Proving you can't Blow The Man Down, sea shanty singers - both male and female - are gearing up for this year's Falmouth Virtual Sea Shanty Festival.

Despite this year's planned event having to be cancelled due to coronavirus restrictions the songs will go on, giving people the chance to take part all over the world online and truly bringing the 'international' to Falmouth International Sea Shanty Festival.

People can tune in to the Facebook Live feed from all over the world between 6pm and 9pm this Friday, June 12, for an evening of singing and entertainment.

Falmouth Packet:

Betty Stogs of Skinner's Brewery will be fundraising ahead of the festival again

There are more than 30 group performances confirmed on an international scale, with singers from Cornwall to Brittany, Holland, Spain and Ireland all booked in to take part.

This will be combined with light-hearted presenting from Skinner's Brewery's Betty Stogs and festival organiser John Warren, and footage of Falmouth from 3Deep Aerial.

With a reach of 80,000 people so far online, shanty fans are even planning their own “pirate parties” and small events from their own homes to get involved on the night.

The event will be held at Cornwall Channel studios, who have been working hard on the tech behind the scenes to ensure the event runs smoothly and can be viewed far and wide.

Richard Gates, chairman of Falmouth’s International Sea Shanty Committee and Falmouth town manager, said: "In light of the 2020 festival's cancellation, it seemed right to bring you all a bit of shanty spirit to enjoy from the comfort of your own homes.

"It’s great that by creating a virtual aspect to the shanty festival enables us to reach out to people all over the world. Not only will people in Cornwall and

across the UK be watching, but we are expecting viewers from as far as South Africa, Australia and the USA."

Falmouth International Sea Shanty Festival's chosen charity each year is the RNLI. This year, money from the virtual event will go to the RNLI via www.justgiving.com/fundraising/rnli-falmouth-sea-shanty-festival

Not only this, but all profits from of this years’ “Through the Years” shanty CD will go to the Royal Cornwall Hospital Covid-19 Fund. The CD presents 48 tracks from many groups and singers who have performed at the festival over previous years.

This can be bought from The Cornish Store’s website as a CD, USB or for download, via www.thecornishstore.co.uk/product/through-the-years/

Last year Betty Stogs single-handedly raised £5,610 for the 2019 festival and each year she challenges the Sea Shanty groups to try and beat the amazing total she raises.

In order not to miss out this year Betty has set up her own online JustGiving Page at www.justgiving.com/fundraising/beatbettystogschallenge and

is asking the groups to take up the Beat Betty challenge to try and beat her own target of £1,000.

Betty said: “The Sea Shanty Festival is the highlight of my year and so I was gutted when it had to be cancelled.

"I am really looking forward to a great evening of virtual shanties and suggest you get your bottles of fine Skinners ales in ready for the night."

The Beat Betty competition results will be announced live on the virtual event.

More information will coming out every day this week on the event's Twitter and Facebook pages.

Falmouth’s Virtual Festival Live event can be tuned into this Friday from 6pm via www.facebook.com/falmouthinternationalseashantyfestival/live