Cardiff isn’t the only place in Wales to catch chart-topping artists while building a mild sunburn in the open air this summer. From Swansea to Colwyn Bay, here are the biggest outdoor gigs in Wales that are not to be missed from, from rising national treasure Lewis Capaldi to the Arctic Monkeys and the continuing return of N-Dubz.

LEWIS CAPALDI

Chepstow Racecourse, Sat 1 July

Professionally, Scotsman Lewis Capaldi is a singer-songwriter in the Ed Sheeran mould. But even if his wistful strumming isn’t your cup of tea, some of the stuff he comes out with on stage, on TV and social media might be enough to make you spit yours out. If you’re after a combination of the two, head down to Chepstow Racecourse on the first weekend of July and let the good tunes and painfully honest anecdotes flow.

Tickets: £57.75-£93.50 (sold out). Info: here

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ARCTIC MONKEYS

Swansea.com Stadium, Mon 12 June

Kicking off their European leg of The Car tour in April, this outdoor gig in Swansea will be one of a spate of UK shows leading up to the Arctic Monkeys’ Glasto headline slot this month. Judging by recent setlists, get ready for some unearthed gems from obscurity like Suck It And See among indie floorfillers like Brianstorm and I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor.

Tickets: £47.50-£175 (sold out). Info: here

GEORGE EZRA

Chepstow Racecourse, Sat 2 July

Now celebrating his 10th year in music, the English folk-rocker with some of the smoothest pipes around George Ezra takes musical inspiration from across the Atlantic rather than home turf, citing Woody Guthrie and Howlin’ Wolf as early influences. Suitably, the latest album he’s touring with, Gold Rush Kid, taps thematically and visually into the wild West.

Tickets: £49.95-£110. Info: here

LLANGOLLEN FRINGE FESTIVAL

Llangollen Town Hall, Fri 7-Sat 15 July

Serving once more as a delectable side dish to the main event, the Llangollen Fringe Festival has another strong lineup this year, including alien rave-rockers Henge, Ghanaian gospel singer Alogte Oho, traditional Welsh folk revivalists VRï, Nigerian electrofunk band Ibibio Sound Machine and maverick Manchester DJ (and cartoonist) Mr Scruff. 

Tickets: £85 (festival ticket; events also priced individually). Info: llangollenfringe.co.uk

MADNESS

Singleton Park, Swansea, Fri 21 July

British ska icons Madness have hardly stopped touring since their heyday in the 80s. Fans both new and old haven’t lost their appetite for brassy pop hits like Our House and Baggy Trousers either, as the band are still selling out large venues like Bournemouth’s International Centre – one of the stops on their big national arena tour, C’est La Vie, which comes to Swansea’s Singleton Park in July.

Tickets: £52.50/£125 hospitality. Info: here

MINISTRY OF SOUND CLASSICAL 

Singleton Park, Swansea

One of London’s most well-established clubs since 1991, Ministry Of Sound has grown from a dingy cavern in an old bus garage to a global brand in its 30-odd years. Continuing to build on its legacy, for this concert series, the Ministry collaborates with 50 virtuoso musicians to redefine the boundaries of orchestral performances, transforming iconic dance anthems into symphonies. This is set to be one Wales’ more unique outdoor gigs this summer. 

Tickets: £42.50/£95 hospitality. Info: here

N-DUBZ

Stadiwm CSM, Colwyn Bay

TV hasn’t quite been the same since Dappy stopped appearing on Never Mind The Buzzcocks, nor have music videos since Tulisa stopped wrecking luxury hotels in Miami. Having been on hiatus for 11 years, the pair of them – along with bandmate Fazer – reformed last year, the resultant tour selling out in minutes. Their newest album, meanwhile, is titled February and was released in… April.

Tickets: £45-£57.50. Info: here

words HANNAH COLLINS