The Swanage Pirate Festival may have come within a whisker of walking the plank forever, due to a lack of volunteers but with new organisers on board, the popular and colourful event attracted lots of visitors to the town.
Thronging with pirates and reverberating to the sound of cannon fire, Swanage in Dorset was busy over the bank holiday weekend on Saturday 24th and Sunday 25th May 2025.
The pirate parade along Swanage sea front was a great festival favourite
Jeremy Wren and Louise Hodgson, new organisers of Swanage Pirate Festival, with helper Chris Hughes
Stepped into breach at the last moment
Landlubbers Louise Hodgson and Jeremy Wren stepped into the breach at the last moment to keep the event running after previous organisers Colin and Dawn Honey had to step down due to ill health.
But the town’s response to the colourful festival was enough to secure its future, and the new organisers, pirates from the land locked Midlands, have promised that they will make it bigger and better in future years.
Cannon were primed and ready to repel the pirate invaders from Sandpit Field
“We just couldn’t let the festival die”
Louise Hodgson said:
“In the end, we just couldn’t let the festival die, but it was quite late in the year when we agreed to take on the organisation and no one knew what was going on until the last minute.
“When we went back to traders and food stalls who had been coming back to Swanage year after year, they had already booked spaces with other events – it was just a reality that they couldn’t afford to have an empty weekend on their calendar in May, and I totally understand that.
“The weather wasn’t perfect for us, and although there was a bit of a wind, we were lucky to avoid rain over the weekend.
“But we were very well supported by the town and we are 99 percent certain that we will be back next year for the May bank holiday weekend – which means we will be able to go back to all of our traders past and present to ask them to reserve those dates for Swanage.”
Pirate clothing on sale at the festival helped visitors get into the spirit
“Treasure hunt was really well received”
Louise added:
“Jeremy and I have been coming to Swanage for years, but this was our first time organising any festival. One of our friends from the Brixham Pirate Festival came down to support us and help us run the event, which was a blessing.
“We would like to pay tribute to the former organisers doing all the groundwork to establish the festival in the first place and also to Kate at Lewis Manning for helping us with support for the treasure hunt.
“She was there in Swanage to keep the interest going when we couldn’t be present every weekend and put in so much work to help us out.
“I would like to run the treasure hunt again next year, I think that was really well received.
“It meant that when there was cannon fire on the field, families with smaller children were in town away from the loud noises, and also gave us a chance to encourage our visitors to go into town and support the great businesses Swanage has to offer.”
Purbeck Police had plenty of back up over the bank holiday weekend!
The company of the Wimborne Militia flew the flag for the King’s men at the festival
Trained by the Sealed Knot society
The festival included favourites like the pirate parade and the beach battle, and featured costumed reenactors such as Wimborne Militia, the Greyhounds, River Rogues, and the Privateers.
Cannon displays, sword training and sea shanties in Sandpit Field kept the crowds entertained and traders who attended the festival included face painters, craft stalls, pirate clothing and living history metal workers.
The Wimborne Militia, under a town charter dating back to the 17th century, are employed as Britain’s only town standing army by Wimborne Town Council as the town’s first line of defence, and were equally happy to take on the threat of pirates in Swanage.
All pirates and militia at the festival hold a shotgun licence – which also covers cannons – and are professionally trained to use firearms, many of them by the Sealed Knot society.
The pirate festival in pictures
A certain Jack Sparrow was among the guests at the pirate festival
Swanage craft company Flying Duckie joined in the fun
A few pirate shanties to put a smile on faces
Living history reenactors had a great trade going in pirate swords
Cresta Chester was one of the festival’s face painters
When the pirates got too rowdy, it was left to the King’s forces to restore order
Curiosity was one of many town centre shops which joined in a pirate treasure hunt over the weekend
