After a couple of barren years for understandable reasons all of Cornwall's music festivals are announcing their line-ups alongside big-name gigs at venues across the Duchy.
It's fair to say 2022 is more than making up for a lack of live music in Cornwall since Covid brought everything to standstill in March 2020.
There's a roll call of big name bands, singers and DJs heading to our shores. Just look at some of the big hitters: Kings of Leon, Nine Inch Nails, Tom Jones, Diana Ross, My Chemical Romance, Madness, Paul Weller, Adam Ant, Keane, James Bay, Rag'n'Bone Man, Disclosure, Elbow, George Ezra, Happy Mondays, Bryan Adams, Dionne Warwick and the Manic Street Preachers.
Read more: Music festivals to look forward to in Cornwall in summer 2022
Here are more than 50 names to look forward to from this weekend to the end of the year.
Ultra Naté / Altern-8 / Rozalla
March 12: Princess Pavilion, Falmouth
The Dance Anthem 90s / 00s night is a chance to go back in time and dance like you used to with the acts behind such massive tunes as Free, Activ-8 and Everybody's Free (To Feel Good).
Gruff Rhys
April 1: The Cornish Bank, Falmouth
The frontman of Super Furry Animals is getting just as famous for his run of brilliant solo albums, including last year's Seeking New Gods. Unmissable at what is fast becoming Cornwall's coolest venue.
Carl Palmer's ELP Legacy
April 11: Princess Pavilion, Falmouth
The father of prog rock is still behind the drum kit and playing his tribute to all the bands he's been in: Atomic Rooster, The Crazy World Of Arthur Brown, Asia and Emerson, Lake & Palmer.
The Feeling / Scott Mills
April 22-24: Rattler Fest, Healey's Cyder Farm, near Truro
Rattler's so popular it's even got its own festival now featuring The Feeling, DJ Scott Mills, Utah Saints, Dub Pistols and a lot more.
David Rodigan
May 7: Princess Pavilion, Falmouth
Britain's leading reggae DJ doing what he does best.
Adam Ant
May 14: Bands in the Sands, Perranporth
It's a case of Sand and Deliver when the punk originator and king of 80s pop plays on the beach next to the Watering Hole. Anyone who has seen the ageless Ant since his re-emergence in 2010 will tell you what an amazing live force he still is. I won't be happy unless he plays Zerox.
James Bay
May 15: Bands in the Sands, Perranporth
The Hold Back The River star plays Bands in the Sands the following night featuring songs from his forthcoming third album.
My Chemical Romance
May 16/17: Eden Sessions, Eden Project
Expect a black parade at Eden when everyone's favourite emos finally make it to the venue after cancellations. A lot of people are REALLY looking forward to this one.
Kate Rusby
May 28: Hall for Cornwall, Truro
The Mercury Prize-nominated folk singer-songwriter from Barnsley brings her beguiling songs back to the Hall for Cornwall.
Manic Street Preachers / Electric Six
June 2-5: The Great Estate, Scorrier House & Estate
The brilliant family-friendly festival in the bucolic grounds of the Scorrier Estate returns for a special Jubilee-themed weekender with not exactly royalist Manic Street Preachers and Gay Bar stars Electric Six among many others.
Keane
June 12: Live in the Wydles, near Bude
Epic pop somewhere only we know.
Noel Gallagher / Confidence Man
June 15: Eden Sessions, Eden Project
Thirteen years after he last played Eden with Oasis, Noel returns with his High Flying Birds and his Back The Way We Came: Vol 1 (2011-21) best of. He is in danger of being blown off stage by Australia's mighty glam dance crew Confidence Man.
Pete Tong and the Heritage Orchestra
June 17: Live in the Wydles, near Bude
Legendary DJ plus orchestra presents a new spin on dance classics. Unmissable.
Nine Inch Nails
June 17/18: Eden Sessions, Eden Project
The big one over two nights for many music fans in Cornwall. Trent Reznor and co will leave your head like a hole in what will be an incredible rock show.
Diana Ross
June 21: Eden Sessions, Eden Project
The Motown legend performs for 6,000 fans just five days before her Glastonbury Legends slot.
Sir Tom Jones
June 22: Tunes in the Park, Port Eliot
The former Thomas Woodward may be 81 now but he's still got a cracking pair of lungs on him. Expect all the hits from the 1960s onwards, many of which are cleverly reinvented for the 21st century. There will be knickers thrown.
Tony Christie
June 23: The Acorn, Penzance
Another ageing crooner who's still got it. The Amarillo and Walk Like A Panther star makes a rare journey west.
Shaggy / Ziggy Marley
June 24: Tunes in the Dunes, Perranporth
It's a reggae fest at the ever-popular festival on the beach, with Ziggy Marley performing a special set of his father's songs while Shaggy says it wasn't him.
The Kooks / The Coral
June 25: Tunes in the Dunes, Perranporth
Guitars a-blazing on the Saturday with The Kooks and The Coral among others. Worth it just to hear songs from last year's brilliant Coral Island album by the latter.
Paul Weller
June 26: Tunes in the Dunes, Perranporth
The Modfather can do no wrong at the moment, with a succession of sublime albums since 2008's 22 Dreams including two last year in Fat Pop and An Orchestrated Songbook.
Dionne Warwick
June 26: Hall for Cornwall, Truro
The soul singer became a superstar with early hits like Walk On By and I Say a Little Prayer and later songs such as Heartbreaker. A rare chance to see a legend.
Bryan Adams
June 29: Eden Sessions, Eden Project
Some people are still on a high from the Canadian rocker's last show at Eden. There will be air guitar and tears among a certain age range during at least three songs: Run to You, Summer of ’69 and (Everything I Do) I Do It for You.
McFly
July 1: Live in the Wydles, near Bude
Fresh from wowing Eden last year, the McFly boys are back at the home of Leopallooza for some young dumb thrills.
Rag'n'Bone Man
July 2: Live in the Wydles, near Bude
The following night sees the big voice of Human star Rag'n'Bone Man, who has previously played the Week St Mary venue in 2016 and 2017.
Andy Fairweather Low & The Low Riders
July 1: Princess Pavilion, Falmouth
The former Amen Corner vocalist will be belting out the blues and gospel in Falmouth.
Chris Difford
July 17: The Acorn, Penzance
The Squeeze man has co-written some of the most enduring and best-loved songs of our time such as Up The Junction, Cool For Cats, Labelled With Love, Tempted and many others. Expect those and some very entertaining chat.
Laura Mvula
July 29: Rock Oyster Festival
Laura, who returned with the 1980s-indebted Pink Noise album last year, heads the first day of the laidback music and food festival on the banks of the Camel Estuary near Rock. The last time she played in Cornwall was as support for Duran Duran at Eden.
Happy Mondays / Grandmaster Flash
July 30: Rock Oyster Festival
The second day of the festival has a double whammy of the pioneering hip hop DJ and Madchester's finest. These days Bez will be just at home in the kitchen demonstrations as he will shaking his maracas.
Passenger
July 31: Rock Oyster Festival
The final night of the event is brought to a close by the Ivor Novello award-winning Let Her Go singer-songwriter.
George Ezra / Damian Marley / Idles
August 12: Boardmasters, Watergate Bay
Too many great names to mention here but the first day of Cornwall's biggest festival is topped by these three very different acts. If you haven't seen Idles before, prepare to have your brain and body shattered.
Disclosure / Bastille / Bombay Bicycle Club
August 13: Boardmasters, Watergate Bay
Disclosure are getting glorious reviews for their current shows so expect their Saturday night headliner to go off. For a full rundown of all those playing see Boardmasters' website.
Kings of Leon / Tom Grennan / The Wombats
August 14: Boardmasters, Watergate Bay
Your sex will most definitely be on fire if you're still going by the end of the Sunday.
Madness
August 27: Tunes in the Park, Port Eliot
The Nutty Boys bring all those quintessentially British hits to the new event at the Port Eliot Estate at St Germans. Make sure you have someone close at hand to hug during It Must Be Love.
Elbow
August 28: Tunes in the Park, Port Eliot
One of THE great live bands with one of THE great frontmen in Guy Garvey. From an unforgettable gig at Hall for Cornwall to two nights at Eden (and an earlier slot supporting PJ Harvey), we've always loved them down here.
Man
September 9: Princess Pavilion, Falmouth
Wales' leading prog rockers take you back to the age of flares, real ale and 20-minute drum solos.
John Otway & Wild Willy Barrett / Lindisfarne / Seth Lakeman
September 10-24: St Ives September Festival
The original two-hit wonder Otway is back with his 1970s musical partner (they also play The Acorn in Penzance on March 26) at the two-week celebration of the arts with folk legends Lindisfarne and modern folk star Seth Lakeman alongside a whole lot more.
Feeder / The Wurzels
September 13-15: Little Orchard Cider and Music Festival, Healey's Cyder Farm, near Truro
It wouldn't be the cider festival without everyone's favourite Somerset boys as well as guitar wranglers Feeder and a lot more besides.
Reef
September 16-18: Looe Live
Reef have always loved Cornwall and we've always loved Reef. Is there an anthem more glorious than Place Your Hands? Find out in Looe.
Fairport Convention
October 22: Princess Pavilion, Falmouth
The folk rock pioneers return to Cornwall in October with tunes from such seminal albums as Unhalfbricking and Liege & Lief.
Soft Machine
November 19: Princess Pavilion, Falmouth
Prog rock legends no less. Canterbury's Soft Machine are back with three of the group's 70s era members: guitarist John Etheridge, drummer John Marshall and bass player Roy Babbington. They're joined by sax, flute and keyboard player Theo Travis.
Focus
November 25: Princess Pavilion, Falmouth
2022 ends in even more prog rocking madness with the yodelling and Hammond organ joy of Holland's Focus, still featuring founder member Thijs Van Leer and world class drummer Pierre Van Der Linden. You know you want a bit of Hocus Pocus.
For further details and ticket information for all these events see the festival and venue websites.
