Seafood & Sounds 2026: a free weekend in Poole

If you are after a free weekend that doubles as a proper day out with the kids, Seafood & Sounds is back for its fourth year. It takes over Poole on Saturday 12 and Sunday 13 September, running from 11am on the Saturday through to 5pm on the Sunday, and it costs nothing to get in. The whole thing is spread across Poole Quay, the Old Town and the town centre, so it is less a single site and more a town-wide takeover.

The opening parade on the Saturday sets the tone, starting at 11am from the Slug & Lettuce and working its way through the High Street and Old Town down to the Quay. From there, the music takes over. More than 24 acts play across nine different locations, including the Quay, the Old Town, Falkland Square and The Dolphin Centre, with the streets filling with music from 11am until 4pm on both days. The lineup is long, with the likes of Bashaviolin, David Mein, Poole Me Hearties, The Quayside Choir, Gary Roberts, Emma Hardy, Soul Tides, Frayed Strings, The Real Deal, Ed Fox, Kaboodle, Helena Mace, Susie Kimber, Cobra Café, State of Undress, Resonate Choir, Vintage Sally, Choir Engine, Nicole McNally, Simon Lane, Chasing Leaves, BitterSweet Harmony, Purbeck Storm, Citrus Singers, Sound of Soul, The Rev, Coosticks, DJ sets, Tinderbox, Sarah G, Rave On, The Kings Head and many more. They are scattered across the Fish Shambles, St James' Church, Nusara Thai, The Brewhouse, Falkland Square, Riptide, Hotel Du Vin, Lighthouse Poole, The Harry Paye, Bruno Lounge, The Angel and The Foundry Arms, so the full programme is worth picking up on the day to work out who is playing where and when.

The food side is just as busy. There are live food demonstrations inside The Dolphin Centre, culinary workshops for local students at the White Pepper Chef Academy on the Saturday, and the Free Oyster Trail that winds through the Old Town. A town-wide artisan market runs alongside it all, with children's entertainment zones and interactive bits at places like Hotel du Vin and St James' Church, plus circus skills workshops over in Falkland Square. On the Sunday, The Absolute Music Trust puts on free music workshops and hands out manuals at St James' Church, open to all ages and abilities, and there are themed walking trails to follow, including the Oyster Trail, the Cockle Trail and 'Walk & Talks with Hattie'.

It is worth knowing how this came together. The festival was started by five Poole business owners — Coastal Cruises, Custom House, Poole Arms, St TrOpez Lounge and Truly Scrumptious — and it is backed by Poole BID with The Dolphin Centre as headline sponsor, plus support from Absolute Music and The Absolute Music Trust. It has grown quickly, with more than 8,000 people through the gates last year, so it is now a proper fixture on the local calendar. Because it is free and spread across the town, it is easy to dip in and out of, whether you are there for the music, the food or just a wander with the kids.