Seafood & Sounds is, as the name suggests, a festival combining seafood and live music. To be more precise, it describes itself as a “celebration of seafood, music, heritage and community spirit“. The festival takes place during mid September in and around Poole Quay.
How to get to Seafood & Sounds
Poole is situated 6 miles west of Bournemouth along the A338/A35. The main festival venue, Poole Quay, is just to the south of the town centre.
By Bus
Most buses to Poole stop at Poole Bus Station, which is a 15 minute walk away from the quay. The 70 Breezer bus is a slower but more scenic option. It stops at Old Orchard, just north of the quay.
Poole Station is also a 15 minute walk away, with direct trains from Bournemouth and London in one direction and Weymouth in the other.
If you don’t want to walk, you can catch the RouteONE bus, which connects both the bus and train stations to the quay.
Parking
Th quay has its own car park; Quay Visitors Car Park. Parking costs £2.60 for two hours. Further details can be found here.
Times
The festival runs over a weekend in September, starting with a parade on Saturday morning at 11 am. The dates for 2027 are:
- Saturday 11th September
- Sunday 12th September
Price
The festival entertainment is all free.
Details
The action takes place in and around Poole Quay at several different locations, both inside and out, including the Custom House, St James’ Church and various pubs and restaurants. Check the website for the full line up.
Parade
The weekend kicks off with a Parade, which starts in front of the Slug & Lettuce. The ensemble make their way though the old town and onto the quay. Led by a band (this year, drummers from Samba Panashe), followed by members of local community groups dressed up with a sea creature themed fancy dress and rounded off with a posse of local pirates.
We ran into some pirates before the parade and Orla was absolutely fascinated. Especially when she was given a gun!
Music
There is live music throughout the weekend with over 40 acts performing on multiple stages around Poole Quay during the day, as well as in various local pubs and restaurants in the evening.
Food
There are plenty of dining, obviously focused primarily on seafood.
Restaurants
Seafood dishes are available from several of the restaurants along the quay. Many have a special menu for the festival.
Quayside
In addition, there are pop up seafood stalls along the quay. These offer a range of seafood including fishcakes, sushi and paella.
Cooking Demontrations
There are also live cooking demonstrations inside the nearby Dolphin Centre.
Unfortunately, there was a gap between the end of the parade and the opening of the food stalls, during which Orla got rather hangry and we ended up in Asda…
Artisan Market
New for 2026, the Artisan Market has spread from one location to stalls located at multiple locations on and around the quayside and even onto the water and the Fortuna boat.
Dramatic Performances
Scaplen’s Community Players; a local historical theatre group that focuses on storytelling, drama and music, will perform, tell stories and sing sea shanties.
Seafood & Sounds for Children
There is plenty to keep children entertained throughout the weekend.
Parade
Starting with the Parade. Not only fun for children to watch, it also offers prizes for the best fancy dress outfits.
Entertainment
Throughout the weekend, Children’s Entertainment takes place at several locations including the Hotel du Vin, where children can enjoy free cookie decorating, St James’ Church, which offers creative crafts and music workshops and Falkland Square, where you can try your hand at circus skills.
On the Quay, you will find a carousel, trampolines and a variety of fun games. Plus the option to Meet & Greet a range of characters, including Elsa, Ariel, Captain America and Spider-Man.
Oyster Trail
More family fun is on offer with the Oyster Trail running throughout the weekend; a treasure hunt where you are looking for decorated oyster shells hidden throughout the Old Town and the Quay. Each shell is decorated and features a letter which, when all are collected, form a phrase. There are prizes on offer for this too.
- Updated: September 2026
I hope you found this information useful. For more inspiration on things to do in and around Bournemouth, check out my 101 Things to do in Bournemouth here.
For more inspiration on things to do in and around Bournemouth with young children, check out my 101 Things to do in Bournemouth with Babies and Toddlers here.
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