A group of sea shanty singers is set to appear on the cover of a major festival's official programme and CD in 2026.
Shoreham-by-Sea’s Wellington Wailers will be featured on both for the 2026 International Sea Shanty Festival in Falmouth.
The group, formed in 2012, performs each month at the Duke of Wellington pub on Brighton Road, which they describe as their "spiritual home."
Mike Green, frontman of the Wailers, said: "None of this would be possible without Rob and Jess.
"They give us a regular place to perform, they sponsor our kit, they host some of our rehearsals – but, most importantly, they get behind us in everything we do, which is just invaluable.
"The Wailers wouldn’t be anywhere near where they are today without that support, or the amazing musical community that Rob and Jess have nurtured at the Welly."
The group has performed at the Falmouth festival since 2014 and has previously headlined its Gala Night concert.
They have also won awards for raising the most money for the RNLI through their performances.
The Wellington Wailers will return to the 2026 festival, which takes place from June 12–14.
Any visitor who purchases a festival programme or CD will take home a colourful memento featuring the group.
For more about the group, visit thewellingtonwailers.com.
Simon Jones, captain of the Wailers, said: "It is amazing, a great honour to be recognised by the sea shanty community in this way.
"Having attended the festival for over a decade, it means so much to us to appear on the programme and the CD cover.
"We love coming down to Falmouth, meeting other shanty groups, sharing songs and keeping this wonderful tradition alive.
"The beauty of the festival is that there is such a diversity of groups performing; you can hear an amazing variety of interpretations of familiar songs – and ones you have never heard before."
Beyond their monthly Welly sessions, the group performs across Sussex and beyond, including churches, theatres, pubs, parties, fetes and fundraisers.
They have raised more than £11,000 for the RNLI through gig collections and CD sales.
