Quick answer: Cornwall’s two great May customs fall on consecutive Saturdays in 2027. Padstow’s Obby Oss is on Saturday 1 May, running straight into the Early May bank holiday on Monday the 3rd, and Helston’s Flora Day is on Saturday 8 May. Neither is a folk revival staged for visitors — both are working towns doing something they have always done, and that is exactly why they are worth travelling for. Book accommodation months ahead, and go expecting to be a guest rather than an audience.
Most British folk festivals were revived in the twentieth century. These two were not: they are continuous, local and slightly overwhelming, and in 2027 the calendar puts them eight days apart. This sits alongside Cornwall in May, which covers the month’s weather and the rest of the planning, and the festivals guide, which covers the year.
Table of Contents
- The 2027 dates, and why they matter
- Obby Oss, Padstow — Saturday 1 May 2027
- Flora Day, Helston — Saturday 8 May 2027
- Doing both in 2027
- Getting there, staying, and behaving
- FAQ
- References and resources
The 2027 dates, and why they matter
| Date in 2027 | Where | |
|---|---|---|
| Obby Oss | Saturday 1 May (from midnight on 30 April) | Padstow, north coast |
| Early May bank holiday | Monday 3 May | — |
| Flora Day | Saturday 8 May | Helston, on the Lizard |
| Spring bank holiday | Monday 31 May | — |
Both festivals are fixed to a calendar date rather than a weekday, so the day of the week shifts each year — and 2027 is an unusually good draw. Obby Oss falls on a Saturday and runs into a bank holiday Monday, and Flora Day falls on the Saturday after.
Flora Day is held on 8 May every year, moving only if that date lands on a Sunday or a Monday, when it shifts to the preceding Saturday. In 2027 the 8th is a Saturday, so it stays put.
The practical consequence: this is the busiest the first half of May has been in years, and accommodation in Padstow for the May Day weekend will be gone long before the spring.
Obby Oss, Padstow — Saturday 1 May 2027
One of the oldest surviving folk customs in Britain, and genuinely strange in a way that no description quite prepares you for.
It starts at midnight
The festival opens at midnight on 30 April, May Day Eve, when the town gathers outside the Golden Lion Inn to sing the Night Song, then carries the singing through the streets. By morning the town is dressed in greenery and the maypole is up.
The two Osses
Two processions move through the town, each led by an ‘Obby ‘Oss — a dancer under a black, frame-hung cape and a fearsome mask, driven on by an attendant called a Teaser. There are two:
- The Old Oss, associated with the Golden Lion.
- The Blue Ribbon Oss, sometimes called the Temperance or Methodist Oss, associated with the Padstow Institute. It was established in the nineteenth century by the temperance movement, which tells you something about the Old Oss.
Children lead their own colt Osses through the town earlier in the day. Late in the evening the two Osses meet at the maypole before returning to their stables, where the crowd sings of the Oss’s death until its resurrection the following May Eve.
Timings: there is no official published schedule
This is worth saying plainly. Accounts differ on when each Oss emerges — the children’s Osses are generally out in the morning, with the main Osses following later — and we could not find an official schedule published by the town or the organisers. Ask locally on the day rather than planning to the minute. Nobody in Padstow will mind being asked.
Flora Day, Helston — Saturday 8 May 2027
Completely different in character: where Padstow is wild, Helston is formal. The town dances, in sets, through the streets and through the buildings — in at the front door and out at the back — to drive the darkness of winter out and let the spring in. Houses and shops are dressed with greenery and flowers throughout.
The five dances
| Time | Dance | Who |
|---|---|---|
| 7.00am | Early Morning Dance | From the Guildhall |
| 8.30am | Hal-an-Tow | The pageant, starting at St John’s Bridge |
| 9.50am | Children’s Dance | Over 1,200 children from Helston’s four schools, in white |
| 12 noon | Midday Dance | The Helston-born leading set, behind Helston Town Band |
| 5.00pm | Evening Dance | The same dancers as the morning |
The Children’s Dance is the one that catches people out — over a thousand children in white, with headdresses and ties in their school colours, dancing through the town. It is the most photographed and, for many, the most affecting part of the day.
The Hal-an-Tow
The older and wilder half of Flora Day. A cast of performers tells Helston’s history at seven locations around the town, singing of the Spanish Armada, St George, and the fight between St Michael and the devil. It sits oddly against the formality of the dances, which is precisely the point — it is the pagan end of the day. The deeper background is in The Story of Cornwall, and the Cornish you will hear is covered in our Cornish language guide.
Doing both in 2027
Eight days apart, at opposite ends of the county — Padstow is on the north coast, Helston is on the Lizard, and it is about an hour and a quarter between them.
- The full version: come for the May Day weekend, stay the week, and finish with Flora Day. You get both festivals, the bank holiday, and the best weather month of the year in between.
- The practical version: pick one. They are very different days and seeing one properly beats rushing both.
- If you only have one choice: Obby Oss is the more overwhelming and the harder to get into; Flora Day is the more watchable, with a published timetable and clear vantage points.
The week in between is a good one to be in Cornwall anyway — our Cornwall in May explains why May is the sunniest and driest month of the year, and Cornwall in April covers the run-up.
Getting there, staying, and behaving
Book early, and stay out of town
Both towns are small and neither has the accommodation for its festival day. For Obby Oss on a bank holiday weekend in particular, book months ahead or stay elsewhere and travel in. Wadebridge, Bodmin and the north-coast villages work for Padstow; Falmouth, Porthleven and the Lizard villages work for Helston. Our where to stay guide and romantic getaways guide cover where to base yourself.
Do not drive in
Parking in Padstow is difficult on an ordinary summer day and effectively impossible on May Day. Use the park and ride, or come by bus. The same applies to Helston on Flora Day, where the town centre closes to traffic. Our guide to reaching Cornwall covers the wider journey.
These are not performances
- The dancers, the Osses and the singers are not entertainers. They are neighbours doing something that matters to them.
- Do not get in the way of a dance set or an Oss, and do not touch either.
- If an Oss catches you under its cape, that is traditionally good luck rather than an assault.
- Photograph people as you would at a wedding you were invited to, not at a spectacle.
- Both towns will be busy and loud all day. The cosy pubs guide covers where to retreat to.
FAQ
Q: When is Obby Oss in Padstow 2027?
A: Saturday 1 May 2027. The festival is held on 1 May each year and opens at midnight on 30 April with the Night Song outside the Golden Lion Inn. In 2027 it runs into the Early May bank holiday on Monday 3 May.
Q: When is Helston Flora Day 2027?
A: Saturday 8 May 2027. Flora Day is held on 8 May every year unless that date falls on a Sunday or Monday, when it moves to the preceding Saturday. In 2027 the 8th is already a Saturday.
Q: What are the Flora Day dance times?
A: As published by Helston Flora Day: the Early Morning Dance at 7.00am, the Hal-an-Tow at 8.30am, the Children’s Dance at 9.50am, the Midday Dance at 12 noon and the Evening Dance at 5.00pm. Confirm nearer the date.
Q: What is the Obby Oss schedule?
A: There is no official published schedule. Accounts differ: children lead their colt Osses through the town in the morning and the two main Osses follow later, meeting at the maypole late in the evening. Ask locally on the day rather than planning to the minute.
Q: What is the difference between the two Obby Osses?
A: There are two: the Old Oss, associated with the Golden Lion, and the Blue Ribbon Oss — also called the Temperance or Methodist Oss — associated with the Padstow Institute and established in the nineteenth century by the temperance movement.
Q: Can you see both Obby Oss and Flora Day on the same trip?
A: In 2027, yes — they fall eight days apart, on 1 and 8 May. Padstow is on the north coast and Helston is on the Lizard, about an hour and a quarter apart, so most people base themselves somewhere between and travel to each.
Q: Do I need to book accommodation in advance?
A: Yes, months ahead. Both towns are small and neither has the accommodation for its festival day, and in 2027 Obby Oss falls on a Saturday running into a bank holiday. Many visitors stay in Wadebridge or Bodmin for Padstow, and Falmouth or the Lizard villages for Helston.
References and resources
- Helston Flora Day — the dances: helstonfloraday.org.uk
- Helston Flora Day: helstonfloraday.org.uk
- gov.uk — UK bank holidays: www.gov.uk
