With around 50 groups expected to attend, this year’s Falmouth International Sea Shanty Festival will be the biggest yet with performances taking place at over 20 venues across the town and beyond.

The festival, which takes place from June 13 to 15, has grown to become one of the largest of its kind in the world, attracting thousands of visitors to the port and raising over £30,000 for the RNLI.

Skinners Brewery has once come aboard as sponsors and will be the official suppliers of ale for the festival, which raised a record amount of £6,500 last year.

Town manager, Richard Gates, who is also chairman of the organising committee, said: “I expect 2014 to be an exciting year for Falmouth with an ever growing calendar of events with Falmouth’s International Sea Shanty Festival being one of the highlights of the summer programme.”

This year’s festival will have something for everyone, with groups performing on main stages, in pubs, restaurants and a host of other venues. The festival’s first ever gala concert will be staged at the Princess Pavilion on June 14.

For the second time, the Falmouth Classics regatta will be taking place alongside the festival and will feature a parade of sail in the inner harbour with shanty singers performing on the decks of the classic yachts.

The regatta was traditionally held on one day, but last year it was expanded to three and moved from August to June so as to coincide with the shanty festival.

For more information visit www.falmouthseashanty.co.uk or www.falmouthclassics.org.uk.