Overview
Harwich Shanty Festival – The UK’s Premier Shanty Event
10-12 October 2025
The UK’s Premier Shanty Festival – celebrating the songs of the sea! Our next festival is on 11-13 October 2024. If you like singing, drinking, sailing, pirates & boats.
Welcome to Harwich International Shanty Festival. With the renewal of interest in Shanties and Sea Songs, following the TikTok craze which overtook us all in Lockdown, we welcomed some new visitors to these pages as well as those who attended our 2021 to 2023 Festivals.
Over the Festival weekend the whole of the old seaport town of Harwich rang with the sound of lusty shanties, music emanating from pubs, boats, clubs and our many historic buildings. There are street theatre sketches, maritime crafts, pirates, barge trips, walks, talks and workshops on offer and the town fills with colour as visitors soak up the atmosphere created over this special weekend.
The port of Harwich has been an integral part of our Maritime History for several hundred years and this still continues today. From arriving and departing European and British royals to starving migrants thousands of people have passed through the port, the ship Mayflower has many strong links. The local Ale Houses became a popular venue for sailors both those “in Transit” and those for to whom Harwich was home. In the pre-media times the only entertainment was singing, and often a shantyman would maintain his onboard role on the shore and so the shanty singing movement evolved and remained with us so let’s keep it going!!
Recent events have highlighted some of the tales in sea music, and this applies especially to the first track the recent devastation on the island of Maui has evoked the thoughts of many sailors who could not wait to arrive and find a pretty girl waiting for the on the beautiful beaches. Lets hope this can happen again soon!
The 2024 Souvenir Programme can now be downloaded for £3 from our online store. Printed copies (£5) will be available shortly from the usual outlets in and around Harwich.
Please note that on their website this event is called “Harwich International Shanty Festival”, but on their Facebook page and blurbs they refer to their event as “Harwich Shanty Festival”. They appear to be one-and-the-same event.
Video
Recordings:
General Information
Pam
Fitzgerald
Harwich
Essex
United Kingdom
2 Bitts - 2023, 2024 Alan Whitbread - 2014, 2018, 2019 Armstrong's Patent - 2019 Baggyrinkle - 2019 Becky Graham - 2018 Black Deep Shanty Crew - 2022, 2023, 2024 Blakeney Old Wild Rovers - 2014 Brasy - 2022 Brise-Glace - 2019, 2024 Brouileurs d'Ecoutes, Les - 2022, 2023 C.A.S.K. - 2024 Capstan Full Strength - 2018, 2019 Carapata - 2019 Charlotte and Spong - 2014, 2018, 2019 Charlotte Oliver & Hannah Hill - 2024 Chris Roche - 2019, 2023, 2024 Columbines - 2023, 2024 Les Corsaires de la Vesdre - 2018 Crossjack - 2022 Dan McKinnon - 2019 Dazzle - 2024 Dick Miles - 2018 Dovercourt Ukulele Club - 2023, 2024 Exmouth Shanty Men - 2018 FelixStowaways - 2018, 2019, 2023, 2024 Figurehead - 2024 Fire & Ice (1915) - 2024 Five Men Not Called Matt - 2024 Forebitter Crew - 2023 The Forebitter Men - 2019 Freddie's Barnet - 2022, 2024 Friggitt - 2022, 2024 Gaye Anthony - 2014 Geoff Higginbottom - 2019 Golden Rivets - 2018, 2019, 2023, 2024 Goldhanger Shanty Crew - 2022, 2023, 2024 Grietje Sprot - 2016, 2017, 2024 Hans Weehuizen - 2018, 2019, 2023 Harwich Shanty Crew - 2014, 2018, 2019, 2023, 2024 Harwich Sing Tendring Voices - 2023, 2024 Hog Eye Men - 2018, 2019, 2020, 2023, 2024 Hoolies - 2019, 2022, 2023, 2024 Hoy Boy - 2023, 2024 Hoy Shanty Crew - 2018 Isle 'ave a Shanty -2023 Impressed - 2018, 2023, 2024 Jack Tars - 2023, 2024 John Conolly - 2014 Jolly Grogsters - 2023, 2024 Just Voices - 2024 Ken Stephens - 2018, 2019, 2023 Kernow Buoys - 2014 Kimber's Men - 2020, 2024 Landlubbers - 2024 London Lubbers - 2014 London Sea Shanty Collective - 2018, 2023, 2024 Longest Johns, The - 2022 Mains'l Haul Shanty Crew - 2014, 2018, 2019, 2023, 2024 Malcolm Ward - 2014 Malcolm Ward and Pete Stockwell - 2014, 2018, 2019 Men Overboard - 2018 Mollyhawks - 2019 Motley Crew - 2014, 2018, 2019, 2023, 2024 Naze Shanty Crew - 2018, 2019 Nelson's Shantymen - 2023, 2022 New Scorpion Band - 2019 Nordet - 2018, 2022 Norfolk Broads - 2018 North Cape - 2019 Ol' Hands Shantymen - 2022 Old Gaffers - 2018 Pete McClelland - 2019 Pete Stockwell - 2014 El Pony Pisador - 2018, 2023 Portsmouth Shantymen - 2018 Pot of Gold - 2023, 2024 Quaynotes - 2024 Quidnunc - 2014 Rattlin' Winches - 2018, 2019, 2023, 2024 Rogue Shanty Buoys - 2018, 2023 Rum Old Boys - 2019 Rusty Tubs - 2024 Salt Water & Beer - 2018, 2023 Salty Groyne - 2023 Scheepsfolk - 2018 SeaFeaver - 2024 Shanticleer - 2014 ShantyFolk - 2023, 2024 Shantykoor Blankenberge - 2024 Shantycrew Buitenboord - 2023 Sheringham Shantymen - 2019 Short Drag Roger - 2018, 2023 Shötley Crüe - 2018, 2019, 2023 Shotley Wailers - 2023, 2024 Silver Darlings, The - 2019, 2022, 2023 Sloop Groggy Dogs - 2019, 2024 Slow Loris - 2018 Snottledogs - 2023 Spinnaker Shanty - 2023 Steve Turner - 2023 Stork Ejlaender Shantychoir - 2014 Stuart Pendrill - 2022 Swinging the Lead - 2014, 2028, 2019, 2020, 2023, 2024 Telegraph Community Choir - 2018 Tom Lewis - 2014 Tres Hombres Shanty Crew - 2018 Tyburn Road - 2018, 2019, 2023, 2024 Vagrants Crew, The - 2014