Newquay BID has welcomed the first feedback from businesses following the launch of its Beyond Boardmasters campaign, with a mixed picture of trading across the town but clear signs that the initiative is beginning to move in the right direction.
While some businesses reported an exceptionally successful Boardmasters period, others experienced a significant reduction in trade, particularly within the evening and night‑time economy.
Overall, however, the feedback highlights several encouraging developments — including more families and visitors coming into the town, a positive atmosphere, improved traffic management and a strong response to the activity delivered in Newquay as part of the Beyond Boardmasters campaign.
Newquay BID said the results reinforce the importance of viewing Beyond Boardmasters as a long‑term campaign rather than a one‑off initiative. The ambition is to shift perceptions of Newquay during Boardmasters week and encourage people to continue seeing the town as a destination throughout August – whether they are attending the festival, visiting for the day, staying locally or simply looking for a family holiday or short break.
The BID has been working with Boardmasters for the past four years to strengthen the relationship between the event and the town, exploring ways to ensure the significant number of visitors attracted during festival week can contribute more positively to the wider local economy. One of the long‑standing challenges has been the gap between the number of people visiting Newquay during Boardmasters and the actual impact on businesses within the town centre.
Although the event attracts more than 60,000 people, feedback from businesses has consistently shown that increased visitor numbers do not always translate into increased footfall or sales.
For some businesses, the perception of Boardmasters week has been difficult. Concerns around traffic congestion, pressure on the road network and the belief that Newquay becomes less attractive to families have contributed to a narrative that the town should be avoided during the event.
Traffic management, however, has been one of the most encouraging areas of progress. Boardmasters’ arrangements have been positively received over the past two years, with businesses reporting improved traffic flow and fewer significant issues. Newquay BID said: “While challenges remain, these improvements demonstrate what can be achieved through effective planning and collaboration.”
The 2026 feedback suggests further positive signs. Some businesses reported more families and day visitors in the town, while activity delivered through Beyond Boardmasters helped create a stronger sense that Newquay itself was part of the wider festival experience.
While Newquay BID described these as “positive steps”, it emphasised that the campaign is intended as a long‑term commitment.
Feedback from the business community showed no single experience of Boardmasters across Newquay.
One of the clearest themes was the impact on the evening economy. Several hospitality businesses reported that while Newquay felt busy during the day, trade dropped significantly later in the afternoon and evening. Feedback suggests activity was concentrated around daytime events and the main festival site.
One of the most encouraging aspects was the number of businesses reporting more families and visitors in the town — a key objective of Beyond Boardmasters, which aims to challenge the perception that Newquay is only a destination for festival‑goers. However, other businesses said their usual families, couples and local customers stayed away due to perceptions around Boardmasters.
Newquay BID Manager Mark Warren said: “The feedback is very mixed, and I think it is important that we are completely honest about that. Some businesses had a fantastic Boardmasters and saw significant increases in trade – some reported growth of more than 20 per cent – and there are businesses that will quite rightly say it was an excellent week for them. But equally, some businesses were significantly impacted, with some reporting reductions of more than 20 per cent.
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“The night‑time economy in particular appears to have been affected for a number of businesses. We cannot ignore that feedback. The whole point of asking businesses for their views is so that we can understand what worked, what didn’t and where we need to improve. What is encouraging is that there are also some really positive shoots. We had businesses reporting more families and visitors coming into town.
“The atmosphere was generally viewed positively, the traffic management was significantly better received than in previous years, and the activity we put on through Beyond Boardmasters helped create a much stronger sense that Newquay itself was part of the wider experience. That is what this campaign is about.”
Newquay BID Reports Mixed Trading During Beyond Boardmasters