Written by Samantha Bache

If you've ever wished someone would just put surfing and skateboarding in the same postcode for a weekend, your wish has been granted. The UK Surf & Skate Expo is back in Newquay, Cornwall, from 24th to 26th July 2026, bigger and more layered than ever, with a trade village, skatepark, awards night, film festival, and a conference thrown in for good measure.

Here's everything going down, and why it's worth the trip down to Cornwall.

Why Newquay, though?

It's not a random choice of postcode. Newquay has a legitimate claim to being the birthplace of British surfing. The story goes back to 1929, when a group of friends built their own wooden boards after seeing newsreels of Australian surfers, and it took off for good in the '60s when Australian lifeguards arrived with fibreglass boards. Homegrown brands like Bilbo followed, and by the '70s Fistral Beach had become the epicentre of UK surf competition, a status it still holds today.

Skateboarding's roots run just as deep. Newquay's had a public skatepark since 2003, when the timber built "Wooden Waves" opened at Trenance Park. Years of Cornish weather eventually rotted it, but the local skate community campaigned for close to a decade for something better. That effort became Concrete Waves, which opened on the same site in 2018 and is now regarded as one of the best outdoor skateparks in the UK.

The Expo sitting alongside a skatepark, with Concrete Waves just down the road, puts the event in the one town where UK surf and skate culture genuinely grew up side by side.

The Expo Village.

The heart of the event is the Expo Village, a 7,000 square metre space with a marquee, vendor pitches, food and drink, and a purpose built skatepark. Entry is free, and it's a short walk from Newquay Bay, Concrete Waves, and the train station. Last year saw Dogtown legend Tony Alva drop into Concrete Waves before giving a talk, the kind of moment that only happens when skate history meets a proper UK park.

There's plenty to explore beyond the stages, too. Passenger is bringing Little Firs, a converted US school bus, into the Village. Patagonia is offering free apparel repair on site. nanuskate is showing off their new modular half pipe, designed to be set up anywhere, and Athletic Brewing is running another ramp with competitions throughout the weekend. Wavelength has also set up a mock magazine front page photo op for brands and the crowd alike, and keep an eye out for the Jeff Don't Surf initiative while you're there.

The Expo Hall: talks, panels, and the Wavelength Awards

Ticketed, but worth it. The Expo Hall hosts keynote talks, panels, and fireside chats, plus a bar and beer garden. It's also home to the Wavelength UK Surfer Awards, celebrating standout talent in British surfing, with public voting open ahead of the event.

New for 2026

European Surf Film Festival: 25th July, hosted by Robert "Wingnut" Weaver
Wind & Foil Show: 25th to 26th July, for foiling and windsurfing fans
Rising Tide Festival: joining officially this year, with talks on sustainability
Out Of Office Conference: 24th July, an industry day for brands and marketers

Why it matters for us

Surf and skate culture in the UK often get talked about as separate scenes, but they share the same DIY roots and the same "boys' club by default" reputation that women and non binary riders have had to push against in both. Events that put boards on sand and boards on concrete under one roof build visibility in both spaces at once.

Who we can't wait to hear from

Laura Crane, Professional Big Wave Surfer. Laura's spent recent seasons charging Nazaré's giants as one of the few women taking on 50 foot plus waves, alongside building Crane Surf Co.

Dylan Graves, Surf Explorer & Filmmaker. Dylan's built a career chasing waves in the world's weirdest corners. He'll be on stage with fellow explorer Tim Lattee, followed by a screening and Q&A.

Andrew Cotton, Big Wave Surfer. "Cotty" went from Devon plumber to one of the heaviest chargers in big wave surfing, best known for towing into giants at Nazaré.

Becky Gilmour, Adventure Athlete. Becky spent last year skateboarding the entire 2,700km Wild Atlantic Way solo, in memory of friends lost to suicide, raising money for the Samaritans along the way.

Belle Betteridge, Women's English Surf Champion 2026. Belle took the title at Fistral this year with a come from behind final, and has called Newquay home since she was ten.

Demi Taylor, Director of London Surf / Film Festival. Demi co founded LS/FF in 2011 and has spent over a decade building it into the UK's flagship surf film event, alongside producing The Big Sea.

Kirsty Smith, Researcher, writer, and photographer of skateboard media. Dr. Smith holds a PhD in Visual Communication from the Royal College of Art on skate media's visual history.

Leo Sharp, Professional Skateboard Photographer. A personal one for us: Leo ran our very first skate photography workshop back when we were at Falmouth Uni, and has documented UK skateboarding for decades since cutting his teeth at Sidewalk magazine.

Lucy Adams, Skateboarder. A fixture of UK skateboarding since the late '90s, multiple UK Skateboard Championships winner, founder of Brighton's She Shredders, and now a BBC skateboarding commentator.

Tehillah McGuinness, Sports Presenter. A former Olympic hopeful runner turned pro surfer, Tee's run her own surf school in Fuerteventura and worked as stunt double for Julia Garner's Silver Surfer in the latest Fantastic Four.

That's on top of 25+ talks across three stages, including a 45 Years of Wavelength panel and a SurfGirl hosted panel on women in surfing.

Getting there

Location: Newquay Sports Centre, Newquay, Cornwall, TR7 2SL
Dates: Friday 24th to Sunday 26th July 2026
Nearest beaches: Newquay Bay, 10 minute walk; Fistral and Watergate Bay, about 10 minutes by car
Getting there: 14 minute walk from Newquay train station, or 15 minute drive from Newquay Airport
Tickets: Expo Village is free; Expo Hall passes and separate tickets for the Surfer Awards and Film Festival are available online

If you're heading down, tag us. We want to see who's rolling through Newquay this July.

If Newquay's skate scene has your interest piqued, we covered it in Issue Two: The South West, where we wrote about last year's Expo and explored skate spots across Cornwall and Bristol. Grab a copy if you want the deeper dive before you go.

What to Expect at the UK Surf & Skate Expo 2026