An eight-foot model of Moby Dick will head a spectacular community lantern parade through Fishguard as Ar Ymyl y Tir 2026 On Land’s Edge celebrates 70 years since the great white whale came to town.

The illuminated whale, created by Cardigan’s Small World Theatre, will lead dozens of handmade sea creatures and sailing ships on the evening of Friday, September 25, opening a packed weekend of music, theatre, film, literature, visual art and community events.

The ‘Fish and Ships’ Parade marks the 70th anniversary of the release of John Huston’s Moby Dick, starring Gregory Peck as Captain Ahab, much of which was filmed in and around Fishguard and Good-wick.

Local schoolchildren are creating lanterns with Small World Theatre, while members of the wider community are invited to make their own sailing ship lanterns at public workshops on Saturday, September 19 and Sunday, September 20, at Goodwick Scout Hall starting at 10am.

Those creations will then join Moby Dick on the journey through Fishguard when the parade sets off from Ysgol Bro Gwaun at 7pm on Friday, September 25.

Supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund, this year’s festival has also been collecting photographs, stories, memories and anecdotes from local people about the filming and preserving them for posterity.

The next pre-festival event takes place at Theatr Gwaun on Wednesday, September 9 (6pm), when Bill Hamblett, director of Small World Theatre, joins Ein Hanes for ‘John Huston Knew My father: Moby Dick & Other Fishy Tales’.

Then, from Monday, September 21, Fishguard Arts Society hold an exhibition, ‘The Watery Part Of The World’ at Baker’s@70 in West Street, Fishguard, showcasing work inspired by water, sea and the local landscape, running until October 3.

Following Friday evening’s lantern parade comes Moby Dick Rehearsed, at Theatr Gwaun, a staged reading of an abridged version of Orson Welles’ play, written while Welles was working on Huston’s film.

Then at 9.30pm, Cardiff-based electronic pop musician, producer and artist Ani Glass performs live at Ffwrn.

Moby Dick cast
The cast of Moby Dick (Ar Ymyl y Tir)

Saturday begins with the traditional Sea Swim at Goodwick Parrog before Moby Dick returns to the big screen at Theatr Gwaun for a special screening at 1.30pm.

The evening brings together two rising names in Welsh music as north Pembrokeshire three-piece Lafant headline Theatr Gwaun, with sister duo Chwaer.

On Sunday Pembrokeshire artist Raul Speek leads a Paint a Wooden Fish workshop at Goodwick Scout Hall; while authors Elizabeth O’Connor and Alex Hubbard meet at Peppers for Literature Sunday, dis-cussing their novels Whale Fall and Storm.

At Theatr Gwaun, Hedydd Hughes brings bilingual stories, songs, riddles, harp and squeeze box to younger festival-goers, before Simffoni Mara: The Watery Part of the World, curated by Artistic Director David Pepper, brings the festival to a close with immersive music, visuals and soundscapes inspired by Moby Dick and our relationship with the sea.

The winners of the young people's poetry and adult short story competitions will be presented at the concert.

Dr Patrick Thomas, Chair of the Board of Theatr Gwaun, said: “It has been wonderful to see cultural organisations, artists, historians, schools, businesses and community groups across the twin towns coming together to mark such a special moment in our creative history.

“That is really what this festival is about – celebrating the extraordinary story of our past while showing just how much creativity there is in Fishguard and Goodwick today.”

Full details at: https://onlandsedge.co.uk/ole_events_2026/