Lead singer of the Dolmen Taloch Jameson spoke of his excitement in performing on the replica galleon later this year (Image: Finnbar Webster, The Dolmen)

One of Weymouth’s longest-running bands will be performing on a Spanish Galleon as more details of this year’s popular Pirate Festival have been revealed.

The Dolmen, who have performed in Dorset and overseas for more than 30 years, are taking to the waves for one of their biggest performances as part of this October’s Piratefest.

The folk rock group will be performing a gig on Friday, October 3- the first day of the three-day Pirate Festival- on the Nao Victoria, a replica of a 16th century Spanish Galleon.

The ship will be in Weymouth Harbour throughout the festival to add to the feel of the occasion.

Taloch Jameson (left) and the Dolmen at last year's Piratefest parade (Image: The Dolmen) Taloch Jameson, lead singer and guitarist of the band, said this performance will look to link into the Weymouth legend of a 'pirate mayor', Hugh Randall, who served in the town during in the 16th century- during the time that the original ship would have circumnavigated the globe.

He said: “We’re pulling back on Weymouth’s history and want to revive this part specifically during the period of Weymouth mayor Hugh Randall.

“We’ve hired this big boat which would have circumnavigated the world during the time the mayor was alive.

“We have to say a huge thank you to Pete Beresford who has a long connection with the sea and has helped us out with this.”

Speaking about the buzz ahead of the festival as a whole and what it brings to Weymouth, Taloch added: "We’re very excited. It's the second biggest and most popular pirate festival in the whole country.

"We’ve had a great response online from people about the festival and Hardy’s Hophouse in Weymouth has kindly agreed to step in to provide the main stage for the festival as well as talks upstairs. It’s going to be cracking.

The Dolmen will be performing on the Nao Victoria (Image: The Dolmen) "We know October can be a quiet time for the town so we’re hoping the festival pulls in loads of crowds- the response we’ve had to this year’s plans have been unprecedented and really boosted our enthusiasm."

As well as this show, the Dolmen will be arranging a private pirate concert at Munsty’s nursery on Portland.

It isn't the first replica Spanish galleon to moor into the port this year, with a replica of the Santa Maria, sailed by Christopher Columbus, to visit Weymouth at the end of July. 

The replica of the Nao Victoria last visited Weymouth in 2023. The original was commanded by Juan Sebastian Elcano and left Seville in 1519, returning to the same city in 1522, after circumnavigating the globe for the first time in history.

It sailed 42,000 miles, 22,000 miles of which washed largely unknown to the crew.

The Nao Victoria in Weymouth Harbour (Image: Finnbarr Webster) The ship was in terrible shape, with her sails torn and only kept afloat by continuous pumping of water - but Victoria managed to return to Spain with a shipload of spices, the value of which was greater than the cost of the entire original fleet.

Victoria was later repaired, bought by a merchant shipper and sailed for almost another fifty years before being lost on a trip from the Antilles to Seville in about 1570.

This replica, looked after by the Nao Victoria Foundation, was built in Spain in 1991.

In order to commemorate its predecessor, the replica of the Nao Victoria started, in 2004, another trip around the globe starting from Seville. Up to 26,894 miles were covered between 2004 and 2006, with the ship visiting 17 countries. The replica of the Nao Victoria was the first historical replica to circumnavigate the earth.