One of the few remaining truly independent festivals in the UK, Port Eliot is imbued with the special character and long history of its ancient St Germans estate – as much a part of the line-up as any of the acts. The festival runs from 25-28 July 2019. Tickets and full details at porteliotfestival.com

Encompassing some of the great contemporary figures in music, fashion, comedy, food, poetry and literature, Port Eliot’s cultural obsessions, subjects and themes make it a distinctive event in a crowded summer calendar.

Venues emerge all over the rolling parkland and woods, down to the river Tiddy, and beyond to Brunel’s railway viaduct. From the oldest church in Cornwall to the jumping Ace of Clubs bar, from cultured discussions at The Idler Academy, to family adventures within Wildlings Wood, via the forward-thinking style of the Fashion Foundation, the bubbling cauldron of ideas in the Bowling Green and the Tiddy-side magic of Caught by the River, Port Eliot is tricky to define and impossible to forget.

At Caught by the River you will find music, wild words and collaborations that will hit you in the heart, amid the most special of settings. Headliners include one of the most captivating current artists anywhere. Aldous Harding; Beak˃, whose third LP, ˃˃˃, made many an end-of-year list in 2018; inspirational electropop showstealers, Stealing Sheep; and The Orielles, whose Sunday evening show will be a giant festival finale party complete with cowbells and whistles.

The Park Stage is the place for eclectic music, big comedy shows and audiences with engaging sorts. Highlights include one of the country’s favourite stand-ups, Shappi Khorsandi and Charlotte Church’s Late Night Pop Dungeon, one of the great, ecstatic celebrations of music that makes you scream, shout and throw all sorts of shapes.

Port Eliot began as a literary festival and words are at its heart. Spend time atthe Bowling Green stage for close-range insight from gifted writers, thinkers and assorted amusers. This year’s line-up includes unimpeachable, Brexit-weary Newsnight presenter, Emily Maitlis; beloved documentary photographer, Martin Parr; journalist, stand-up and author of How to Own the Room, Viv Groskop; multi prize-winning novelist and poet, Ben Okri; stylish radio doyen, Robert Elms; British music writing stalwart and Smash Hits hero, David Hepworth; and novelist Max Porter, whose first novel, Grief is the Thing with Feathers is soon to hit the stage with Cillian Murphy.

The Idler Academy will throw open the doors of a dream school down by the river, lifting your heart, testing your brain and sending your joie de vivre through the roof! Head here for guidance in the art of beekeeping, philosophy, swing dancing and frisbee tree golf, to name but four. Among this year’s treats, Paddington writer, Mighty Boosh mainstay (and, chiefly, for us, ‘Garfunkel’ Detectorist), Simon Farnaby will be in discussion with Idler editor Tom Hodgkinson about the art of creating a screenplay.

Among the music and cabaret performances that will have the Ace of Clubs jumping from morning to morning are Indian Man, who’ll bring the finest of Indian electronica; and The Bowie Lounge – a raved-about celebration of the music, song writing, wit, wisdom and style of David Bowie, himself a visitor to Port Eliot.

Port Eliot’s reputation for beautiful food is unmatched by any other UK festival. From the Open Fire stage, to the House’s Georgian Big Kitchen and onward to the multitude of food stalls, stands and bars serving magnificent meals. This year, the festival will open a delicious and inviting relaxation spot next to the House, run by Ben Quinn of Woodfired Canteen. Impromptu long-table dinners for hundreds of diners will also spring up unexpectedly at a variety of special spots on the site, so have your appetite to hand. The Open Fire stage will feature some of the most exciting chefs in Britain today, corralled by chef, writer and broadcaster, Valentine Warner.

After dark, hiding within a hedge deep in the woods, you will find the Boogie Round. Once inside, you’ll discover that it’s loud from dark ‘til dawn with DJs including The Beating Heart, Alfresco Disco, Pete on the Corner, Christophe, Pete Fowler, and... a MASSIVE REGGAE SOUND SYSTEM which will help you find the correct hedge! And down the slope past the maze is the Black Cow Saloon, serving the finest Black Cow Pure Milk Vodka - ‘The Spirit of The West’ and starring musician, artist and Clash bassist, Paul Simonon, DJ-ing alongside composer and Big Audio Dynamite keyboardist, Dan Donovan.

A Port Eliot ticket ensures that one of the most beautiful landscapes in the country becomes your playground for the weekend. Historic rooms become galleries and you will be free from roped-off VIP bits or sponsored special access sections. Children can run free, adventure in the woods, canoe in the Tiddy, join hundreds of workshops or leap in for a wild swim or a muck about in the mud.

Port Eliot is a festival for families. Veering off the beaten path into Wildlings Wood will open up a world of adventure, where children can join the Fire and Steel Forest School, learning den building and campfire cookery; or walk into a weekend outpost of Aardman Studios – creators of Wallace & Gromit – and make favourite characters with the absolute greats of animation.

This year will see the welcome return of Hole and Corner magazine, which will create a ‘makers’ village’ in which you’ll find live demos and workshops combining craft, beauty, passion and skill (it also comes complete with its own bar and DJs). Workshops for all will take place from early morning ‘til end of day, taking in Parkour skills, life drawing, Canadian canoeing, photography, archery, axe throwing, cooking with insects and meditative botanical illustration, to name a handful.

In just two years, the Poetry Stage has established Port Eliot as the festival for contemporary poetry. Invariably rammed, the stage has a celebratory atmosphere and has quickly become a real favourite

This year, the Stage will have a new home: Sir John Soane’s masterpiece Round Room in the House. While presenting some of the great names in poetry, the curators Luke Wright and Rosy Carrick are committed to presenting the most gifted new poets before they’re discovered by everybody else.

Port Eliot Festival Director, Poppy Handy, said, “Port Eliot is a place of escapism and discovery for our audience and artists. It’s a lovely feeling as you step on to the site and realise that your toughest decisions for the next few days will involve which lovely meal to choose, whether to settle down by the river with a pint of Sharp’s Doom Bar or sit down for a chat with a fashion legend or throw yourself around to a band that you love. It’s a tough life at Port Eliot. If you’ve been before, you’ll know just what we mean; if not, come and enjoy it with us. It’ll take years off you!”