New festival brings workers’ struggle and solidarity to Cornwall coast

Trade unionists, families, and campaigners will gather on the Cornwall coast this June for Unite on the Hill. It’s a new festival that aims to combine culture, community, and class politics. Branch SW008 of the Unite union is organising the event.

It’ll take place from 19–21 June 2026 at Maker Heights (PL10 1LA) and bring together live music, food, and family activities. There’ll be a programme of political discussion addressing issues facing working people in Devon and Cornwall.

The festival comes at a time when the region is facing rising levels of insecure, low-paid work and some of the highest rates of child poverty in the UK. Alongside this, anger continues to grow over water privatisation and environmental damage affecting local communities.

Talks across the weekend will include:

• Workplace organising.
• The campaign to bring South West Water into public ownership.
• Tackling child poverty.
• Confronting the power of big tech monopolies.

John Whitcher, Chair of Unite SW008, said:

Our members are often isolated – both geographically and because they work in workplaces too small to have their own branch.

But the need for collective action has never been greater. This event is about bringing people together — replacing despair with hope, and showing what’s possible when we unite.

SW008 is one of the largest Unite branches in the South West. It represents workers in small and fragmented workplaces, many without formal union structures. The festival is part of a broader effort to rebuild grassroots trade unionism in areas often overlooked by national organising.

Building working class culture in Cornwall

At the same time, Unite on the Hill continues a growing tradition of socialist festivals in the region, following earlier events such as Kernow Transformed and Devon Transformed. Organisers hope it will help establish Devon and Cornwall as a key centre for working-class culture and political organisation.

Tickets are available now, with free entry for Unite members and their families (first come, first served), alongside a limited number of tickets for non-members:

🎟️ Free tickets for Unite members & their families (first come, first served)

🎟️ Guest tickets (for non-members)

In addition to political discussions, the festival will feature live bands and DJs, local food and drink, children’s activities, and opportunities to explore the surrounding coastline.

Organisers say the aim is simple: to create a space where working people can come together, share experiences, and build the confidence and organisation needed to challenge inequality – in Cornwall and beyond.

Featured image via Maker Heights