Why you need to kick back at Port Eliot 2018 festival this summer

Music from Gaz Coombes, food by Jasmine Hemsley and the wise words of Salena Godden. No, this isn't your dream dinner party - welcome to Port Eliot 2018's stellar line-up

A cool Cornish mash-up of music, fashion, food and comedy, Port Eliot 2018 is set to be its biggest year yet. Think standout performances from Blake Morrison and Nina Stibbe; hot comedy gigs courtesy of Shappi Khorsandi and George Egg; plus a literary line-up starring the likes of Lucy Mangan, Robert Webb and Anna Hart (who will be dishing the dirt on how to travel write for a living). Yep, it's pretty major stuff. And what's more, there's an amazing array of delicious street-food pop-ups, hip craft masterclasses and arty workshops to boot. Cue sourdough baking cookery classes, pottery throw downs, life-drawing sessions and even a spot of trad Canadian canoeing if the mood takes you. SUP yoga on the lake before a breakfast of kings at new foodie Mecca, The Lawn, anyone? Oh, and did we mention that there's a bona fide Sipsmith gin palace on site? Enough said. Where do we sign up…

The Port Eliot 2018 music highlights

From the brutally honest lyrics of Baxter Dury and psychedelic synth-pop of Gwenno to the easy listening wholesomeness of Insecure Men, if discovering alt music is your thing, Port Eliot 2018's diverse line-up won't disappoint. Running over four days (26-29 July), make sure you and the crew get down there Thursday evening to catch the Arcadia 78rpm Orchestra's gramophone extravaganza.

The Port Eliot 2018 cultural highlights

Popular with the cool crowds, Port Eliot draws in some serious names from the arts world each year. And 2018 is bringing a new directional discussion space to the (chic and savvy) masses. The Fashion Foundation, headed up by style writer and curator NJ Stevenson, will focus on stimulating creative debates around topical themes, such as sustainability and anti-consumerism, through engaging workshops, exhibitions and fashion shows.

How to get to Port Eliot 2018

The closest station to Port Eliot festival is St Germans, Cornwall. You can literally walk to the camp from the station, so that means zero faffing with overworked cabbies/overcrowded buses/so-over-it farmers required. Bonus.