St Piran's Day 2026

St Piran’s Day (or Gool Peran in Cornish) is the national day of Cornwall. The name derives from one of the patron saints of Cornwall, Saint Piran, who was also the patron saint of tin miners.

The History of St Piran's Day

Legend tells that Piran was a 5th-century Cornish Abbot originally from Ireland. The Irish King was suspicious of his powers and cast him off a cliff and into the sea tied to a millstone. Piran survived the stormy seas and washed up in Perranporth, Cornwall, where he built an oratory to promote Christianity and adopted disciples who were said to be a badger, a fox and a bear.

Piran then became famous for his accidental discovery of tin. A black stone on his fireplace got so hot that a white liquid leaked, collecting in the shape of a cross. This became the first tin smelting and the St Piran’s Flag (the white cross on the black background which is now the Cornish flag). This discovery earned Piran the title of ‘Patron Saint of Tinners’ as tin mining then became the backbone of the Cornish Industry.

According to legend, Piran was fond of a drink or two but despite this, he lived to the ripe old age of 206!

St Piran’s Day Celebrations Today

In the late 19th and early 20th century, Celtic revivalists sought to provide the people of Cornwall with a national day similar to those in other nations. Since the 1950s St Piran's Day celebrations have become increasingly popular and since the start of the 21st century almost every Cornish community holds a celebration to mark the event! The Saint Piran's Flag is also

St Piran’s Day is on the 5th of March, and will see many exuberant celebrations take place all over Cornwall to honour Saint Piran.

St Piran's Day Events in Newquay

Newquay will play host to lots of Cornish celebrations this year! You can see the itinerary so far below:

Friday 14th February - The Kilbirnie Hotel - Pre-Festival School Event 
Singing and dancing supported by Oll an Gwella and the Newquay U3A dancers together with a children's storyteller. 

27th  - St Piran's Trail around Newquay 

Pick up your trail map from the Visit Newquay Tourist Information Centre, now located in Newquay Library. Follow the map around town to different locations with posters containing letters.

Collect the letters to solve the mystery "Cornish" word. Once you've figured it out, bring your completed clue sheet back to the Tourist Information Centre in the Library to claim your prize!

This trail is the perfect free activity for families this St. Piran's Day. Learn about Cornish culture and heritage while exploring Newquay.

Download St Piran's Trail Map 

January/February:

School choral and dance workshops

Sunday, 1st March:

10.30am, Bilingual Church Service, St Michael’s

Tuesday, 3rd March: 

10:00 – 10:30am, Storytime – Cornish Language Takeover, Newquay Library (Join Newquay Library for a special storytelling session of Kanker (Will Coleman) - perfect for pre-schoolers and younger children. Enjoy an engaging introduction to the Cornish language through story and fun!
7.00pm, Bar tab bingo, Central Inn

Wednesday, 4th March:

2.00pm, Newquay Male Voice Choir bingo, Kilbirnie Hotel
7.00pm, The big Cornish Quiz, Central Inn
7.15pm, St Piran’s Eve ‘Gig’, featuring The Harbour Rats, Great Western Hotel Steam Bar (with Newquay Male Voice Choir and Newquay Rowing Club Singers)

Thursday, 5th March:

The St Piran's Day Parade: 

3.30pm gather Beachfield Gardens, lead off 4.00pm – St Piran’s Parade

(leaving Beachfield Gardens to follow Gover Lane, left at Central Square, then along Bank Street to Marcus Hill, where the parade finishes to be followed by children and audience making their way to St Michael’ s Church for the Schools’ celebration)

4.30pm Schools’ Ceilidh (Celebration in Song – with Oll an Gwella - & Dance), St Michael’s Church

The following events are all part of St Piran’s Celebrations, hosted at Central Inn, all welcome:

6.45pm - Megan Forrest, Cornish entertainment,
7.45pm - Open the Box charity game (£50 voucher to be won)
8.00pm - Oll an Gwella - concluding with the Trelawny Shout at 9.00pm
9.00pm, Trelawny Shout, Newquay Rowing Club, all welcome
 

Saturday, 7th March:

11.00am – 1.00pm: Children’s storytelling, Newquay Library

N.B. Nearly all of these events feature ‘Free Entry’ (but with a retiring collection) as we have been funded by FEAST, Newquay BID, Newquay Town Council, Cornwall Councillors Community Fund, Newquay Lions’ Clubs, Hotels and St Michael’s Church. Thank you to each of them!

You can find out more about the festival by visiting our website www.newquaystpiransfestival.org