The Harwich International Shanty Festival is a grassroots maritime music festival that brings together musicians and singers from across the globe. It has been running for 20 years and Harwich is the perfect location - situated on the North Essex coast at the confluence of two rivers as they meet the sea. A key shipping port and shipyard across the centuries, Harwich plays host, for three days every October, to the sounds of the sea - with shanties old and new being sung throughout the town, in pubs, halls, onboard boats and in unique locations. It is an unforgettable experience.