M = music / F = film / S = Stage/comedy/literature / FF = Family-friendly / A = Activity
ABERGAVENNY WRITING FESTIVAL – S/FF
Kings Arms Hotel, Abergavenny. Thurs 11-Sat 13 Apr
Three-day event full of workshops designed to give an insider’s insight into the writing industry. With professionals who specialise in poetry, journalism, novels, legal advice and publishing sharing their expertise, Thursday and Friday have been tailored for both casual and more serious adult writers alike, while Saturday will feature events for children of all ages.
Who: Marianne Kavanaugh, Ed Gilbert (food blogger Gourmet Gorro) plus debates, masterclasses and workshops
How much: varies – most events £7/£4 kids
Info: www.abergavennywritingfestival.com
MERTHYR COMEDY FESTIVAL – S
Various venues, Merthyr Tydfil. Thurs 25-Sat 27 Apr
After a successful first run last year, Merthyr Comedy Festival is back and bigger this time round, with a lineup including Craig Campbell, Jarred Christmas, Tanyalee Davis and Mock The Week regular Zoe Lyons. Fans of standup will be spoilt for choice, with acts in both English and Welsh over the weekend.
Who: Zoe Lyons, Wes Packer, Ignacio Lopez, Steffan Evans
How much: £5-£10 per show
Info: facebook.com/merthyrcomedyfestival
RAWFFEST – FF
Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. Thurs 25-Sun 28 Apr
True to its name, the projects showcased are all created and driven by the young emerging creators themselves, all Welsh and aged 14-25 – rawness made up for by energy, youthful smarts and creativity. Events range from music and poetry slams, to comedy, theatre, photography and circus performances. Some masterclasses may be ran by experts, but the festival is fundamentally about these emerging artists.
Who: The best and brightest young creatives today
How much: £20 weekend/£5 per day/£10 Saturday only
Info: www.rawffest.wales
THE CARNIVAL OF WORDS – S
Various venues, Wrexham. Sat 27 Apr-Sat 4 May
Over the past four years, Carnival Of Words has built a reputation for being an accessible yet impossibly insightful opportunity to learn from and interact with some of the veterans of the writing world. This year, names such as former government minister Alan Johnson and international bestselling author Amanda Prowse dominate the roster.
Who: Alan Johnson, Clair Mulley, Peter Laws
How much: £25 festival pass; individual events vary
Info: www.wrexhamcarnivalofwords.com
MACHYNLLETH COMEDY FESTIVAL – S
Various venues, Machynlleth. Fri 3-Sun 5 May
For one weekend only, this idyllic market town is completely transformed into a standup fan’s paradise, embracing hundreds of unique comedy shows in a number of intimate venues to create a warm party atmosphere. Devised by Henry Widdicombe and celebrated for its close-knit community and competitive lineups, since 2010 it’s functioned as an antidote to the rat race mayhem of the Edinburgh Fringe, with many comics using this as an opportunity to stretch their legs.
Who: Bridget Christie, Mark Watson, Stewart Lee
How much: varies depending on event; most performances £7-£10
Info: www.machcomedyfest.co.uk
LLANDUDNO VICTORIAN EXTRAVAGANZA – FF/A
Llandudno town centre. Sat 4-Mon 6 May
Taking to the town centre streets, the three-day event will fill the May bank holiday with traditional entertainment: maypole dancing, street theatre, carriage rides, a teddy bears’ picnic and a Grand Victorian Ball. Last year was complete with a vintage car and bike rally; the event slightly changes each year, but is guaranteed to be easy-going.
Who: History enthusiasts and fun-loving crowds
How much: free
Info: www.victorian-extravaganza.com
WALES INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTARY FESTIVAL – F
Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. Tue 7-Fri 10 May
Now in its fourth year, 2019 being its first in the capital, WIDF is the only specialist documentary festival in Wales. It brings filmmakers and documentarians from all over the world to Cardiff, giving them the opportunity to meet, connect and watch films that are hard to reach via the more standard theatrical release route. The festival will include 50 film screenings (including shorts), networking events, masterclasses and training programmes.
Who: TBC
How much: TBC (2018 tickets were £15 for the full festival/£4 per screening)
Info: www.widf.info
TREDEGAR HOUSE FOLK FESTIVAL – M
Tredegar House & Country Park, Newport. Fri 10-Sun 12 May
A weekend of international and traditional dance, music and song at the Tredegar House Folk Festival. The festival is celebrating its 30th year this summer and has plenty of entertainment already lined up for visitors: concerts, ceilidhs, children’s entertainers and free dance displays from a variety of local and international dance teams.
Who: Alaw, Bob Fox, Calan, Patty Gurdy
How much: TBC (festival site entry and dance displays free; concerts individually priced)
Info: www.tredegarhousefestival.org.uk
FOCUS WALES – M
Various venues, Wrexham. Thurs 16-Sat 18 May
FOCUS Wales is a multi-venue showcase festival that platforms emerging Welsh musical talent in addition to sets from a selection of established and international names. This year’s edition will include over 200 live performances across 20 stages, plus conferences headed by music industry talking heads, film screenings, stand-up comedy and arts events.
Who: Neck Deep, Boy Azooga, Kero Kero Bonito
How much: from £40
Info: www.focuswales.com
DEVAUDEN FESTIVAL – M/FF
Devauden Village Hall, Chepstow. Fri 17 + Sat 18 May
Family-friendly event in the heart of Monmouthshire, featuring performances across three stages, including an acoustic stage and two more set in their Glastonbury-style big top. If you’re bringing young’uns along, take note of the music workshops, face-painting, circus skills, crafts and play area in the Kids Zone.
Who: Rusty Shackle, Tankus The Henge
How much: £6-£48
Info: www.devaudenfestival.com
VALE OF GLAMORGAN FESTIVAL – M
Various venues, south Wales. Sat 18-Fri 24 May
Celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, and aiming as ever to bring innovative contemporary classical music to south Wales audiences. Along with performances from the BBC National Orchestra Of Wales and Graham Fitkin, this year’s festival will also feature the first ever New Music Mystery Tour: an intimate performance at a venue TBC, reached via a 30-minute coach journey from Cardiff Museum. Other venues include St David’s Hall, the Wales Millennium Centre, Penarth Pier Pavilion and Cardiff University School Of Music.
Who: Graham Fitkin, Armida Quartet, Sandbox Percussion
How much: £14-£16.50
Info: www.valeofglamorganfestival.org.uk
GEEKEDFEST – A
Newport Leisure Centre, Sat 18 + Sun 19 May; University Of Wales Trinity Saint David Campus, Swansea, Sat 3 + Sun 4 Aug
Comic-Con event set to feature appearances and meet-and-greets with actors from Doctor Who, Buffy, Iron Fist and more. Previous Geekedfests have also featured props exhibits, comics stalls and retro games and even a cosplay area; a weekend ticket for the Newport show is just £18 (most details for Swansea are still TBC).
Who: Simone Missick, Peter Shinkoda, Gareth David-Lloyd
Tickets: £18 both days/£10 per day
Info: www.geekedfestevents.com
THE HAY FESTIVAL – S
Various venues, Hay-On-Wye. Thurs 23 May-Sun 2 June
World-famous literature and arts event in the small market border town renowned for its extraordinarily high number of bookshops per person. Plenty of names have been confirmed, including Carole Cadwalladr, Stephen Fry, Stacey Dooley, Julia Donaldson and Michael Rosen, prior to the full lineup announcement in early April. There’s music too, of which The Waterboys are a highlight, performing a two-part concert on the first day of the festival.
Who: Lucy Worsley, Sandi Toksvig, James Ellroy
How much: varies per event
Info: www.hayfestival.com
MERTHYR RISING – M
Penderyn Square, Merthyr Tydfil. Fri 24-Sun 26 May
Celebrating, through music, art and political discussion, the famous workers’ uprising of 1831 in this town, Merthyr Rising promises to be a celebration of the working class whilst simultaneously challenging the inequality that blights towns such as Merthyr throughout the UK. With 2019 being its sixth edition, it has previously hosted the likes of Alabama 3, The Alarm and Francesca Martinez.
Who: Black Grape, Cast, Neville Southall
How much: From £25 (day pass) to £60 (weekend pass + camping); free under-15s
Info: www.merthyrrising.uk
HOWTHELIGHTGETSIN – M/S
Various venues, Hay-On-Wye. Fri 24-Mon 27 May
Said to be the world’s largest philosophy and music festival, HowTheLightGetsIn encapsulates the saying, ‘Up there for thinking. Down there for dancing!’ Whether it’s engaging in talks from political speakers such as ex-Conservative MP Anna Soubry and Momentum founder, Jon Lansman, marvelling at the wonders of science with CERN theoretician John Ellis, laughing along with comics such as Phil Wang, or losing yourself in the dark musical artistry of Anna Calvi, HowTheLightGetsIn is likely to both engage and excite.
Who: Tony Law, British Sea Power, Liz Truss
How much: full weekend from £144; day tickets £38
Info: www.howthelightgetsin.org
THE BIG RETREAT – M/FF/A
Lawrenny, Pembrokeshire. Fri 24-Mon 27 May
An event promising to excite the body and calm the mind in equal measure, while allowing you a chance to nurture your inner being via live music, comedy, talks, yoga, workshops, cookery demonstrations and, most importantly, spoon carving. With the Majical Youth Theatre Company, swing boat rides and trampolines, the kids will be impressed too.
Who: Rusty Shackle, Matt Pritchard, Shahroo Izadi
How much: weekend £149/£60 kids; day tickets £25-£60/£15-£20 kids
Info: www.thebigretreatwales.co.uk
URDD EISTEDDFOD – M/S/FF
Cardiff Bay. Mon 27 May-Sat 1 June
Although not as old as the National Eisteddfod, said to date back to 1176, the Urdd Eisteddfod – which first began in 1929 at Corwen – features thousands of children and young people, echoing its older sibling with its many competitive aspects. Furthermore, there’ll be hundreds of colourful stalls and activities – biking and climbing, a funfair, live music and children’s shows.
Who: the sharpest cultural competitors amongst Wales’ schools
How much: main festival free; entry to preliminaries and to the pavilion £15/£13
Info: www.urdd.cymru/en/eisteddfod
FIRE IN THE MOUNTAIN – M
Venue TBC on purchase, nr Aberystwyth. Fri 31 May-Sun 2 June
Barn dances, workshops, singalongs and campfires at this traditional, rustic folk fest. This year will also include a special feature celebrating the traditional music of Trinidad and Tobago, plus late night music sessions taking place at the Travelling Barn after midnight. Then there’s the Music Only ticket: functioning as a satirical protest of sorts against the tariff imposed on FITM by the Performing Rights Society, this costs £20 (covering the base royalties paid to the PRS) and sees the visitor blindfolded on entry to the festival and unable to enjoy much of its visual attraction, any of the food, or drink beyond water.
Who: Bruce Molsky’s Mountain Drifters, Chance McCoy, The Po’ Boys Cajun Band
How much: £5-£135
