Fisherman's Friends

Born on the harbour wall in Port Isaac, The Fisherman’s Friends carry the sound of Cornish sea shanties onto the big stage: stacked harmonies, work songs, and stories of storms, rescues and everyday life at sea. Singing together since 1995, they keep it mostly a cappella, letting the voices drive the rhythm, with occasional fiddle, guitar or accordion adding a lean folk backdrop. Expect call-and-response refrains, tall tales and the kind of choruses that travel easily from the quay to the crowd.

From village singarounds to appearances at Glastonbury and the Cambridge Folk Festival, the crew have kept their repertoire close to its maritime roots while opening it up to larger rooms. Their journey even reached cinemas with the Fisherman’s Friends films, but it’s on stage that the camaraderie and tradition land best: unvarnished voices, tight harmonies and songs shaped by the coast. The Fisherman’s Friends bring that sound to York Barbican in York on 2 April 2027, for a night anchored in heritage and built for a room full of voices.