Various venues, Cardiff
Fri 24-Sun 26 Aug
Hub Festival will be returning to Cardiff in its customary August Bank Holiday slot, with as impressive and extensive a lineup as ever. Proving again that Womanby Street truly is the centre of music in Cardiff, Hub have announced a stellar roster for this year’s instalment. Having been crowned 2017’s Lineup Of The Year at the Cardiff Music Awards, this year they are certainly leading by example.
With the first round of acts now having been released, the collection of artists performing encompass the best of Welsh music – to name five, Rainbow Maniac, La Forme, Rachel K Collier, Al Moses and Horizons 2018 artist Aleighcia Scott, who’ll be accompanied by a band. Reggae, metal, hip-hop, shoegaze – the talent that will be displayed over three days is extraordinarily diverse, with over 150 acts announced to date. Also on offer is a plethora of workshops, spoken word performances and comedy: the variety of Hub is truly impressive.
Minty, creator of Minty’s Gig Guide and an iconic map of Cardiff’s music venues, will be hosting a relaunch and a talk, with special guests to be confirmed. A further welcome sight on the agenda is the Mental Health In Music workshop at Campfa (a recently opened gallery in Queens Arcade) on Sat 25 – pleasing evidence that this topic is being increasingly less neglected by the industry, with more opportunities to discuss it in open and honest ways.
Since its beginnings in 2013, the multi-venue festival keeps expanding, with stages this year in Tiny Rebel, Clwb Ifor Bach, The Moon and Blue Honey to name a few. Hub is an ideal way to spend the August bank holiday in the Welsh capital, celebrating the arts in – yes – the hub of the city. It’s festivals like this one which solidify the importance of Cardiff’s music scene, encouraging unity among venues, promoters and more while highlighting how the city is brimming with noise. With tickets peaking at just £25, this event is an absolute steal. FFION RIORDAN-JONES
Tickets: ÂŁ25 weekend/ÂŁ15 per day (adult); ÂŁ15/ÂŁ7 per day (12-17-year-olds); free under-12s. Info: [email protected]