Boardmasters unveils new identity inspired by the Cornish coast
The festival’s rebrand by Otherway swaps surf-first iconography for a more contemporary visual system inspired by its dramatic local environs
Boardmasters has unveiled a sweeping new visual identity by London design studio Otherway, marking the latest step in its evolution from a smalltown surf event into one of the UK’s biggest festivals.
Originally founded in 1981 as a surfing competition, Boardmasters has steadily expanded into a five-day affair spanning live music, elite surfing, wellbeing, art and Cornish culture. This year’s edition, which runs in Newquay until Sunday, features a stacked lineup including Fatboy Slim, Kasabian and Lily Allen.
While previous iterations of the festival’s identity leaned more heavily into its heritage – most notably through a logomark featuring a wave carved into the counter-space of the letter B – the new system adopts a cleaner, more contemporary aesthetic that sits comfortably alongside other major music festivals while still retaining a distinctive sense of place.
Rather than centring stages or the wider festival site, Otherway has built the identity around Cornwall itself. Typography appears softened and weathered by wind, salt and sea, while a new graphic language draws on cymatics – the geometric patterns formed when sound travels through sand – as a visual link between music and surfing.
Elsewhere, elements of coastal maps and travel stickers, expressive iconography and an earthy colour palette round out a flexible design system intended to work across everything from wayfinding and merchandise to digital content and out-of-home advertising.
The result is arguably a more sophisticated and versatile identity, although one that, for the most part, ostensibly moves Boardmasters further away from the surf-first visual language that has defined much of its history.
“Boardmasters is a festival with real heritage,” said Stu Finlayson, managing partner at Otherway. “Since 1981 it has been a highlight of Cornwall’s cultural calendar, a rite of passage and a pilgrimage for generations of festivalgoers. What makes it truly special isn’t just the lineup, it’s the place. Set between cliffs, beaches and the Atlantic Ocean, it offers an experience that simply couldn’t happen anywhere else.
“Our job wasn’t to reinvent Boardmasters. It was to rediscover what had always made it extraordinary. Every element of the identity is inspired by Cornwall itself, from typography weathered by the elements to graphic patterns shaped by sound moving through sand. In a category where most festivals build their identity around the stage, we built this one around the unique location.”
Debuting across the 2026 edition, the new identity signals a new chapter for the brand as it continues to balance its surfing legacy with its growing status as a fixture on the summer festival circuit.