Plymouth residents and visitors are invited to get their Jolly Rogers, eye patches and treasure maps at the ready for the return of Plymouth Pirates Weekend on 7 – 8 May 2022.
The beloved family event will be back in full swing for the first time since 2019, having been held virtually over the last two years due to the pandemic. With plenty of ocean-themed entertainment, tall ships, a treasure trail and live music, family members of all ages are set to enjoy a rip-roaring weekend on The Barbican and Sutton Harbour.
The event, run by Plymouth Waterfront Partnership Business Improvement District, will offer an impressive line up of free entertainment, including pirate puppet shows and storytelling, demonstrations of canon and musket firing, mermaid encounters, stilt walkers, arts and crafts activities, face painting, and appearances from Captain Jack Sparrow.
Two tall ships, the three-masted Grayhound and the topsailer schooner Johanna Lucretia, will be docked alongside Quay Square and visitors are welcome to hop aboard and explore the ships for free.
Nick Buckland OBE, Chair of the Plymouth Waterfront Partnership said, “We’re absolutely delighted to be bringing our hugely popular Pirates Weekend back this year, in person. The event encourages thousands of visitors to enjoy our beautiful Waterfront and experience all the thrills that the high seas have to offer.
“Waterfront businesses love to get involved too, with amazing window displays and lots of fancy dress, which is actively encouraged. Bring the whole family for a great day out and I’d urge you to please show your support for our local shops, cafes, pubs, restaurants and accommodation providers after such a difficult couple of years, and without whom this event would not be possible.”
On Sunday 8 May, award-winning circus company Pirates of the Carabina, and Barbican Theatre will present a family-friendly circus show, ‘Pirate Taxi’, on Commercial Wharf. The show takes place in, on and around a traditional London taxi and features extraordinary aerial performances plus hula-hooping, acrobatics and juggling.
Also new for this year is a chill-out zone in the garden area at the entrance to Basket Ope and a green space picnic area at Commercial Place, which will provide accessible calmer spaces for visitors to retreat to if they need it.
The event has been supported by Great Western Railway, official travel partner of Plymouth Pirates Weekend, offering a traffic free journey for those visiting from further afield.
For the latest information about Plymouth Pirates Weekend visit visitplymouth.co.uk/plympiratesweekend.
