Pirates in the Port is pleased to announce that due to having so many bands signed up and in need of performance slots, we have broken through the 15 venue barrier - and added 2 new places where you can see and hear shanty and folk music on the weekend of 30th/31st May, taking us to 17 venues! Welcome Newport Arcade and Cakes & Cream! Courtesy of our good friends at Arcadia - Newport's premier Gothic coffee house, we will have groups serenading you from the gallery in Newport Arcade! Take a stroll along the Arcade; sit out, have an excellent coffee whilst admiring the beautiful Victorian architecture! Newport Arcade will be a venue on Festival Saturday from 12 midday till 5pm Newport Arcade Cakes & Cream And.....not to be outdone, please put your hands together for Cakes & Cream - Newport's absolutely newest place to enjoy fine coffee, cakes and a good chat. Situated on Friar's Walk, just next to our other friends the Mercure Hotel, Cakes & Cream opened only last week, at the start of April, but have already acquired a great reputation for delicious coffee and sumptuous cakes and slices! Trust me: I was there today and 'mmmm'! Cakes & Cream will be a venue on Festival Sunday from 12 midday till 4pm

Pirates in the Port are pleased to announce that for the festival weekend on 30/31 May, the Riverfront Theatre on Kingsway will host The Kymin Stage , sponsored by our good friends and Pirates in the Port Festival partners, Kymin - the leading Financial Planning firm based in Newport. Kymin tell us they were founded in Monmouth in 1993 with the aim of providing the combination of Financial Planning and Wealth Management. They are Independent Financial Planners which means they are not restricted to one provider. This allows them to select the best solution for clients from the entire financial marketplace; giving our clients total peace of mind and knowing that they will be receiving the most suitable financial advice to the highest standard. You can find more info on them at kymin.co.uk . Kymin are a 'founder partner' for Pirates in the Port, this being their second year with us, and we are really grateful for their continued support. As we highlighted previously, Kymin recently received an award from VouchedFor as a Top Rated firm for 2026 (also for the 2nd year running, though we can't take credit for this bit!). We hope that festival goers will enjoy all the performances on The Kymin Stage at The Riverfront, which will kick off at 12pm on Saturday 30th May. Details of which bands will be playing there and at all other venues throughout the weekend will be published shortly. (Photo credit from the Riverfront 2025, John H, YouTube)

Pirates in the Port are pleased to be supported by leading Newport Financial Advisors, Kymin Financial Services for the second year, and we've just received some great news! Kymin are proud to announce that we have for a second year running been recognised as a VouchedFor Top Rated Firm for 2026, an award specifically presented to firms that consistently deliver an outstanding client experience. We look forward to seeing this years list of the Top Rated Firms in the UK, which is being published in The Times newspaper on Saturday 21st March. We are very proud to be included again this year.  We have successfully achieved this status again based on the strength and consistency of the feedback our clients have provided through the verified VouchedFor reviews. All of our advisers have had to exceed VouchedFor’s criteria for us to be able to achieve this designation. With an overall client satisfaction rating of 4.9 out of 5, via the 259 reviews that have been left (at time of writing) for our five advisers. This recognition cements our ongoing commitment to deliver excellent advice, clear communication, and positive outcomes for the people that we work with. In addition to this firm-wide recognition, we are incredibly proud that our advisers Christopher Taylor, Simon Aston, Paul Morgan, Kat Potts, and Steven Jones have also been recognised again this year thanks to their hard work and exceptional client reviews. Their dedication and expertise continue to make a real difference in our clients' financial journeys. Pirates in the Port are proud to be supported by prestigious and successful Newport businesses like Kymin!! More news to follow about Kymin's stage sponsorship at one of our main venues.

We are pleased to announce that our great friends, Harding Evans, Solicitors, will be teaming up with their newest neighbours to present The Harding Evans Stage at The Queens Academy for the weekend of Pirates in the Port. It’s good to know where to turn when the world throws you a curve-ball. Harding Evans are a full-service law firm, who provide advice to both individuals and businesses. From conveyancing and personal injury, family law and wills & probate, clinical negligence and care, right through to commercial, employment law and dispute resolution the specialist teams at Harding Evans provide clear, honest and high-quality legal advice in an environment that is approachable, inclusive and welcoming. The Queens Academy is Newport's newest music venue, housed within the historic Queens Hotel in the heart of Newport and which opened this month as a 500 seater venue rivalling the Corn Exchange and The Riverfront Theatre in size and ambition. The Queen's Academy is the brainchild of former Newport County footballer Darren Jones and music promoter Paul Divers and has a full calendar of music acts booked through 2026. We are delighted to have both Harding Evans and The Queens Academy on board with Pirates in the Port in 2026.

(in rough geographical order from High Street to Kingsway) The Corn Exchange, High Street Carpenters' Arms, High Street McCann's Rock & Ale Bar Le Pub, High Street Coco's, High Street Market Upstairs - The Folk Hub! Market - Sips Cafe Hogarth's, High Street Fire & Ice, Cambrian Road The Cab, Cambrian Road Queen's Academy, Queen's Square The Lamb, Bridge Street The Continental, Corn Street The Mercure Hotel, Upper Dock Street The Riverfront Theatre, Kingsway Details of venue timings and band schedules will be released nearer to the festival start. www.shantywales.com

Pirates in the Port 2026 are pleased to announce prestigious additional venues for your enjoyment: The Carpenters Arms, High Street - this historic pub comes on board and (weather permitting) will feature bands playing in their outside area Coco's, High Street - Coco's is currently being refreshed under new management and is due for an exciting reopening in early March! Hogarth's, High Street - in the heartland of our festival, Hogarth's is a fixture of Newport's pub scene Fire & Ice, Cambrian Road - one of Newport's largest and vibrant music venues with a fantastic stage and sound system The Cab, Cambrian Road - DIY music venue and community space brings a new punk feel to shanty and folk! The Continental, Corn Street - Newport's premier Greek restaurant plays host to small groups with your coffee, wine, snacks and lunch! The Queens Academy - Newport's newest major music venue - opens early February!