Thousands gather in Penzance to celebrate Montol Festival
The festival marks the midwinter solstice with parades, music, and community spirit
Thousands of people came together to mark the midwinter solstice as Penzance hosted the Montol Festival over the weekend.
This unique event, supported with £7,500 in grant funding from Penzance Council, celebrates Cornish midwinter traditions and customs linked to Old Christmas.
Fire-lit parades, imaginative costumes, and a sense of community filled the streets for the 18th year of the festival, which has become a key occasion for the area.
Festivities began early in the afternoon with beasts such as Pen Hood, Maw Bras, and Alargh Du roaming the town. Morris dancers and carol singers also entertained the crowds before celebrations grew bigger after sunset at 4.21pm, when the Sundowner Parade began.
Led by the Raffidy Dumitz Band, Lord and Lady Montol, and their guests, the family-friendly parade attracted large numbers to the town centre.
A highlight of the evening included the Summoning of the Sun Ceremony, featuring a staged battle between the Oak and Holly Kings, as part of the procession called ‘The Progress of the Sun.’ Crowds followed a giant crow named ‘Old Ned’ and illuminated musicians, groups known as Guise Guilds, beasts, and ‘Osses’ as they made their way to the Princess May Recreation Ground.
Here, the Burning of the Sun took place, followed by dancing around the fire. The celebrations returned to the town centre for further dancing, singing, torch-lit processions, and traditional customs such as Chalking the Mock to bring the night to a close.
Montol Organising Committee takes inspiration from descriptions of past customs in Cornwall to revitalise them creatively. The number of Guise Guilds continues to grow, with group names like The Turks, The Frolicking Fishy Folk, and The Tatty Mummers paying homage to early 19th-century practices.
Mayor of Penzance, Stephen Reynolds, expressed his pride in the town’s festival: “Montol is a festival like no other. It’s a vibrant, creative reinvention of a tradition with deep roots in this Celtic land… I’m proud that Penzance Council continues to support the amazing band of volunteers who not only keep the Montol tradition alive, but refresh it every year as a living event for one and all.”
The festival first began in 2007 under Simon Reed and the Cornish Culture Association. It has since grown to become one of Penzance’s highlights each year.
