The popular tourist resort of Perranporth in Cornwall is known for its miles of golden sands, surfing and, reputedly, the only bar in the UK situated on a beach – The Watering Hole.

After many years of bringing live music to the south west, organising gigs at the bar, the team at The Watering Hole decided to step things up and create the Tunes in the Dunes festival. With the stage set beneath the cliffs of Perranporth, and the festival-goers watching from the beach, it was always going to be a different, unique experience.

In less than two weeks, the sixth year of the festival will be taking place with Richard Ashcroft, Tom Walker and Craig David headlining, marking a return after the enforced hiatus due to the coronavirus.

Like all entertainment and hospitality businesses The Watering Hole have been waiting eagerly for normal services to resume. For a new festival momentum is especially important, so, taking a break for a year has the potential to be incredibly damaging. However, the entusiasm for its return is evident.

The inaugural event took place in 2015 with Status Quo, Tom Odell and Scouting for Girls headlining over the three days. The rest of the line-up was filled with a mixture of musical styles and performers, often showcasing bands from Cornwall and the south west.

The festival has developed over the few short years that it has been running and has attracted acts like Dizzee Rascal, Clean Bandit, James Morrison, UB40, The Hoosiers, John Newman and Madness. New and upcoming bands and local artists such as Joe Francis, William the Conqueror, Wille and the Bandits and Josh Kumra together with more established artists like Martin Harley and Jeremy Loops have also been a part of the Tunes in the Dunes experience.

A second stage, a circus tent and silent disco were added to provide even more entertainment and the team behind the festival are always looking for new ways for the event to evolve.

There have been some dissenting voices over the years, not everybody enjoys the influx of people and disruption caused by the festival. There has also been criticism of the poor communication from the organisors, especially concerning the rearranged dates and postponements during the coronavirus lockdowns. It was an unprecedented situation for everybody in the events industry and the small team were under pressure to keep on top of the correspondence from customers. It wasn’t ideal, and, certainly, news and updates about new dates and refunds could have been more quickly released.

But, the Tunes in the Dunes team are on their own learning curve. The festival is only in its sixth year and teething troubles are only to be expected. Learning from those issues will only improve the event going forward.

Tunes in the Dunes is a very unique festival, unlike most others. The festival-goers are a mix of young and old, including families with young children, all enjoying the relaxed atmosphere and the variety of musical genres on display. When you add into the equation the beautiful setting of Perranporth beach it all adds up to something that we would encourage you to experience.

The festival starts on Thursday 2nd September until Saturday 4th and some tickets are still available – follow the link above for details.

If you have any memories or stories regarding Tunes in the Dunes, favourites performers or a wishlist for the future, please comment below or drop us an email at hackpost@ordinaryhorse.com