Mixed fortunes for Newquay businesses during Boardmasters week

Tuesday, 12 August 2025 12:43

Newquay BID says town centre businesses remain optimistic despite some reporting one of their quietest trading weeks of the year.

The organisation says the Boardmasters Festival brings tens of thousands of visitors to Watergate Bay and Fistral, but it doesn’t replace the spending of the wider holiday crowd.

They said that although festival-goers do come into the town centre, they tend to be a younger demographic who spend selectively, most often in supermarkets and general food outlets. They warn this targeted spending does not offset the loss of the broader holiday-making public who, during a typical August week, would visit the town to shop, dine, and enjoy local attractions such as the beaches and independent retailers.

Even with initiatives such as the £10 multi-use shuttle bus service into Newquay and the “Boardies Offer” promotion through the Boardmasters app, BID businesses did not see a significant increase in footfall.

However, the organisation says one notable positive was the improved traffic management plan, which resulted in smoother arrivals and departures for festival-goers and less congestion in the town centre. Several businesses, however, noted that supermarket car parks were unusually empty for the season.

BID Manager Mark Warren says it was a “mixed bag” and wants to engage with Boardmasters to explore ways of boosting town centre trade during the event.

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