Broadway’s biggest exports grace Wales’ most prestigious stages and hometown heroes return to pack out arenas… Here are the biggest shows, festivals and live music events happening in Wales over 2025 for those looking to be entertained in a big way, compiled by David James.
Bat Out Of Hell
Award-winning musical combines the music of Jim Steinman and US ballad singer Meat Loaf.
New Theatre, Cardiff, Mon 3-Sat 8 Feb.
Tickets: £24-£60. Info: here
The Marriage Of Figaro
Mozart’s celebrated opera, taken on here by WNO, is a vibrant comedy brimming with romance, intrigue, and scandal.
Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay, Thurs 6 + Sat 8 Feb; Wed 9 + Sat 12 Apr.
Tickets: £21-£89. Info: here
Peter Andre in The Best Of Frankie Valli And The Four Seasons
Mysterious Girl singer heads this tribute to Italian-American pop don Valli.
Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay, Sun 9 Feb.
Tickets: £33.50-£52.50. Info: here
The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe
What will Dorothy, the tin man and the lion discover at the end of the yellow brick road?
Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay, Tue 11-Sat 15 Feb.
Tickets: £15-£42. Info: here
Jason Donovan
A celebration of the Aussie singer, actor and all-round showman’s life.

New Theatre, Cardiff, Fri 14 Feb.
Tickets: £37.25-£155.25. Info: here
House Party
Sets from CVC, Suns Of Thunder, Aderyn and plenty more, in conjunction with Music Venue Trust and in support of local grassroots venues.
Swansea Arena, Sat 15 Feb.
Tickets: £10. Info: here
Snow Patrol
Northern Irish band fronted by Gary Lightbody take to Cardiff’s Utilita Arena.
Utilita Arena Cardiff, Tue 18 Feb.
Tickets: £55-£130. Info: here
John Bishop
The Scouse funnyman brings his Back At It show to north Wales.
Pavilion Theatre, Rhyl, Fri 21 Feb; Venue Cymru, Llandudno, Thurs 13 Mar.
Tickets: £45.50. Info: Rhyl / Llandudno
Ghost The Musical
Murdered on his way home, Sam’s death leaves Molly heartbroken. As a ghost, he tries to warn her of impending danger.
Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay, Tue 4-Sat 8 Mar.
Tickets: £18.50. Info: here
Murder On The Orient Express
The infamous Agatha Christie whodunit mystery is adapted for stage by Ken Ludwig.
New Theatre, Cardiff, Tue 4-Sat 8 Mar.

Tickets: £27-£49. Info: here
Harry Hill
Comedian toasts his diamond jubilee, that is to say his 60th birthday, with his New Bits And Greatest Hits show.
Pavilion Theatre, Rhyl, Fri 7 Mar.
Tickets: £33. Info: here
Disney On Ice
Celebrate 100 years of Disney with characters such as Micky, Woody and Moana.
Utilita Arena Cardiff, Thurs 13 Mar.
Tickets: £34. Info: here
You Me At Six
Five-piece English rock group perform at the Great Hall.
Great Hall, Cardiff University Students Union, Fri 14 Mar.
Tickets: £52.85. Info: here
John Cale
Carmarthen rocker takes his POPtical Illusion tour to the Welsh capital.
New Theatre, Cardiff, Sat 29 Mar.
Tickets: £39.50. Info: here
Death Of A Salesman
Arthur Miller’s timeless play, telling the story of the last 24 hours of travelling salesman Willy Loman’s life, with David Hayman in the main role.
New Theatre, Cardiff, Tue 1-Sat 5 Apr.
Tickets: £20-£46. Info: here
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
The iconic Dick Van Dyke-starring classic film comes to the WMC stage.
Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay, Tue 15-Sat 18 Apr.
Tickets: £20-£80. Info: here
Craig Revel Horwood
Strictly Come Dancing judge sings songs from his new album and tells showbiz tales.
William Aston Hall, Wrexham, Sat 19 Apr.
Tickets: £35. Info: here

Greg Davies
Welsh comedian known for The Inbetweeners, Taskmaster and The Cleaner brings brand new standup material to Swansea.
Swansea Arena, Wed 30 Apr.
Tickets: £51.40. Info: here
Chicago
Broadway musical depicting two murderesses in 1920s Chicago who strive for fame and fortune.
Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay, Mon 5-Sat 10 May.
Tickets: £18-£82. Info: here
Focus Wales
It’s the 15th year that this music event has ran, providing a platform for musical talent from across Wales and beyond.
Various venues, Wrexham, Thurs 8-Sat 10 May.
Tickets: from £70 (weekend). Info: focuswales.com
Derren Brown: Only Human
A new show from the magician known for cognitive illusion and mind control.
Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay, Tue 20-Sat 24 May.
Tickets: £22-£68. Info: here
Manic Street Preachers
There’s no reason to have motorcycle emptiness when James Dean Bradfield and the boys are in town.
Swansea Arena, Fri 9 + Sat 10 May.
Tickets: £45.98. Info: here

Olly Murs
Essex pop star Olly Murs provides cheeky charm as he sings chart-topping hits like Troublemaker and Dance With Me Tonight.
Utilita Arena Cardiff, Mon 12 + Tue 13 May.
Tickets: £35-£67.50. Info: here
Supergrass
Oxford indie band known for 1995 hit Alright grace the Great Hall.
Great Hall, Cardiff University Students Union, Sun 18 May.
Tickets: £35. Info: here
Panic Shack
Cardiff-originated, all-female punk group hit Newport with songs called things like The Ick.
Corn Exchange, Newport, Sun 25 May.
Tickets: £19. Info: here
Scissor Sisters
Jake Shears and crew perform hits such as I Don’t Feel Like Dancin’ on their first tour in 12 years.
Utilita Arena Cardiff, Tue 20 May.
Tickets: £42.50-£75. Info: here
Pixies
Massachusetts rockers introduce new album The Night The Zombies Came alongside old favourites.
Utilita Arena Cardiff, Wed 21 May.
Tickets: £50. Info: here
The Girl On The Train
Paula Hawkins’ psychological thriller novel has sold over 20 million copies – and been adapted for the stage.
New Theatre, Cardiff, Tue 27-Sat 31 May.
Tickets: £24-£49. Info: here
Sophie Ellis-Bextor
Join Murder On The Dancefloor popstar for a night of pop hits and vibing dance moves.
Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay, Sun 1 June.
Tickets: £34.50. Info: here
Gottwood
A boutique electro festival hidden amidst the Welsh forests of Anglesey.
Carreglwyd Estate, Anglesey, Thurs 12-Sun 15 June.
Tickets: TBC. Info: gottwood.co.uk
Public Image Ltd
John Lydon and band return to Cardiff on tour named This Is Not… The Last Tour.
Depot, Cardiff, Sat 14 June.
Tickets: £35. Info: here
& Juliet
Created by the director of Schitt’s Creek, here we find Juliet casting aside the ending of Romeo And Juliet to find love and happiness on her terms.
Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay, Mon 16-Wed 18 June.
Tickets: £19. Info: here

Rob Beckett
With his unmistakable bright teeth, blond hair and glasses, it’s Rob and his hysterical Giraffe show.
Swansea Arena, Wed 18 June.
Tickets: £34.35. Info: here
Lana Del Rey
The big stadium’s first gig of 2025 is also LDR’s first ever stadium show in the UK.
Principality Stadium, Cardiff, Mon 23 June.
Tickets: from £112. Info: here
Sting
One-time Police frontman rocks back up to Wales this summer, having headlined this very castle in summer 2023.
Cardiff Castle, Sat 28 June.
Tickets: £69.50. Info: here
The Book Of Mormon
Satirical musical which tells the tale of two mismatched missionaries who embark on an adventure from Salt Lake City to Africa.
Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay, Tue 1- Sat 19 July.
Tickets: £16-£103. Info: here
Alanis Morissette
Canadian alt-pop singer of a mid-90s vintage, though one whose legacy has been burnished in recent years, arrives at the Castle.
Cardiff Castle, Wed 2 July.
Tickets: £65. Info: here
Oasis
Did you get a ticket for the Manchester rockers? Oasis pandemonium set to ensue at the Principality, either way.
Principality Stadium, Cardiff, Fri 4 + Sat 5 July.
Tickets: £65-£185. Info: here
Stereophonics
Cwmaman’s rock sons, always a big draw for a Welsh audience.
Principality Stadium, Cardiff, Fri 11 + Sat 12 July.
Tickets: £50-£75. Info: here

Big Love Festival
Dubbed the UK’s friendliest festival, Usk is the place to be for a wholesome weekend of entertainment.
Cwm Cayo Farm, Usk, Thurs 17-Sun 20 July.
Tickets: £165 weekend/£70 under-18s/£10 under-13s/FREE under-5s. Info: biglovefestival.co.uk
Joseph And The Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat
Any Dream Will Do-renowned Andrew Lloyd Webber musical plays the Donald Gordon Theatre.
Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay, Tue 22-Sun 27 July.
Tickets: £17-£85. Info: here
Steelhouse Festival
It’s the 14th iteration of Ebbw Vale hard rock and metal festival Steelhouse this summer.
Hafod-Y-Dafal Farm, Ebbw Vale, Fri 25-Sun 27 July.
Tickets: £155 weekend/£25 under-15s. Info: steelhousefestival.com
Fontaines D.C.
Irish postpunk quintet play their first big Welsh outdoor headline show.
Cardiff Castle, Wed 30 July.
Tickets: £49.50. Info: here
Catfish And The Bottlemen
Llandudno’s finest exports perform songs like Cocoon and Kathleen.
Principality Stadium, Cardiff, Fri 1 Aug.
Tickets: £55-£90. Info: here
Summer Nights
Three evenings at this castle headlined by Razorlight, the Levellers and Squeeze, in that order.
Caldicot Castle, Fri 1-Sun 3 Aug.
Tickets: £46.50-£55. Info: here
Basement Jaxx
The unassuming production duo with a knack for top-shelf blaring club-pop excellence launch a set of shows over the August bank holiday weekend.
Bute Park, Cardiff, Sun 24 Aug.
Tickets: £55. Info: here

Stewart Lee
In which Lee “shares his stage with a sharp-tongued werewolf comedian from the subconscious who loathes humanity”.
New Theatre, Cardiff, Tue 16-Sat 20 Sept.
Tickets: £33.50. Info: here
Busted vs McFly
UK teen heartthrob guitar bands merge to create a millennial pop extravaganza.
Utilita Arena Cardiff, Tue 23 + Wed 24 Sept + Mon 6 Oct.
Tickets: from £55. Info: here
Dara Ó Briain
Irish comic shares the craic in Swansea, via his Re:Creation show.
Swansea Arena, Fri 3 Oct.
Tickets: £34.90. Info: here
Simply Red
Manc pop star Mick Hucknall plays his 40th anniversary tour.
Utilita Arena Cardiff, Sun 5 Oct.
Tickets: £80. Info: here
War Horse
Moving World War I-set tale of courage and friendship, brought to life with puppetry.
Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay, Wed 15-Sat 25 Oct.
Tickets: £18-£89. Info: here
Six
The musical story of Henry VIII’s wives, told celebration-of-girl-power style.
Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay, Tue 28 Oct-Sat 8 Nov.
Tickets: £19.50-£56. Info: here

The Fast Show
A follow-up UK live run for warmly-recalled 90s sketch comedy after a hit stint in early 2024, and this one has two Welsh dates.
Swansea Arena, Wed 5 Nov; Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay, Sun 23
Tickets: £38.50/£40.44. Info: Swansea / Cardiff
The Offspring
American punk rockers showcase latest album Supercharged.
Utilita Arena Cardiff, Mon 10 Nov.
Tickets: £52.50/£49.50. Info: here
Cliff Richard
Bachelor boy Sir Cliff sings hits such as Mistletoe & Wine.
Utilita Arena Cardiff, Sun 30 Nov.
Tickets: from £56.25. Info: here
James B Partridge’s Big Christmas Assembly
Musician who made his name on TikTok for singing school assembly classics and playing the piano.
Depot, Cardiff, Sun 14 Dec.
Tickets: £22.50-£29.50. Info: here
words DAVID JAMES