Short answer: Earthwave, the world record attempt for the most surfers on one wave, was postponed from 19 September and now takes place on Saturday 31 October 2026 at Great Western Beach, Newquay. The beach opens at 10am and the attempt runs from 3pm to 4pm. Riding costs £10 (£5 under 16); watching from the beach is free.
New date: Saturday 31 October 2026. The original 19 September attempt was postponed two days before, because final water-safety approvals took longer than expected ("Safety has to come first," said organiser Dene Botha). It's now on Halloween, at the end of October half term. On that day Newquay will try to do something no beach has managed in seventeen years: put more than 110 surfers on the same wave at the same time.
This is Earthwave, and it's coming to Great Western Beach for the first time. Here's what's actually happening, and — the bit their own site can't tell you — how to do it as a day out in Newquay.
The Guinness World Record for the most surfers riding the same wave stands at 110. It was set at Muizenberg Beach in Cape Town in 2009 and has stood ever since.
The reason it's difficult isn't finding 110 surfers. It's that every one of them has to catch the same wave, stand up, and ride it for a qualifying distance, all at once, with adjudicators watching. One wave. Everybody up. That's why it has survived seventeen years of attempts.
The story starts on Muizenberg beach in Cape Town in 2005. Bali had just set the record with 40 surfers. Father-and-son pair Paul and Dene Botha, of Kahuna Promotions, heard about it and reckoned they could do better.
Later that year they rallied the local surf community and ran South Africa's first Earthwave. A three-hour gathering was the plan; a world record with 70 surfers was the result.
Then it kept going. 77 the following year. Then 90. Then 99. Then, in 2009, 110 — the number that still stands.
By its peak, Earthwave had grown from a three-hour meet-up into one of South Africa's biggest beach festivals: two days, thousands of visitors, surf competitions, tandem surfing, longboarding, beach volleyball, the World Touch Rugby Championships, live music, food stalls and an after-party that became a festival in its own right. The last South African Earthwave ran in 2015.
Newquay is where it starts again.
This is Cornwall at the end of October, and the whole thing depends on a rideable, safe sea. Keep an eye on the Earthwave site in the days before.
The schedule is the organisers' and may change. The clocks go back the weekend before, so the attempt finishes not long before sunset: if you're coming to watch, be on the beach by about 2:30pm.
Tickets are on the Earthwave site:
The hire option matters more than it looks. It means you don't need to own a board or own a wetsuit to be part of a world record — £30 all in for an adult with everything provided. For a family with a couple of teenagers, that's a genuinely reasonable price for something they'll talk about for years.
If you're not going in the water, the beach is the place to be and it costs nothing. Great Western has a natural amphitheatre feel — the beach sits below the headland, so there's elevated ground behind giving a clear view over the line-up.
For height, the walk up towards Towan Headland gives you a wider view of the whole bay, though you'll be further from the atmosphere. The beach itself is where the music, food and noise will be.
This is the bit that will catch people out. It's the last Saturday of half term and Halloween, so Newquay will be busy, and an event pulling a crowd to a central beach will fill the car parks.
Great Western is close to the town centre, so the central car parks are your realistic option, and they'll be under pressure from mid-afternoon. The beach opens at 10am with food and music, so there's no reason to arrive at the last minute. Prices and car parks: Newquay beach parking.
If you're coming from further afield, Newquay has a branch line station a short walk from the town centre, which sidesteps parking entirely. Check the last train back before committing to the evening celebration.
The Zombie Crawl is the Saturday before (24 October), Autumn Fest is on Tolcarne Beach the next day (1 November), and the drone show and fireworks follow on 6 November. Every date: what's on in Newquay this autumn.
Earthwave is presented by Earniversity, with a partner list that's genuinely rooted in Newquay rather than bolted on: Great Western Beach, Love Newquay, Newquay BID and Newquay Boardriders as official surf partner. Wavelength Magazine is media partner, and The Wave Project — a surf therapy charity — is the official charity partner.
That last one is worth knowing. The Wave Project uses surfing to support young people's mental health, and it operates in Cornwall.
The attempt is one hour. If you're travelling for it, there's a full day either side.
Before: Great Western sits within a few minutes' walk of Towan and Tolcarne, so a morning on the beaches costs nothing. Rock pooling at Little Fistral works well at low tide if you've got children and time to fill.
Food: Newquay's food scene has improved considerably. BUTTER does sourdough baked on site and opens at 7am; NALU is good for breakfast near the seafront. For after the announcement, the town's pubs and restaurants will be busy — booking is sensible on an event Saturday.
If the weather turns: Our guide to Newquay when the surf is too rough covers the sheltered alternatives.
Honestly — if you're in Cornwall for half term, yes. World record attempts are rare, this one has a seventeen-year-old target and genuine history behind it, and the barrier to taking part is £10 and a hired wetsuit.
And even if the record doesn't fall, you'll have spent an afternoon on a Cornish beach with music, food and a few hundred people all trying to do the same slightly ridiculous thing at once. That's not a bad Saturday.
Check the Earthwave website for the latest on timings and conditions. Schedules are subject to change and ticket holders are notified directly — but if you're going along to watch, the website and their social channels are where the weather call will be announced.
Coming in October half term? Our half-term guide to Newquay plans the whole week — wet days included.
Planning an early start? Here's where to Get Breakfast in Newquay.
Planning the rest of your day in Newquay?
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