Wales festival celebrates seaweed’s future

The Wales Festival of Seaweed 2026 will bring a four-day celebration of seaweed to St Davids, Pembrokeshire, from 10 to 13 September, highlighting its growing role in coastal wellbeing, food, innovation and sustainable marine industries.

The festival will bring together communities, producers, farmers, fishers, educators, organisations and visitors to explore the economic, environmental and health benefits of seaweed.

With Pembrokeshire already home to pioneering aquaculture businesses, organisers say the event will examine how seaweed could contribute to future food systems, climate action and resilient coastal communities.

“Seaweed is emerging as one of Wales’s most exciting natural resources, and there are so many individuals and businesses experimenting and using it creatively,” said festival organiser Stacy Marklew.

“We want the festival to be a platform for learning, collaboration, showcasing and inspiration across farming, food, conservation, education and more.”

The programme at St Davids City Hall will include talks, workshops, demonstrations, crafts and hands-on activities designed to expand public understanding of seaweed and its potential applications. Thursday and Friday full-day tickets cost £5, with an optional seaweed-based lunch available for £10. Weekend activities will be either free or £5.

A special screening of locally filmed Coastal Voices will take place at Solva Memorial Hall on Thursday evening, followed by acoustic music and seaweed snacks provided by Câr y Môr.

On Sunday, visitors can tour Câr y Môr, Wales’s first regenerative ocean farm and seaweed biorefinery, to see seaweed cultivation, shellfish production and processing facilities. Additional experiences include seaweed foraging, seaweed baths, boat trips and coasteering.

Jess Watton, education and engagement partner at Câr y Môr, said the festival demonstrated how community-led sea farming could benefit coastal communities and the environment. She added that awareness of seaweed had increased since the previous festival, with Wales continuing to lead in regenerative ocean farming and innovative seaweed uses.

The festival forms part of the three-year Unlocking the Power of Seaweed project, funded by The National Lottery Community Fund, with support from WWF UK, Câr y Môr, the Scottish Association of Marine Science and PEBL.