Find out what’s on in South Wales this week
If you’re an animal lover, or simply want to try some of the best food and drink Wales has to offer, check out the Royal Welsh Show (Royal Welsh Showground, Powys, Mon 20-Thurs 23 July. Admission: £25 / £5 child). As well as showcasing the finest Welsh livestock the show will have motorcyclists performing mid-air tricks, tug-of-war and fencing competitions, cabaret and a sheep dog and duck demonstration.
Cardiff Tattoo and Toy Convention (Mercure Cardiff Holland House Hotel, Sat 25-Sun 26 July. Tickets: £18 day/£30 weekend) hosts its most recent get-together this weekend. With over 130 tattoo and body modification artists to meet and a range of toy collectables to choose from, you’ll be spoilt for choice in this odd mix of a convention.
Caerphilly hosts The Big Cheese Festival (across Caerphilly, Fri 24-Sun 26 July. Admission: free) for the 18th consecutive year. Tuck in to some cheddar, wensleydale and brie, then watch people run after their cheese of choice in The Great Cheese Race.
Blysh (Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay, Fri 24 July-Sun 2 Aug. Tickets: individual events £8-£12 / many events free) is back with its wacky, circus themed cabaret and street art festival. In the evenings there will be game shows, discos and burlesque dancing, whilst during the day Cardiff is set to explode into colour for a recreation of India’s Holi Festival.
For all food fanatics, the Lampeter Food Festival (Lampeter, Ceredigion, Sat 25 July. Admission: free) will be selling a variety of organic and homemade foods to tingle your taste buds. Local chefs will be providing cookery demonstrations and there will also be entertainment from musicians and a children’s theatre.
The West End comes to Cardiff once again with the award-winning musical Jersey Boys (Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay, Tues 21-Sat 1 Aug. Tickets: £17.50-£48 / £53.50 – £57.50 premium seats). With hit songs: Big Girls Don’t Cry, Can’t Take My Eyes Off You and Oh What A Night, the performance hopes to take you back to a glorious pop era.
Barry Island brings you the Street Music Weekender (Barry Island, Sat 25-Sun 26 July. Admission: free). With performances from All That Jazz, The Bucket Band, The Rock Choir, Wonderbrass and Samba Galez, why not indulge in some music in the sun.
South Wales Intercultural Community Arts (SWICA) kicks off its Cardiff Carnival Camp (Fitzalan High School, Lawrenny Avenue, Leckwith, Cardiff, Tue 21 July-Thurs 6 Aug. Admission: free) this week. SWICA’s workshops encourage people of all ages to explore their artistic flair by creating their own carnival costumes, which they can show off at the Cardiff Carnival on Sat 8 Aug.
MusicFest (Aberystwyth Arts Centre, Wed 22 July-Sat 1 Aug. Tickets: individual events prices separately / weekly courses £100-£565) – the eight day long festival/summer school returns to Aberystwyth this week. Expect a variety of masterclasses in everything from vocal training, cello and flute to jazz, conducting and chamber music. There will also be concert performances from the students and professional musicians such as jazz quintet The Sessions, harpist Anne Denholm and the Solem Quartet.
Brining rock music to the valleys, Steelhouse Festival (Sat 25-Sun 26 July, tickets: £50 day/£80 weekend) head bangs its way to Ebbw Vale this weekend. Former Twister Sister, Dee Snider, and influential rock band UFO headline alongside a mass of budding local Welsh talent.
words PHOEBE DAVIES