow to full-throttle.

Some come with yoga mats and bug hunts. Others offer beer, burgers, and sunburn.

The beauty of Devon’s music festivals is that there’s something for everyone.

Which one (s) will you attend?

P.S. Thanks to all who “bought me a coffee” to mark 100 issues of Go Devon! It means a lot. If you get value from the newsletter and would also like to show your support, the link is here.

Now on with the festival vibes…

Summer Sessions, Plymouth, Thursday 12th to Monday 16th June

LINE-UP: Snow Patrol, James with Razorlight, Jamie Webster and Tom A Smith, Pendulum with Normandie, Hot Milk and Wargasm, The Corrs with Natalie Imbruglia and Dea Matrona.

FORMAT: 4-day festival with evening sessions starting at 4pm on Thursday, Friday and Sunday and 5pm Saturday. VIP Garden tickets get you close to the stage with an exclusive bar, premium food and flushable loos. More details

VIBES: Watch the sun go down over the Tamar River as you’re entertained by some big acts on The Hoe plateau, though the line up is not as wow as last year’s Sting, Tom Jones, Bryan Adams and Madness.

• The waterfront provides a stunning backdrop, even if weather affected sound quality on at least one night. Locals appreciate the big-city feel of this event.

Goldcoast Oceanfest, Croyde, Friday 20th to Sunday 22nd June

LINEUP: James, Mistajam, Alex Mills, Lottery Winners, Casey Lowery, Ellur, The Kites, Gentleman’s Dub Club, Town of Cats, Talie Rae, True Foxes. Full lineup

FORMAT: 41 music sessions from noon to 11pm Friday and Saturday, noon to 9pm Sunday. The idea is that you work off the effects of the night before with beach volleyball, handball, beach soccer, beach netball, surfing lessons.

VIBES: Blending surf culture, sport and music, this beachside festival attracts a younger, energetic crowd. The main stage is well set up, but some felt the fairground rides and vendor volume detracted from the sound.

• The combination of music and a beach atmosphere remains a winning formula from a proudly independent promoter.

Budleigh Music Festival, Friday 27th June to Saturday 5th July

LINEUP: Bath Philharmonia, One Piano Four Hands Mahler, London African Gospel Choir, Band of HM Royal Marines with Jess Gillam, Sir Stephen Hough, Devon Youth Wind Orchestra, Lumas Winds, Guido Sant’anna and Ariel Lanyi. Full list

FORMAT: A week of evening, daytime and special concerts at St Peter’s Church, Temple Methodist Church, Church on the Green and the Public Hall.

VIBES: Committed to classical and chamber music but always with a twist, Budleigh punches above its weight with top-tier performers in small seaside town venues.

• Visitors appreciate the mix of lunchtime recitals and evening concerts, and strong links to local heritage enhance the overall experience.The programming blends the familiar with the challenging and unexpected.

Goren Festival, Honiton, Friday 4th to Sunday 6th July

LINEUP: Organisers are promising some great performances but no announcements as yet.

FORMAT: Always some music playing in relaxed, informal settings between Friday and Sunday evening.

• Popup stages are set to appear throughout the weekend. Yoga, circus skills, forest school, bug and butterfly spotting for the kids. Family camping in the orchard near the music. More wild stuff

VIBES: Wildlife, wildfood, wild music for the 8th year. Held on a 70-acre wildflower farm, this off-grid eco-festival stands out for its environmental ethos and family-first approach.

• Rural charm and chilling out is more important than big music names. The festival is a cross between a nature retreat and a folk gathering, with sustainability baked in.

Ruckus, Plymouth, Friday 4th to Sunday 6th July

LINEUP: The Feeling, Tom Meighan (ex Kasabian), The Specials, Elvana, with more promised.

FORMAT: A new festival for Plymouth hosted at the Plymouth Albion rugby stadium over 3 days. 8-9 bands per day with fun acts in between change overs. Tickets

VIBES: Ruckus is aiming for a wide audience, with an emphasis on food, beer as well as music at its inaugural event.

• Ruckus coincides with the rugby club’s 150th anniversary so should get some support from the local rugby followers as profits will benefit the club.

Have your say

1. Which is your favourite Devon music festival?

2. What makes it so good?

Post your comments and see what others have said

Miss our May and early June festival coverage?

Catch up here: 🎸 5 music festivals, 5 different vibes

Devon Curiosities #53: Tunnels beaches, Ilfracombe

As you relax in the sunshine on Ilfracombe’s best beaches, spare a thought for the hundreds of Welsh miners who spent years cutting 6 tunnels through the rocks to give you access.

HISTORY: Back in 1836 sea bathing was all the rage and the Ilfracombe Sea Bathing Company invested in tunnelling to open up new beaches and hot and cold water baths as an aid to health.

FUN FACT: There were strictly separate pools for men and women, and a bugler was paid to sound an alarm if any peeping tom tried to spy on the ladies.

TODAY: The tidal sea pools still exist, if slightly worn out, and 4 of the 6 tunnels operate, provided a novel entry to the beaches. Entry £4. You can also get married there. More here.

WHAT ELSE IS ON?

🌊 North Devon 

View 52 more North Devon events

🐬 South Devon

Check out 84 more South Devon events 

🏆️ Get lucky! Win Devon leisure prizes

FEATURED: 🐟️ A 1-night short break in Exeter including travel, B & B at the Rougemont Hotel, a £100 fish restaurant voucher, plus tours of Exeter Gin and the city’s underground passages (31st May)

🥚 A Salcombe Dairy Easter Egg bundle, worth £113.95 (13th Apr)

NEW!  🎸 2 tickets on a night of your choice at The Ultimate Live Tribute Experience including Fleetwood Shack and Pure Magic (Queen) at Westpoint Exeter (18th Apr)

NEW!  🌸 A family ticket with picnic lunch at RHS Garden Rosemoor (21st Apr)

NEW!  🥢 A Wagamama Exeter £50 voucher and a cookbook (22nd Apr)

 🏊‍♀️ A wild swimming walk for 3 people (experienced or beginners) in Plymouth or Dartmoor worth £135 (27th Apr)

🏰 A year of visits to Watermouth Castle for a family of 4 worth £500. More chances to win with 2 other different promoters, here and here (29th Apr)

NEW!  🐑 A 3-night stay in a Dittisham Hideaway shepherd’s hut for 2 adults, including a welcome hamper and logs for the woodburner and hot tub (30th Apr)

NEW!  🎙️ 2 tickets to all 3 music events at Plymouth Argyle in May, including Kaiser Chiefs + Jake Bugg and the Alive and Relive concerts (30th Apr)

NEW!  🛏️ 1 night B & B for 2 during May at Future Inn, Plymouth (30 Apr)

NEW!  🌳 A 2 night stay for two people in a refurbished former farmhouse in a semi-rural location in North Devon (No closing date given)

🍸️ An espresso Martini cocktail gift box from vodka maker Devon Cove (30th Apr)

😅 An Egyptian mud treatment spa day at the Dartmouth Hotel (Entries from EX and TQ postcodes only) (30th Apr)

🌳 A 3-night stay for a family of 4 (2 adults, 2 children) at one of Park Leisure’s holiday parks including one in Paignton. (30th Apr)

🎉 1 of 4 free camping breaks at either River Dart Country Park, Cofton Holidays, Woodlands Grove or Crealy Theme Park (30th Apr)

🍾 A 4 night mid-week luxury cottage stay for 4 with Cofton Holidays, Exeter (2nd May)

🦞 A 2-night luxury stay at Gara Rock hotel on the South Devon coast (2nd May)

🐻 A 1-night stay for 2 at The Bearslake Inn, West Dartmoor, including a three‑course meal and a breakfast hamper (31st May)

❓️ Have you won a prize from a link you found here? Let us know and we’ll share the good news.

I’m celebrating hitting 100 issues! If you’ve been a member from the start in April 2023, thank you! If you enjoy Go Devon! and would like to support my work you can buy me a coffee here. (Not an actual coffee, a virtual one.)

New member? Catch up here

🏔️ The Swiss Alps? Nope This Is In Devon

🎸 Five different festivals, 5 different vibes 

❓️ Sometimes the best things happen by chance

🌳 Celebrate the dark and glorious moor

Ideas, feedback, criticism and suggestions are very welcome. Email me.

That’s all for this week.

Thanks for being a member.

Andy, Esme and the Go Devon! team