Day -1 Pirates in the Port and our last venue visit is to The Cab in Cambrian Road! The Cab is a brilliant music venue and community space specialising in punk & hardcore shows and a Community space hosting a variety of workshops. For this weekend, they have very kindly opened their doors to shanty and folk music and will host some brilliant bands in their fabulous and welcoming environment, set up for vibrant live performances, The bands come from Wales (Dragons Breath, Press Gangers), Devon and Cornwall (Foresail, Odds and Sods), South Coast, West Country and South England (Port of Bristol, Marldon Wonky Donkey, Lower Deckers, ScrimShanker, Short Drag Roger, Gloucester Diamonds, Wareham Whalers) and a feast of Shanty will be on show at The Cab where Juls will be your host!!! All show details at www.shantywales.com/saturday and www.shantywales.com/sunday

We are just about there! Tomorrow it all starts at 11am, when the Mayor of Newport, Councillor Debbie Harvey, in one of her first official acts, steps on stage in front of Bois y Bryn to open the weekend's musical extravaganza! So at this late point, it's appropriate that we dish out some thank you's. We could not do this with a bit of money to get things going, and we have some wonderful friends who have helped us this year and last year. A huge shout out to Robin and Simon at Kymin Financial Services, a great local firm providing financisl advice from their base at the top of Bridge Street. You have been with us from the start and we are looking forward to seeing you over the weekend. Make sure you visit The Riverfront where Kymin are sponsoring the stage! Thanks also to Harding Evans Solicitors, sponsors of the Queens Academy Stage this year. Haley has been our contact over the last 2 years and is very enthusiastic in her support. Harding Evans are one of the most longstanding and largest firms of lawyers in Newport. Visit Queens Academy to see the Harding Evans Stage and some great bands in a fab new venue!! And a huge shout out to Kevin Ward at Newport NOW BID, who's been with us on our pirate journey from the very start. Kevin's expertise in guiding us through the who's who in Newport business has been invaluable. Newport NOW BID provides a service to city centre businesses, supporting them in all aspects and bringing people to Newport. And finally, thanks to Newport City Council for your support this year. Newport is a great vibrant city, with a rapidly growing and young population, and with some brilliant venues as you will see this weekend. The help and guidance and marketing support we've had from Emma's team, and particularly from the wonderful Jo, have helped us navigate local rules and regs and given us so many insights into all that is good in our fantastic city. Last but not least, big thanks to Saul at SD Music who is doing a great job helping with sound kit and engineering (as are the guys from several of our venues) and Lee and Angela from Minuteman Press who have done all our printing, and have had to endure our changes of mind and specifications at short notice. DIOLCH YN FAWR, PAWB!!!

Just when you thought Pirates in the Port could not get any bigger........ A huge welcome to our 19th amazing venue The Market Kingsway is joining us literally at the last minute with 2 days to go. You can find this great venue at https://themarketkingsway.co.uk/about/ Barry tells us 'The Market at Kingsway Centre is Newport’s answer to the ordinary. We’re a bold, proudly Welsh celebration of everything that makes this city tick; supercharged with real food, real music, real people, and real community spirit'. It won't be on our maps as they've come late on to the shanty party, but you can find them if you carry on up Upper Dock Street from the Mercure past Friars Walk and John Frost Square and into the Kingsway Centre. https://themarketkingsway.co.uk/#find The Market Kingsway will be hosting bands from 1pm on Saturday through to about 6pm, and you'll find a warm welcome from Barry and his team. Look up www.shantywales.com/saturday for up to date timings!

Here are the final band and venue listings for Pirates in the Port (well we think this is final - its version 10.2 so far....). Choose which are your preferred venues, get comfy with a drink and stay all day. Or look up your favourite bands, get out and about and follow them round the festival area using your MAP (click here) Click HERE for Saturday Click HERE for Sunday Bois y Bryn are the organising band, and you will see us out and about. We're the ones in pirate dress plus a yellow hi viz vest!! Ask us anything if you want to know more about what's going on!!!

Day -4 (Part 2) Scroll down for all schedules for these venues There's a real pub buzz happening at the top of Newport High Street these days! In addition to amazing venues like the Corn Exchange (for band list see previous Facebook post) and lovely old pubs like the Murringer, there are vibrant pubs and venues running from the Old Green Crossing down to The Market and beyond. Carpenters The Carpenters Arms dates back to 1403 and even has its own original prison cells where criminals were held before appearing at the Monmouthshire County Court! These days a rather more friendly welcome awaits customers and fans of Shanty music from Kieran and his team with a huge array of drinks stretching along a very long bar inside. Weather permitting (and it looks like it will be permitting) performers will start in the front beer garden at 2pm till 4pm, when the music will hop over the fence to........ McCanns Rock and Ale Bar McCanns is another great pub serving excellent beer - it has a great downstairs music venue which is highly recommended, but this weekend as with the Carpenters, we will be using the front beer garden. Customers and music enthusiasts can sit in either garden and listen to music from 2pm till 6pm, when we are reliably informed that the sun starts to disappear behind the buildings opposite the station. Enjoy the sun, enjoy the music, enjoy your drinks (responsibly of course!). The Carpenters will also be hosting the shanty festival on Sunday from 12 midday till 4pm Just when you thought it couldn't get any better, just next door is...... Le Pub (Le Public Space) This amazing music venue is one of the main pillars of Newport's musical life. Previously in Baneswell (where I had several fab nights involving severe damage to my hearing back in my youth), Le Pub hosts bands and singers of all types, and you can trace many successful names back to performances in Le Pub. The venue works hand in glove with The Corn Exchange, and Sam and Elisha will be your hosts at both venues! Le Pub's performances start at 12pm on Saturday, going right through till 10pm, starting again on Sunday from 12 till 3. Inching down High Street and across the Road...... Hogarth's A fixture in the city for many years, this over 18s only stylish pub and gin palace has a huge range of drinks to offer the discerning punter. It boasts over 120 gins, craft beers and local real ales. It prides itself as a real community pub. It opens onto both High Street and Cambrian Road, with the Cambrian Road entrance being step-free. Ben and his team are looking forward to your arrival!! Back across High Street, there's one of Newport's newest bars Chapter Literally just opening as we were planning pour venues, Chapter is the brain child of Poppy, Dan and Lesley - who also run the wonderful Tickled Trout tapas restaurant just round the corner in Griffin Street - and is a book-inspired and decorated cocktail and events bar. We are so looking forward to experiencing the vibe that Chapter offers! Finally, along Griffin Street, next to the Market The Cross Keys A late arrival to our panoply of venues (it didn't make the first print run of leaflets), the Cross Keys is famous these days as a home of Newport County supporters prior to matches over the river at Rodney Parade! This weekend, County fans should be be relaxing as they did their job in keeping their team up a couple of weeks ago. Time to enjoy some shanty and folk music instead. An early Saturday evening schedule should set the pub going nicely. Jeanette and her team are looking forward to welcoming you!

Pirates in the Port Festival is proud to support and be supported by some of Newport's finest and friendliest bijou, boutique venues! Last year, you loved The Lamb and this year you'll love it even more as it's been taken over and totally refurbed - it's gorgeous!!! The Andrews will give you a warm welcome! Also last year, Julie and Michael at the Continental Coffee Lounge and Greek Restaurant on Corn Street opposite the Potters were great cheerleaders for the festival! They served up delicious meals for their customers while small shanty groups played, and they'll be doing the same this year - book early to ensure you get your table! Cakes and Cream just up the road and next to the Mercure are one of Newport's newest places to enjoy a drink and snack. They brew great coffee and their cakes are to die for! They are hosting bands on Sunday so check them out where Joanna will welcome you! And finally if you fancy being serenaded from a balcony, then Newport Arcade is for you! Courtesy of Nikki at Arcadia Cafe, the festival will have bands playing from the first floor gallery, while you enjoy the varied retail delights in the Arcade (pop into see Dean in Kriminal Records for a great deal on excellent vinyl) and enjoy a coffee and lunch in Arcadia! Here are the bands and timings for our small is beautiful offering!

Day 4, or rather, Day -5 to Pirates in the Port. Whatever, it's Bank Holiday Monday, and if you think it's hot today, wait till you see what brigands Jack at Fire and Ice has lurking in wait for unsuspecting seafarers! Pirates in the Port Festival goers love a great venue, and we have somewhere really special lined up in Fire and Ice on Cambrian Road. A great stage, with great sound kit managed by our friend Saul from SD Music (sdmusic.co.uk), and some of the nicest people in Newport await you along with the amazing bands below, on both Saturday and Sunday. Get into the Pirate spirit with the fantastic Wrecked Again from Cockwood and Odds and Sods all the way from the Lizard in Cornwall (they've never been seen without a pint in their hands). Brecon Shanty and Beaufort Scale bring a Welsh flavour to the venue, while the Salty Sea Dogs and ScrimShanker are travelling from the South Coast of England! Full details at www.shantywales.com, your guide to the Festival!

Sorry I missed yesterday's Day 3 announcement as I had a date with Tottenham...... Something really different for today's update, brought to you by our lovely Folk Music festival partners in the Upstairs Market which is going to be our Folk Hub for the weekend. Just see what's happening on the Sunday for starters - A Grand Irish Session And there's more - here's the full market Upstairs schedule (Left ) and Downstairs in Sips Cafe (Right) where a host of shanty and Pirate music is waiting! As ever - to see the full range of excellent bands and welcoming venues, please visit www.shantywales.com/saturday and www.shantywales.com/sunday

As we have kept adding new venues (by popular demand) over the last few weeks, we thought it only fair for you to have a new map showing where all the 52 bands will be playing over the weekend! So here it is. For those unfamiliar with Newport City Centre, the festival hub is at venue 1, The Corn Exchange, which is at the top of High Street, directly opposite Carpenters, McCanns and Le Pub. The hub will feature bands playing from 11am till 10pm on Saturday, and 12 till 6 on Sunday. There will be festival programmes on sale (£3) plus gorgeous and unique festival t-shirts (£15), and other Pirate merch - plus free drawing materials for kids. At the Riverfront on Kingsway (about 7-8 minute walk from the Corn Exchange) there are Pirate-related craft activities for children going on in the foyer - all free. In between these 2 there are 16 great venues where wonderful hosts will welcome you in free of charge to hear your favourite bands. Full performance details in the programme and also on the website. The Market Upstairs will be our Folk Hub with a wide range of (literally) toe-tapping acts from the Newport and multinational folk scene. So where's that map, you ask. It's here (see below) and also on the Getting There tab on the website.

The countdown has started to Pirates in the Port 2026......AND IT'S ALL FREE!!!! Pirate gear is coming out of the wardrobes...... Posters for band timetables are going up..... The map has been updated......... Festival Tshirts have been delivered...... Programmes are being printed.... All we need now is YOU!!!! Saturday 30th May - Corn Exchange from 11am & 17 other venues from 12 midday.

Newport's newest venue has just opened, and we have had a sneak preview! We visited Chapter (formerly Coco's) recently to carry out our usual review of venues and facilities and to match our bands to our venues, and it's looking great! Situated towards the top of High Street, Chapter will be hosting Pirates in the Port later this month, and we can't wait! There's a downstairs bar with a stage area, dancefloor and booth seating. Upstairs is another bar with another performance area. It's all beautifully decorated with a book-based theme. Poppy and Lesley will be your hosts at this great new venue to spend your evenings and during Pirates in the Port 2026!

Pirates in the Port are pleased to announce that our wonderful friends at The Riverfront Theatre and Newport Live will once again be putting on free Pirate-themed activities for children on Saturday 30th May as part of Newport's own Shanty and Folk Festival. After the great feedback we received from families at Pirates in the Port last year, we're doing it all over again! Come along with your children to our crafty Saturday session as part of Pirates in the Port 2026! Create your own sailor hat inspired by the history of sailors in Newport! All materials and fun provided free - 11am till 4pm in the Riverfront Theatre foyer!