Presented by Mayflower 400 UK. On 16 September 1620, the Mayflower left its final call in Plymouth before heading across the Atlantic to establish a new community in America.
Four hundred years on the moment will be marked with a poignant four-nations civic ceremony that will see a 1,000-person choir perform a brand new piece of bespoke music that tells the story of the Mayflower in an entirely new way, along with representatives from the UK, US, Netherlands, and Wampanoag.
The Mayflower Ceremony will be an inspiring event and takes place on 16 September 2020 – the anniversary date of the ship’s departure from the UK to the US.
Part of the Mayflower Week festivities, there will be schools and mass participation elements, making sure that Plymouth’s residents are at the heart of this special day. Other events include daily fly-bys and The Royal Marines Rehabilitation Triathlon.
Southampton’s Mayflower Maritime Festival, presented by Mayflower 400 UK, will deliver three days of memorable cultural, heritage and maritime activity, promoting the city’s pivotal role in the Mayflower’s journey and its wider maritime heritage.
Highlights will include the unveiling of the renovated Mayflower Memorial, a parade of sails featuring local boats, newly-commissioned musicals at the Mayflower Theatre, and exhibitions at historic buildings including Tudor House and God’s House Tower.
You’ll be able to see the Wampum belt at the SeaCity Museum and a range of displays and activities at the National Oceanographic Centre, with content from the Maritime Archaeology Trust.
The Association of Sail Trading Organisations will be in port with around 200 young people learning to sail, while the Queen Mary II will set sail for America, leaving Southampton just as the Pilgrims did 400 years ago.
Marking the 400th Anniversary of the Mayflower leaving Southampton, the Maritime Festival will run 14th-16th August 2020. Activities are still being finalized with more details available soon!
