For the forward-thinking culture vultures, Billy Edwards has your 2024 calendar for what’s on in Wales done and dusted. Read on for the year’s most notable gigs, shows, festivals and more.
WHAT’S ON IN WALES: JANUARY 2024
Peter Pan Goes Wrong
Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay, Mon 22-Sat 27 Jan
Hapless comedy troupe perform the boy who never grew up.
Tickets: £16.50-£59. Info: here
WHAT’S ON IN WALES: FEBRUARY 2024
Rhod Gilbert
Theatr Hafren, Newtown, Fri 1 Feb; Venue Cymru, Llandudno, Thurs 23 + Fri 24 May; William Aston Hall, Wrexham, Fri 11 Oct + Sat 1 Feb; Pavilion Theatre, Rhyl, Wed 20 Oct; Swansea Arena, Thurs 21-Sat 23 Nov; Aberystwyth Arts Centre, Thurs 30 + Fri 31 Jan; Utilita Arena Cardiff, Thurs 24 + Fri 25 Apr
Carmarthen boy’s extensive new tour (whose total span of dates finish in November 2025),with a show …& The Giant Grapefruit inspired by his cancer treatment.
Tickets: from £39.25. Info: here
Frankie Boyle
Swansea Arena, Thurs 7 + Fri 8 Feb; New Theatre, Cardiff, Tue 13 + Wed 14 Feb
A refined Fringe show, Lap Of Shame, for this darkly funny standup.
Tickets: £32.25. Info: Swansea / Cardiff
Bill Bailey
Utilita Arena Cardiff, Sat 24 Feb + Wed 6 Mar
Comedian stews on the mysteries of the human mind with music.
Tickets: £25-£60. Info: here
Rick Astley
Utilita Arena Cardiff, Mon 26 Feb
Crowdpleasing hits from the Glastonbury victor and ageless 80s star, who will also be in Cardiff Castle on Wed 10 July.
Tickets: £32.50-£65/£125 VIP. Info: utilitaarenacardiff.co.uk
WHAT’S ON IN WALES: MARCH 2024
Ja Rule
Utilita Arena Cardiff, Fri 1 Mar
Second tier rap mogul embarks on first UK tour for… decades?, opening in Cardiff.
Tickets: £75. Info: here
Welsh National Opera: Death In Venice
Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay, Thurs 7 + Sat 9 Mar; Venue Cymru, Llandudno, Wed 13 Mar
WNO’s spring season includes their first ever staging of Benjamin Britten’s 1973 opera.
Tickets: from £17/£5 under-16s. Info: here
Rob Brydon
Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay, Mon 11 Mar
Son of Glamorgan joined by orchestra for music and comedy.
Tickets: £42. Info: here
Edward Scissorhands
Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay, Tue 19-Sat 23 Mar
Matthew Bourne’s dance reimagining of the Johnny Depp film.
Tickets: £18-£56. Info: here
Happy Mondays
Utilita Arena Cardiff, Sat 23 Mar
Twist your melon with the Madchester group still going strong.
Tickets: £40. Info: here
Simple Minds
Utilita Arena Cardiff, Wed 27 Mar
UK leg of a world tour for this Glaswegian rock band.
Tickets: £45-£95/£165 VIP. Info: here
WHAT’S ON IN WALES: APRIL 2024
Johnny Marr
Great Hall, Cardiff University Students Union, Tue 9 Apr
Manc guitar hero brings a range of Smiths and solo numbers.
Tickets: £34. Info: here
Bear Grylls
Utilita Arena Cardiff, Fri 26 Apr
Real-life Action Man imparts daring stories and survival tips.
Tickets: £35-£55. Info: here
Pretty Woman
Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay, Mon 29 Apr-Sat 4 May
First tour of this musical adaption following West End residency.
Tickets: £19-£64. Info: here
WHAT’S ON IN WALES: MAY 2024
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band
Principality Stadium, Cardiff, Sun 5 May
The Boss makes his long-awaited return for perhaps the last time.
Tickets: £85-£145 (sold out). Info: here
Nye
Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay, Sat 18 May-Sat 1 June
Hotly-anticipated play starring Michael Sheen as the NHS architect.
Tickets: £19-£75. Info: here
Bryan Adams
Utilita Arena Cardiff, Sun 19 May
Canadian musician performing a range of power ballads and rockers galore.
Tickets: £52.85. Info: here
Bruce Dickinson
Swansea Arena, Tue 21 May
Iron Maiden yeller embarks on one of his occasional solo jaunts, with a new album titled The Mandrake Project.
Tickets: £44.87. Info: here
Girls Aloud
Utilita Arena Cardiff, Mon 27 May
Noughties girlband reunited, though without the late Sarah Harding to whom this tour will doubtless pay extensive tribute.
Tickets: £57.80. Info: here
Romesh Ranganathan
Utilita Arena Cardiff, Tue 28 + Wed 29 May
Deadpan TV comic investigates the human condition through humour.
Tickets: £36.45. Info: here
WHAT’S ON IN WALES: JUNE 2024
Liam Gallagher
Utilita Arena Cardiff, Mon 3 June
Arena show for Oasis frontman, performing their Definitely Maybe LP in full.
Tickets: £53.85. Info: here
Take That
Swansea.com Stadium, Thurs 6 June
Three-piece lineup head to Swansea ahead of new album.
Tickets: £60-£115/£225 VIP. Info: here
Ministry Of Sound Classical
Caldicot Castle, Fri 7 June
Club hits done on strings, also featuring Seb Fontaine and K-Klass this evening.
Tickets: £49.50. Info: here
The Stranglers
Caldicot Castle, Sat 8 June
Fifty years since forming, it says here, protopunkers’ remaining members tour, with the only slightly younger Buzzcocks in support.
Tickets: £52.50. Info: here
P!nk
Principality Stadium, Cardiff, Tue 11 June
Brash pop icon returns to Wales’ national stadium to launch a European tour.
Tickets: from £57.50. Info: here
The Smashing Pumpkins + Weezer
Cardiff Castle, Fri 14 June
Nineties overload as Pumpkins and Weezer share a Castle bill.
Tickets: £75. Info: here
Taylor Swift + Paramore
Principality Stadium, Cardiff, Tue 18 June
The world’s biggest pop star brings her record-breaking tour to Wales.
Tickets: £86.90-£195 (sold out). Info: here
Crowded House
Cardiff Castle, Thurs 20 June
Antipodean pop strummage from Neil Finn and company.
Tickets: £49.50. Info: here
Foo Fighters
Principality Stadium, Cardiff, Tue 25 June
Dave Grohl and crew perform their stadium anthems in Cardiff.
Tickets: £75 (sold out). Info: here
WHAT’S ON IN WALES: JULY 2024
Avril Lavigne
Cardiff Castle, Tue 2 July
One of your ‘pop star associated with specific era plays to bigger crowds now than during the era they are associated with’ type scenarios here.
Tickets: £49.50. Info: here
The National
Cardiff Castle, Wed 3 July
Fraternal grown-up indie band from Ohio who rose almost without trace, but rise they did.
Tickets: £52.50. Info: here
Manic Street Preachers + Suede
Cardiff Castle, Fri 5 + Sat 6 July
Britpop-infused evenings with veteran local legends and glam masters.
Tickets: £59.50 (sold out). Info: here
Tom Jones
Chepstow Racecourse, Sat 6 July
Ponty man of mahogany is the first headliner of what they’re calling Chepstow Summer Sessions; Gabrielle supports.
Tickets: £57.50. Info: here
JLS
Cardiff Castle, Sun 7 July
Aston, JB, Marvin and Ortisé return to Cardiff after two arena shows just before Halloween.
Tickets: £49.50. Info: here
Hozier
Chepstow Racecourse, Tue 9 July
Folk-pop Irishman returns to south Wales with Brittany Howard also on the bill.
Tickets: £45. Info: here
Llangollen International Eisteddfod
Various venues, Llangollen, Thurs 11 + Fri 12 July
Festival boasting Nile Rodgers and Chic, Manics, Paloma Faith, Jess Glynne…
Tickets: £62. Info: international-eisteddfod.co.uk
Idles
Cardiff Castle, Fri 12 July
Trenchant social commentary and mildly spiky postpunk guitars from Bristolian sages.
Tickets: £45. Info: here
Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds
Cardiff Castle, Wed 17 July
Third south Wales show in under a year from NGHFB as they settle into a regional residency here.
Tickets: TBC. Info: here
Madness
Cardiff Castle, Thurs 18 July
Similarly familiar in the area, Suggs and his henchmen return to the Castle two years since last checking in, with Cardiff Arena and Swansea shows having happened in between.
Tickets: £61.60. Info: here
Wizard Of Oz
Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay, Tue 23-Sun 28 July
Musical direct from London including songs from the beloved film.
Tickets: £17-£55. Info: here
Tom Grennan
Cardiff Castle, Fri 26 July
Heartfelt acoustic pop-rock man does his thing in the open air.
Tickets: £45. Info: here
Depot In The Castle
Cardiff Castle, Sat 27 July
Headlined by Anne-Marie with a full bill to be announced in due course.
Tickets: £45. Info: here
WHAT’S ON IN WALES: AUGUST 2024
Green Man Festival
Glanusk Park, nr Crickhowell, Thurs 15-Sun 18 Aug
Camp out for a summer weekend at this distinctly Welsh festival.
Tickets: £260 (sold out). Info: greenman.net
New Order
Alexandra Head, Cardiff Bay, Thurs 22 Aug
First Welsh show since 1983, apparently, supported by The Charlatans for whom this is not their first Welsh show since 1983.
Tickets: £55. Info: here
Becky Hill
Alexandra Head, Cardiff Bay, Sat 24 Aug
Dance-pop vocalist, initially known for moonlighting on other people’s songs but now a draw of her own; also in Utilita Arena Cardiff on Tue 22 Oct.
Tickets: £45. Info: here
Sarah Millican
Venue Cymru, Llandudno, Wed 28 Aug; Utilita Arena Cardiff, Thurs 5 Sept
Comedian recalls her formative childhood days in all-new show.
Tickets: £35. Info: Llandudno / Cardiff
WHAT’S ON IN WALES: SEPTEMBER 2024
Abergavenny Food Festival
Various locations, Abergavenny, Sat 21 + Sun 22 Sept
A festival providing culinary delights for more than 25 years.
Tickets: £13.50/many events FREE. Info: abergavennyfoodfestival.com
Beverley Knight
Utilita Arena Cardiff, Thurs 26 Sept
Rescheduled show on the soul sister’s biggest ever UK tour.
Tickets: £28-£50.50. Info: here
WHAT’S ON IN WALES: OCTOBER 2024
Cardiff Half Marathon
Various locations, Cardiff, Sun 6 Oct
Annual running event all around a scenic Cardiff course.
Admission: FREE to spectate. Info: cardiffhalfmarathon.co.uk
Wicked
Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay, Thurs 24 Oct-Sat 23 Nov
Acclaimed musical telling the witchy backstory of The Wizard Of Oz.
Tickets: £19-£96. Info: here
WHAT’S ON IN WALES: NOVEMBER 2024
Wales Whiskey Festival
St George’s Hotel, Llandudno, Fri 1 Nov
First Welsh event of its kind for this particular spirit.
Tickets: £45-£50 per day. Info: waleswhiskyfest.co.uk
Squeeze
Swansea Arena, Fri 8 Nov
Half a century in the game for game lads from Essex, supported on this tour by Badly Drawn Boy.
Tickets: from £30. Info: here
Within Temptation
Utilita Arena Cardiff, Fri 15 Nov
Pomp and circumstance from Netherlands symphonic rockers.
Tickets: £49.50. Info: here
Hamilton
Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay, Thurs 28 Nov-Sat 25 Jan
Broadway’s Founding Father phenomenon from the mind of Lin-Manuel Miranda.
Tickets: £25-£98. Info: here
WHAT’S ON IN WALES: DECEMBER 2024
The Human League
Utilita Arena Cardiff, Thurs 5 Dec
Eighties synthpop masterminded by lead singer Phil Oakey.
Tickets: £50-£95. Info: here
words BILLY EDWARDS
