Short answer: Padstow's 'Obby 'Oss May Day is on Saturday 1 May 2027, starting with the Night Song at midnight on 30 April. The Old 'Oss and Blue Ribbon 'Oss process through the town during the day. Up to 30,000 people can attend. Roads were closed from 8am to 10pm in 2025. Car parks fill early, so use park and ride or the Rock ferry.
Padstow's May Day is one of the oldest street celebrations in Britain, and it is also one of the most crowded days of the Cornish year. In 2027, 1 May falls on a Saturday, which will make it busier still. Here is how the day works and how to plan around it.
The celebrations are on 1 May. One guide says they move to 2 May when 1 May is a Sunday. That does not apply in 2027, when 1 May is a Saturday. The party starts the night before: on the evening of 30 April both 'Oss groups gather at their pubs and the Night Song begins at midnight.
There are two hobby horses, the Old 'Oss and the Blue Ribbon 'Oss. Each is followed through the streets by dancers in white, wearing red or blue scarves and ribbons, with accordion and drum bands. A master of ceremonies in a top hat leads each procession with a decorated stick. At the end of the day the 'Osses meet at the maypole before returning to their stables, and the crowd sings of the 'Oss's "death" until its return the following May Eve.
The origins are unclear. One account puts them in the 16th century or earlier, and the first written mention in Padstow is from 1803.
A 2017 article gives this running order. Treat it as a guide, as arrangements can change:
The same article advises arriving early, having a pub breakfast before the first processions and trying a local ale.
Very. One guide says up to 30,000 people can gather in the town. The streets near the harbour and the maypole are narrow, so views are tight. Families with small children tend to do better at the quieter edges or at the early children's procession than at the midday peak.
In 2025 Padstow Town Council published a road closure for 1 May from 08:00 to 22:00, with a full list of roads on the council's notice and a Cornwall Council streetworks contact. The 2027 notice has not been published yet, so look for it nearer the date. In 2025 the Railway and Lawns car parks stayed open as usual, with normal charges on the tariff boards.
Do not count on parking in town. Padstow Town Car Park is rated 4.2 from 807 Google reviews and Lawns car park 4.1 from 63, and both are small. Reviewers say the Lawns car park is often full until late afternoon in high season, and on May Day it will be full much earlier. Use our Padstow park and ride guide and peak-morning parking guide, or skip the car entirely with our Padstow without a car guide.
The Rock to Padstow ferry from Rock (4.6 from 321 Google reviews) takes under 10 minutes and sells single tickets only, according to reviewers. It can be a good way in if you are staying on the Rock side, but check running times for the day.
Padstow Museum is free and run by volunteers, but its Google listing shows it closed on Saturdays, so it will not help on 1 May 2027. Pubs and restaurants fill fast, so book anywhere you want to eat. Our dog-friendly pubs guide and bookable family dining guide help here, and the Camel Trail guide gives you a quiet escape if the crowds get too much. For the town itself see our Padstow page.
There is no official viewing area, but a few fixed points help you plan. The maypole stands in the town centre, near the Patisserie and Ruby's Bar, and both 'Osses meet there late in the day before going back to their stables. The Old 'Oss appears outside the Golden Lion at 11am, and Rick Stein's guide to the day says people gather outside the Golden Lion at midnight on 30 April to sing.
Arrive early, and expect not to be able to move far once you are in. Our Padstow page has the rest of the town.
Many families go, and the article we read mentions fairground rides and face painting during the day alongside the children's procession. The honest answer for toddlers and pushchairs is that the streets are narrow and the crowd is thick, so we would carry a baby or toddler in a sling and leave the pushchair at your accommodation if you can. A pushchair can be stuck at the edge of a crowd for an hour.
We have not found any published advice from Padstow Town Council on pushchair routes, accessible viewing, or dogs on the day. Our own guidance is as follows:
If anyone in your group uses a wheelchair, our Padstow flat access guide covers step-free routes on a normal day, but May Day itself is much harder, so contact the town council beforehand.
Yes, book anything you can. Pubs and restaurants fill early on May Day, and the first processions start at sunrise, so a pub breakfast is a common plan. Opening times can change on the day, and some places run reduced menus, so check directly.
Dinner is harder than lunch. Most of the town's tables go to people who booked weeks ahead, so if you have not booked, plan on pasties, bakery food and street snacks eaten on your feet. Our Padstow lunch without a booking guide and Padstow Sunday roast guide list places that take walk-ins or have space on quieter days. If you want to escape the crowd for an hour, the Camel Trail starts a short walk from the harbour.
Saturday 1 May 2027. The Night Song starts at midnight on the evening of 30 April.
A 2017 article lists the Blue Ribbon 'Oss leaving at 10am and the Old 'Oss appearing at 11am, with further processions at midday, 2pm and 6pm. Check the current running order.
In 2025 roads were closed from 08:00 to 22:00. The 2027 notice has not been published yet.
The Railway and Lawns car parks stayed open in 2025 but are small and fill early. Park and ride or the Rock ferry are better options.
Many families go, and there is a children's 'Oss procession early in the day. The streets are very crowded, so keep children close.
The streets are narrow and the crowd is thick, so a sling or carrier is easier. We found no official pushchair or accessibility advice for the day.
The maypole is in the town centre near the Patisserie and Ruby's Bar. Both 'Osses meet there late in the day before returning to their stables.
No official rule was found. Crowds of up to 30,000 and bands make it a risky day for most dogs, so we would leave yours at home.
Yes, book anywhere you want to sit down. Tables go early, and the day starts at sunrise.
Times, prices and dates are the businesses' and organisers' to change, so check before you travel. Spotted something we've got wrong? Tell us and we'll fix it.
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