Wales Festival of Seaweed will return to St Davids, Pembrokeshire, from 10 to 13 September 2026, bringing a four-day programme focused on seaweed’s contribution to local food, coastal wellbeing and sustainable marine industries. The event will convene communities, producers, farmers, fishers, educators, organisations and visitors in one of Wales’s best-known coastal settings. Full-day tickets for Thursday and Friday cost £5, with a seaweed-based lunch available for £10, while weekend activities are free or £5. Supported through a National Lottery-backed three-year project, the festival places practical seaweed cultivation and use at the centre of a wider conversation about coastal resilience, health and climate action.

A Four Day Coastal Programme

Based at St Davids City Hall, the programme combines talks, workshops, demonstrations, crafts and hands-on sessions designed to make seaweed more accessible to a broad public audience. The event’s format reflects the range of ways in which the marine resource is being considered, from food and farming to conservation, education and product development.

Pembrokeshire’s local waters already support aquaculture businesses, and the festival will examine how seaweed could be integrated into future food systems and sustainable industries. Its programme also points to the resource’s potential place in efforts to address health issues and the global climate crisis, while creating new opportunities for coastal communities.

Stacy Marklew, Wales Festival of Seaweed Organiser, said:

“Seaweed is emerging as one of Wales’s most exciting natural resources, and there are so many individuals and businesses experimenting and using it creatively.

“We want the festival to be a platform for learning, collaboration, showcasing and inspiration across farming, food, conservation, education and more – and St Davids is the perfect place to hold these discussions.”

Food, Culture And Marine Learning

The festival extends beyond daytime activity in St Davids. On Thursday evening, Solva Memorial Hall will host a screening of Coastal Voices, filmed locally, followed by acoustic live music and seaweed nibbles provided by Câr-y-Môr. The event costs £5 and begins at 7pm.

Visitors will also be able to book activities directly with local providers, including foraging sessions with The Really Wild Emporium, seaweed baths at Whitesands Sauna, and boat trips or coasteering experiences. By placing food, leisure, learning and marine enterprise alongside one another, the programme presents seaweed as a familiar part of coastal life rather than a niche ingredient or specialist material.

The accessible pricing structure is intended to encourage local participation, while the mix of drop-in and bookable sessions offers routes into the programme for visitors with different interests. Seaweed-based lunch options provide a direct culinary introduction to a resource that is increasingly being explored by growers, chefs and food producers.

Inside Regenerative Ocean Farming

Sunday’s programme includes a free, bookable tour of Câr-y-Môr, described as Wales’s first regenerative ocean farm and seaweed biorefinery. The visit will offer participants an opportunity to see seaweed cultivation, shellfish production and processing facilities, as well as learn about the workings of a marine community benefit society.

The tour gives festival visitors a direct connection to the operational side of sea farming. It also places seaweed production in the context of community ownership and local marine livelihoods, areas that are increasingly central to discussions around resilient coastal economies.

Jess Watton, Education and Engagement Partner at Câr-y-Môr, said:

“Wales Festival of Seaweed is a great opportunity to showcase how community‑led sea farming and seaweed initiatives can benefit coastal communities and the environment.

“This is the second time Câr‑y‑Môr has supported the Seaweed Festival, and the awareness of seaweed has definitely increased since last time. Wales is leading the way in regenerative ocean farming and innovative seaweed uses, and it’s inspiring to see the new ways people are developing a market for it, with a meaningful and far-reaching impact.”

National Lottery Backing

The festival is delivered through the National Lottery’s Unlocking the Power of Seaweed project, a three-year initiative funded by The National Lottery Community Fund. The fund is identified as the UK’s largest community funder, with the project also supported by WWF-UK, Câr-y-Môr, the Scottish Association of Marine Science and PEBL.

That backing creates a platform for a festival with a distinctly local setting and national relevance. Seaweed offers a point of connection between marine ecosystems, food production, small businesses, community ownership and environmental education. In bringing those interests together in Pembrokeshire, the 2026 programme provides a practical showcase for Wales’s developing seaweed economy and the coastal communities helping to shape it.