Dancing Queens and Calypso kings are being urged to brush off your outfits and take full advantage of the entertainment programme being laid on for the Falmouth Tall Ships Regatta - and what's more it is all absolutely free of charge.

The regatta entertainment centre will take pride of place at Events Square throughout the four days of the event with the opening night headliners on Thursday, August 28, being Fisherman's Friends who will take to the main stage at 8pm.

Sponsored by St Austell Brewery's Tribute Ale, the renowned Cornish shanty group from Port Isaac will be delighting festival goers with their powerful brand of Cornish harmony singing, as they return to Falmouth for their second much awaited performance this year. 

They will be followed at 9.15pm on Friday by Abba Revival, described as “without a doubt the best Abba tribute band to emerge from the UK.” The legend of Abba lives on with an incredible legacy of timeless tunes, marking their undeniable place in music history. Be transported back to 70's heyday with the classic songs and dance floor beats familiar across the generations.

Saturday, August 30, will see the eight piece, Booze Brothers band take the limelight at 9.30pm, followed by the Montego Bay Majestics, for a soul, rhythm and blues extravaganza offering a spiced up blend of reggae and calypso with crowd favourites from Bob Marley and UB40.

To bring the regatta to a fitting end, after the Parade of Sail has wowed tens of thousands of spectators, the sound of Motown will rock the stage on the Sunday.

“Falmouth Festivals, in association with Southwest Bars and Events are proud to be given the opportunity to provide a full programme of entertainment and catering facilities on three main sites for the Tall Ships Regatta,” said Mike Rangecroft, who with Tim Vigus is gearing up for the event.

“We're looking forward to showing what the port of Falmouth, no stranger to putting on a first class show, can do for visitors and locals alike.”

The best of local talent will also be showcased at the SourceFM acoustic stage at the Church Street car park regatta centre. Live music will be on offer from 11am to 9pm from Thursday to Saturday and 11am to 4pm on the Sunday.

For those not able to visit the event, SourceFM will be broadcasting lots of news, information and live music on 96.1 (for local listeners) or www.thesourcefm.co.uk/listen for those outside the area.

The list of acts and times will be published on both the Tall Ships and SourceFM websites ten days before the event.

Sam Groom, event manager for Cornwall Development Company, said: “We have a really great programme of entertainment and activities planned throughout the regatta from The Moor to Pendennis Castle.

“The town centre streets will be closed to allow visitors to thoroughly immerse themselves in the regatta atmosphere. With free entertainment at all of the Regatta Entertainment Centres, this will be the perfect way to round off each day.”

For the latest information about the regatta visit www.falmouthtallships.co.uk, join them on Facebook 'Tall Ships Falmouth 2014' or follow them on Twitter @tallships_2014; or lovefalmouth on Instagram.