The fourth national Sea Shanty Festival takes place at the National Waterways Museum in Ellesmere Port over the Easter weekend (18-20 April 2014).

Coinciding with the Annual Boat Gathering at the Museum, Shanty UK, the organisers of the Festival are hoping that many of the boaters will come and join in throughout the weekend.

The Festival brings together nearly 100 performers in seven different venues within the Museum for three exciting days of singing, concerts, boat trips, museum tours, nautical poetry, puppet-making and face painting. Most of the music and events during the Easter weekend are free to boaters once moored within the Museum’s grounds.

According to Julia Batters of Shanty UK, the Sea Shanty Festival is designed as a fun event for the whole family. She said: “The UK has a long tradition of sea shanties and maritime singing and our Festival helps keep this tradition alive for future generations.”

The highlight of the Festival are two concerts taking place within the Museum on Friday and Saturday nights, which feature a number of acts from across the UK and Europe. Tickets for the evening concerts are £10 and can be reserved online at www.shanty.org.uk.