Boardmasters has reaffirmed its long-standing commitment to Cornwall and its local communities with the return of the Cornwall Residents’ Day Ticket Ballot for the 2026 festival. Following the successful introduction of the initiative, the ballot will once again offer residents across the county the chance to attend Boardmasters through a dedicated local ticket allocation.
The Cornwall Residents’ Day Ticket Ballot will run from 12–18 January 2026 and sits alongside, not instead of, the existing Local Residents’ Ticket Scheme, which remains unchanged for those living within the immediate catchment area closest to the festival site. Together, the initiatives are designed to increase accessibility and ensure more local people can experience the festival.
The ballot is open to anyone who permanently lives in Cornwall and offers successful applicants the chance to receive two day tickets for Friday, Saturday or Sunday of Boardmasters 2026. To ensure fairness, applications are limited to one per person, email address and household. The number of tickets available has been doubled this year, allowing 50% of tickets to be reserved for Newquay residents, with the remaining 50% allocated across wider Cornwall.
All successful applicants will be asked to make a £27.50 charitable donation per ticket, with 100% of proceeds going to the Boardmasters Foundation. Established in 2017, the Foundation has raised and donated nearly £700,000 to local charities, schools, community projects and organisations across Cornwall.
Applicants must be aged 16 or over to enter. Applying does not guarantee tickets, and successful applicants will be notified by email after the ballot closes. Ticket download links will be issued from two weeks prior to the festival. All tickets are non-transferable, cannot be resold, and are subject to standard Boardmasters Terms & Conditions.
The Cornwall Residents’ Day Ticket Ballot forms part of Boardmasters’ wider mission to maintain strong, positive relationships with local residents and stakeholders. Beyond ticketing initiatives, the festival continues to support the local economy through discounted trade pitches for Newquay-based businesses, which will return for 2026. Further details will be announced this year, with local businesses encouraged to register their interest in advance.
Continuing its commitment to open dialogue and collaboration, Boardmasters will also host a community meeting on 14 January 2026 - 6PM at the Boardmasters Beach Bar, providing local residents and businesses with an opportunity to discuss plans for the upcoming festival.
Further information and application details will be shared via Boardmasters’ official channels.
The Cornwall Residents’ Day Ticket Ballot will be available at https://boardmasters.com/cornwallballot/
Those interested, can also register for for discounted local business trade pitches via the form here: https://visionnine.typeform.com/to/r8nc9NBU
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