Top Tips

Our top tips

Harwich is quite a small town and you can just turn up and explore. However, here are our top tips.

Try and come by public transport. You can find out more about different ways to get to Harwich on the Getting here.
Expect to do some walking. There are at least five different pubs to pop into and that's just for starters!
Keep an eye on when tickets go on sale (usually around August) - we recommend going to a couple of ticketed events to get the most out of the festival.
Don't forget about the barge cruises - music and sailing combined!
Definitely buy a programme. These will be available on our online shop or in many places around the town.
Go to a session or a workshop - there is nothing quite so amazing as joining in or learning something new.
Volunteer and get into an event or two for free! There is more on our Who's Who page or drop us an email: Contact Us.
Become a Friend of the Festival and be happy in the knowledge that you are keeping our amazing project alive and well for years to come.

The 'Carousel'

In the centre of the printed programme, you will find a detailed schedule of which artists and crews are performing at which events. Most of these are free and you can just turn up. For example, there will be rolling performances from crews in the pubs throughout the day. It is the middle spread of the programme that will tell you who you can find singing and in which location.

There are lots of other things to see and do though. Find out about other types of performances and events on the What's On page.

The Map

We have commissioned a new map for 2026 which will be on display around the town. This will help you find all the key venues.

Go to the Places page to find out about some key landmarks in Harwich.

Other things to do and see

Take part in a workshop

There are a number of workshops over the weekend - learn to play a different instrument, come to a 'learn-a-shanty' session, go to pirate school with the kids.

The Mass Shanty - Sunday afternoon

On Sunday afternoon, many crews congregate at St Giles Church for a gala performance and singalong. It's a beautiful spectacle and highly recommended. It's also free!

Sessions out and about

There are friendly sessions where you can bring a song, play along with other musicians or just listen.

Details will be in the programme.

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