RouteNote Blog

Cornwall’s greatest celebration of cultures around the world just celebrated it’s 5th year bringing together magical music from around the world, beautiful tropical decorations, delicious food, and wonderful people for an atmosphere that can’t be beaten at any other festivals.

I’ve just returned from another fantastic year at Tropical Pressure, a unique festival that takes place each year in the stunning countryside of Cornwall and never ceases to amaze me with it’s beauty and pure joy.

Atop a hill the festival lights the surrounding valleys with it’s colour and the sea provides a perfect backdrop for the sunset each night as the main stage plays host to a variety of talented acts who have flown in to join the celebration of culture, music and pure happiness.

The festival highlights a different culture for each of it’s three days featuring a Latin American day, a Caribbean day, and an African day. Musicians from around the world come to represent each culture on the gorgeous main stage and above that is the amphitheatre stage where you can get a more personal experience with live acts throughout the day.

The day is filled with fun activities for everyone with crafty sessions: this year, including floral headdress making and smashing flowers with rocks into paper for a fun flower-pressing session. There’s a whole activity area for kids where they can play with homemade instruments, take part in workshops and learn about other cultures. It’s totally family friendly at the festival and is the perfect introduction for children to a festival experience.

The fun doesn’t stop at the music though. The festival is filled with a variety of amazing food stalls and chefs providing top quality food from all corners of the globe. Taking place at an Ecological Park the food is entirely vegetarian and a lot of it is vegan or available as a vegan option. The quantity and range of delicious foods means you will have no shortage of choice and the varied selection will likely leave you wishing there were more days just so you had a chance to try it all!

The festival is a unique experience with an atmosphere and community that is rare to find in contemporary festivals. A combination of the amazing countryside and incredible management of the Eco Park’s founder, creator and runner Tim who brings together so many amazing people for a weekend of pure joy.

This year topped my first experience of Tropical Pressure thanks to an expanded site with the renovated barn Fandangos open to party late into the night with an extra room this year and beautiful psychedelic decorations of jellyfish and projections. Whilst every year at Tropical Pressure is a sunny affair, this year the sun was roaring all weekend lighting the festival up with the sunny vibes that Tropical Pressure invokes.

Me and many others of the RouteNote team can’t wait to return next year for another un-matchable weekend filled with the loveliest people and the most brilliant acts from around the world. Until then we will definitely be visiting the Eco Park for many of it’s variety of year-round events.

Find out about future events and the Mount Pleasant Eco Park itself here: http://www.mpecopark.co.uk/whats-on/