The Heligan Homecoming Festival: Cornwall’s Unmissable Summer Celebration

A brand-new festival is set to captivate visitors at The Lost Gardens of Heligan this June, bringing together music, storytelling, art, and food in an immersive ten-day programme. The Heligan Homecoming Festival, running from 13th to 22nd June 2025, will explore the themes of “home” and “belonging” through a series of unique experiences for all ages.

A Festival Like No Other

Curated by the team at Heligan, the festival will offer a blend of performances, talks, and hands-on activities set within the estate’s stunning landscapes. Highlights include farm walks, family foraging sessions, beaver tours, art classes, and morning yoga overlooking the ocean. Food lovers can look forward to an adventurous take on Heligan’s renowned Lost Suppers, promising unforgettable dining experiences.

The festival’s origins can be traced back to Heligan’s commission of Poet Laureate Simon Armitage, who wrote a collection of poems about the meaning of Heligan. His work, published in the book “DWELL”, sparked a deeper conversation about the concept of home, leading to the creation of the festival.

Sir Tim Smit, co-founder of Heligan, shared his thoughts: “When Heligan commissioned Poet Laureate, Simon Armitage, to write a collection of poems about what the place we call Heligan means to all that share it with us, a world opened up that would end in the launch of his extraordinary, powerful and moving poetry book ‘DWELL’. It also inspired a conversation about what makes a home a home, where, how and who makes a home. So, we decided to invite some of our favourite friends and West Country Luminaries to riff on the theme of Homecoming and our Festival was born.”

Star-Studded Line-Up

An impressive roster of artists, musicians, and speakers will contribute to the festival’s vibrant programme. Alongside Simon Armitage, festivalgoers can expect performances and talks from Seth Lakeman, Dawn French, Gwenno, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, Patrick Gale, Kernow King, Satish Kumar, and many more.

Laura Chesterfield, Managing Director of Heligan, highlighted the festival’s vision: “Heligan is much more than a garden, it is a place in the heart. Through performances, readings, and experiences, Homecoming will explore the boundaries of the feeling of home and how to create homecomings for all living things.”

She added: “We invite friends near and far, to join us as we lose ourselves in a world of possibility, creativity and curiosity. To explore the special sense of place, the longing for somewhere for which we can use the words home and love. This will be a celebration of our collective creativity and our community and a chance to immerse ourselves in stories that bring us back home.”

Seth Lakeman to Open the Festival

West Country folk musician Seth Lakeman will open the festival, returning to Heligan for another unforgettable performance.

“I’m really excited to be performing at The Heligan Homecoming Festival. Home is a big part of the writing process for me and being a firmly rooted West Country singer I’m always happy to sing and celebrate songs in such a beautiful and inspiring place like Heligan,” said Seth.

How to Get Tickets

Festival-goers eager to be the first to hear about headliner announcements and secure priority access to tickets can sign up at Heligan Homecoming Festival.

With its blend of music, food, storytelling, and nature, The Heligan Homecoming Festival is shaping up to be a must-visit event for summer 2025.

Photo: Artist’s such as Seth Lakeman are part of the exciting Homecoming Festival line up to celebrate nature, home and belonging at The Lost Gardens of Heligan.