The Nimbus Access Card helps streamline communication of your access needs. It translates your disability or impairment into easy-to-understand symbols. You can read more about how symbols are allocated on the Nimbus website.

Nimbus offers two versions of the Access Card:

• • Boardmasters Digital Access Pass – free, and used specifically for applying for accessible facilities at Boardmasters
  • Physical Nimbus Access Card – £15, valid at venues across the UK

Both versions are valid for three years.

In addition to providing symbols representing your needs, the Access Card serves as recognised proof of your requirements. The physical card can also be used at a wide range of venues, reducing the need to repeatedly explain your accessibility needs.

Nimbus developed the Access Card in response to frustrations from disabled people and event organisers around evidencing disability and communicating requirements for reasonable adjustments. Their aim was to create one consistent method of communication between customers and providers. The Access Card is now widely accepted at major event venues across the UK and beyond.

At Boardmasters, we partner with Nimbus and their Access Card system to ensure access needs are communicated clearly through universally recognised symbols. These symbols help us identify which facilities and support options best match your requirements. Below is an overview of which Access Card symbols correspond to the facilities we provide on-site:

To apply for accessible facilities at Boardmasters, you must have both:

• • A Nimbus Access Card
  • A valid festival ticket (Camping or Day ticket)

All facilities must be applied for in advance using our Access Request Form.

Once you submit your form, our team will review the symbols on your Access Card and update you with the outcome. Applications will be reviewed from March 2026 onwards; we are unable to process applications before this date.

We’ll also send you an Accessibility Information Pack closer to the event with everything you need to know before you arrive.

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Boardmasters takes place across two sites in Newquay: Watergate Bay (main music arena and campsites) and Fistral Beach (surf competition, skateboarding and Boardmasters Beach Bar). The festival welcomes everyone, but the coastal setting, unpaved greenfield terrain, and distance between locations may present challenges.

We do not currently offer a buggy service for any customers to travel around the site.

Shuttle buses into Newquay Town are wheelchair accessible. Please note, the shuttle buses stop in Newquay Town Centre, which is approx a 15-20 minute walk to Fistral Beach.

Watergate Bay:

• • Festival ticket required
  • Open-air grass fields with uneven ground and no hardstanding surfaces
  • Mix of sheltered and uncovered stages
  • Small to steep gradients throughout the arena
  • Campsites have grass paths that may become muddy depending on weather
  • Weather can significantly affect ground conditions, but matting is added where possible

Fistral Beach:

• • Free to access (no ticket required)
  • Mostly hardstanding with a steep gradient leading to the site
  • Shopping village sits on flat tarmac
  • A tarmac path leads down a slight slope to the beach
  • Beach Bar and Surf Deck are on raised decking with ramp access

We offer a dedicated Accessible Camping area. To stay here, you must complete the Access Request Form.

This campsite includes:

• • Dedicated Entrance & Accessible Camping Info Point
  • Accessible Toilets & Showers
  • A Changing Places unit
  • 24 hour Covered Charging Point – for mobility scooters and medical facilities. Whilst this facility is supervised, it is not secured by the festival and therefore left at your own risk. Unless you have arranged this in advance, we are unable to provide power to non-essential medical equipment
  • Fridge for Medication Storage

Access to these facilities is based on the symbols on your Access Card.

If approved for Accessible Camping, you may have up to four people on your pitch. This includes yourself, your Essential Companion, and any children. This limit helps ensure we can offer space to as many guests as possible. Anyone beyond your group of four is welcome to camp in nearby campsites.

If you have booked a Live-In, Pre-Pitched Camping or Boutique accommodation, you can request to be located in Accessible Camping via your Access Request Form. This must be arranged in advance; we are unable to accommodate changes once the site build has begun.

You are also welcome to stay in the other campsites (General Camping, VIP Camping, Boutique, Pre-Pitched Camping, Live-Ins etc) if you prefer, though facilities may vary. We additionally offer a Chilled Camping option for neurodivergent guests who may benefit from a quieter environment. All camping upgrades, such as Chilled Camping can be booked alongside your festival tickets.

Accessible Toilets

We have accessible toilets at every toilet block in the Main Arena, as well as within Accessible Camping. All of these facilities use a RADAR lock, so we encourage you to bring your own key if you have one. If not, you can borrow a key from the Access Info Point with a £10 refundable deposit. To help keep queues moving smoothly, please avoid lending your RADAR key to friends or family.

You don’t need to contact us ahead of time to use any of these toilets. Please just be aware that the accessible toilets located on our viewing platforms are reserved for guests who have been approved for platform access, but there are other accessible toilets nearby for anyone who needs them.

Accessible Showers

Within Accessible Camping, you’ll find a wheelchair-accessible shower for guests who have been approved for this area. Essential companions can use the shower too if they’re assisting. To make sure this facility is available for those who rely on it, we ask that friends and family staying in the campsite don’t use this shower themselves.

High Dependency Changing Units

Boardmasters also offers two fully equipped changing units – one in the Main Arena and another in Accessible Camping. Both feature a hoist and changing bed, providing a safe and dignified space for guests who need them. We’ll share more detailed information about the exact units and their locations closer to the festival.

We offer complimentary Essential Companion tickets to those that require them. To apply, you must have a +1 symbol on your Access Card. These tickets are intended for those who would not be able to attend the festival without the support of another person.

To request an Essential Companion ticket, simply apply through the Access Request process. Once approved, your Essential Companion ticket will be issued from two weeks before the festival.

For under-16s:
If you are applying for an Essential Companion ticket for someone under 16, the order must also include a valid adult ticket of the same type (i.e., Weekend Camping), as all under-16s must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. If Nimbus has awarded a +1 symbol to a child who requires additional support beyond their parent or guardian, we will provide an Essential Companion ticket for that extra person.

Please do not purchase a ticket for your Essential Companion, as these cannot be refunded.

The Essential Companion must be willing and able to support the accessibility customer throughout the event, including during any emergency, and must be 16 or older. This support may include navigating the site, using facilities, and carrying luggage. You and your Essential Companion must arrive together to collect wristbands.

Accessible parking passes are free for anyone who has selected Accessible Parking on the form. Your digital parking pass will be emailed to you from two weeks before the festival.

Please note: Accessible parking spaces are limited and offered on a first-come, first-served basis.

Key Info:

• • Each registered accessibility customer can receive one accessible parking pass
  • Blue Badge holders do not automatically qualify for accessible parking – this must be requested through the Access Request Form
  • If your festival ticket already includes a parking pass (i.e., VIP Camping), you’ll still need to request accessible parking through the form, so we issue the correct one
  • Friends or family arriving in separate cars will need to use General Parking, as the accessible car park is only for registered accessibility customers

We have three wheelchair-accessible viewing platforms – at the Main Stage, Unleashed and Mordros, plus a ground-level viewing area at the Main Stage. These spaces are there to support access customers who use wheelchairs or may find long periods of standing difficult.

To make sure these areas remain comfortable and available for those who genuinely need them, they’re reserved for approved access customers and their essential companion. We’re not able to accommodate larger groups in these spaces.

Access is offered on a first-come, first-served basis, and platforms can get busy at peak times. If a platform reaches capacity, you may be asked to wait or return a little later. During busier moments, companions might also be asked to stand towards the sides or back so that seated spots remain available for those who need them most.

Our stewarding team will check accreditation on entry and are always on hand to help. Each platform includes seating, an accessible toilet, and wheelchair charging points to make your experience as comfortable as possible.

Some stages can’t support viewing platforms due to their size or layout, but if that’s the case, our security team will be happy to help you find a safe and suitable place to watch.

If you need to bring prescription medication to the festival, please make sure it’s in its original packaging and accompanied by a prescription or doctor’s note in your name that confirms the medication.

We also offer refrigerated medical storage in Accessible Camping. If you require chilled storage, just let us know in your access application.

Assistance dogs are welcome at Boardmasters. Approval for bringing a dog will be based on the requirements shown on your Nimbus Access Card or Boardmasters Access Pass.

Please follow these guidelines:

• • Assistance dogs must wear a working jacket
  • Owners are responsible for their dog’s behaviour and must dispose of waste appropriately. A dedicated spending area for dogs will be provided – details will be shared closer to the festival

Please note: Boardmasters reserves the right to refuse entry to dogs that don’t meet the requirements for an assistance animal or fail to follow these guidelines. Find out more about assistance dog rights here.

Our sensory calm space is a dedicated tent created to offer a quiet, soothing environment for anyone who may feel overwhelmed by the festival atmosphere. It can be especially helpful for neurodiverse guests, who might need a break from loud noise, bright lights, or large crowds.

Inside, you’ll find low lighting, earplugs, and weighted blankets to help you relax and reset – our team will be on hand to support you however they can.

The sensory calm space is open to everyone and doesn’t require an application.