Experimental music and art festival set to return this autumn

A festival celebrating experimental music and art is set to return to Swansea this November.

Gŵyl NAWR will return to the Tŷ Tawe venue in Swansea on the weekend of the 6th and 7th of November 2026.

Headlining the opening night on Friday the 6th of November will be Evolution of Beauty, the musical alias of composer, musician, sound artist and producer Richard James, formerly of the band Gorky’s Zygotic Mynci. Fresh from undertaking a residency at the Temple of Peace with three 7-hour live performances of newly commissioned works as part of the Cardiff Music City Festival, Richard will perform some of these pieces at this year’s Gŵyl NAWR.

James will be joined by Teddy Hunter, a Cardiff-based immersive audio artist and musician creating electronic alternative music rooted in sonic arts, the environment, and ambient sound, and the refined live and sequenced instrumentation of Hylif.

Saturday the 7th of November is an all-day event, with doors opening at midday and music running across the venue’s two stages until 22:00.

Closing the night will be the trailblazing musical polymath, NikNak, who has carved a niche for herself in the music industry with her distinctive turntablism, immersive compositions, and captivating improvised performances. Heralded by the likes of DJ Mag, Clash, The Wire and Resident Advisor, her debut album Bashi garnered critical acclaim, positioning her as one to watch in the experimental electronic music scene.

For this special live performance, NikNak will create an improvisational turntable piece honouring Daphne Oram – using Daphne’s unique sounds, responding to them in real-time and manipulating them using effects and experimental scratch techniques to create strange, new textures from the Oram archives.

Also performing will be Pat Morgan, a key member of the experimental band Datblygu from 1984-2020. Earlier this year, to mark five years since the passing of David R. Edwards, Recordiau NAWR released a new CD bringing together the final five songs he recorded with Pat, alongside a selection of previously unreleased early demos. Pat has also performed with artists such as Rhodri Davies and Gwenno on various experimental projects.

Malcolm Neon is the stage name of Malcolm Gwyon, a Welsh synthpop and electronic musician from Cardigan, Ceredigion, a town also associated Datblygu, with whom Neon would later collaborate. In the early 1980s he founded Casetiau Neon, the first DIY underground tape label in Wales, releasing 18 cassettes between 1980 and 1985. Gŵyl NAWR will be only Malcolm’s second live show in 35 years.

The event will also see brand new pieces performed from Warm Leveret (Emma Daman Thomas), Angharad Jenkins & Pete Williams, and Taranau Orchestra, commissioned thanks to support from Tŷ Cerdd’s Create fund.

Also performing on the Saturday will be Hap a Damwain, Spirited Followers, John Bisset + Dan Johnson, Plague Doctors Cure All, FFRWD, and Leona Jones.

There will also be an art installation from artist Osian Grifford exploring the Welsh language in our museums and communities, and an opportunity to browse experimental records, CDs and cassettes thanks to Malcolm Neon and Tony Schiavone as well as the Tangled Parrot.

During the day on the Friday, there will also be an experimental DJ workshop with Daisy Moon at the Volcano Theatre. This workshop is open to women and gender diverse folk and is suitable for those from beginners to intermediate level.

Gŵyl NAWR 2026 is part of a continuing series of collaborations between NAWR and Menter Iaith Abertawe, Swansea’s Welsh language initiative.

NAWR (meaning NOW in Welsh) is a multidisciplinary concert series in Swansea and Hay-on-Wye covering experimental music, free improvisation, film, lo-fi, free jazz, sound art, alternative folk, and new music.

NAWR’s work aims to offer an open and reflective space for an audience to experience new music in a welcoming and intimate setting. Menter Iaith Abertawe’s work involves creating opportunities for people of all ages to use and enjoy the Welsh language.

Gŵyl NAWR 2026 is supported by Tŷ Cerdd, Welsh Government and Dydd Miwsig Cymru, and the Oram Awards.

Friday tickets are available for £8, Saturday day tickets are £15, or combined weekend tickets are available for only £20 in advance.

All tickets are available to purchase here.

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