King Porter Stomp @ Gwdihw Cafe Bar

words:  SOPHIE TAYLOR

Why not start off your week with a rewarding tour through South Wales’ heritage with the See Wales Sightseeing Day Tour: Mines And Mountains (Tues 14 Aug, 9am-5.30pm, £5 off with the August addition of Buzz Magazine). Get an idea of what the Welsh Valleys have to offer, enjoy the stunning country views and venture out on the Brecon Beacon’s award-winning underground tour.

With the summer holidays slowly nearing the end, you may well be running out of ideas as to how to entertain the kids. The Pembrokeshire Country Show (Tues 14-Thurs 16 Aug, tickets: £14 (adults), concessions vary), however, could well prove to be the answer you’re looking for. This entertainment packed 3-day agricultural event is bound to keep the kids amused.

Whatever the weather, get down to Swansea’s Beach Fun Day (Weds 15 Aug, admission: free) with the kids and forget the typical British weather with beach-themed crafts and sandcastle and limbo competitions.

Legally Blonde The Musical (Tues 14-Sat 25 Aug, tickets: £16.50-£23) is at the Wales Millennium Centre, and whilst the mediocre celebrity status of the cast may not be enough to entice you, the fact that this all singing and dancing production is directed by the Tony and Olivier Award-winning Jerry Mitchell might!

Music lovers listen up and get moving to see King Porter Stomp (Sat 18 Aug, 8pm-late, admission: £3) at Gwdihw Cafe Bar. Offering up dub, reggae, soul and hip-hop, enjoy the eclectic musical offerings of this fantastic festival hopping Brighton-based band as they make their way down from Green Man Festival for a night in the capital. Fat City DJs will keep the grooves going until the early hours.

Missing the Olympics already? Get down to The World Alternative Games (Fri 17-Sun 2 Sept, various locations). Inspired by the main event itself, Llanwrtyd Wells has created a range of unusual events for all ages and abilities to take part in. Whilst the worm charming and chariot racing may not be as thrilling as the real Olympics, it’ll be a bizarre and hilarious fortnight of fun and games.

Fans of Shakespeare will be keen to see A Midsummer’s Night Dream + Romeo And Juliet (Weds 15-Thurs 16 Aug, tickets: £9) as part of the Swansea Bay Festival. Relive some of Shakespeare’s finest work in the open-air grounds of Oystermouth Castle.

For an exhilarating end to the summer, make sure you’re at the Zapcat Weekender (Sat 18-Sun 19 Aug, from 11pm, free entry) in Barry. A thrill that will captivate the whole family, this high-powered speed boat racing event is explosive and exciting to watch.

The Family Fun Weekend at Dyffryn Gardens does exactly what is says on the tin (Sat 18-Sun 19 Aug, 10am-6pm, Admission: Free). With a variety of activities including bouncy castles and face painting, it’ll be a sure-fire way of bringing out the inner child in all of us.

And if you can only do one thing…

For all you music junkies don’t miss out on the Glanusk Park Green Man Festival (Fri 17-Sun 19 Aug, Tickets: £145). Featuring Van Morrison, one of the true greats of music, you’d be silly to pass down the chance of witnessing the work of this lyrical genius and the many other brilliant acts taking part throughout the weekend.