Popular music festivals secure Welsh Government backing

Two festivals taking place next month are have secured backing from the Welsh Government.

Gottwood and Merthyr Rising both take place over the weekend of 9 to 12 June and are looking forward to welcoming back the crowds for the first time since the Covid Pandemic.

The popular events have received support from the Welsh Government through Event Wales, which is intended to help the event owners grow and develop the events.

Merthyr Rising takes in the town during the anniversary of one of the very first organised uprisings by workers in 1831 known as the Merthyr Rising.

The festival now celebrates this historic event through a cultural festival of music, arts, and political discussion.

Gottwood is a critically acclaimed intimate underground electronic music festival which takes place in Holyhead, Anglesey.

The Independent newspaper referred to it as “One of the most important boutique festivals that the UK has to offer.”

According to latest figures from 2019, before the pandemic halted large public gatherings, events supported through Event Wales attracted 200,000 visitors to Wales which generated £33.35 million in direct economic impact and supported more than 770 jobs in the wider tourism economy.

During the pandemic, the Cultural Recovery Fund from the Welsh Government provided more than £108 million of financial support to the cultural, creative, events and sport sectors.

History and culture

Lyn Williams, Merthyr Rising Festival Organiser, said: Merthyr Rising Festival is committed to delivering a festival that promotes our town’s history and culture whilst attracting visitors to Merthyr Tydfil and the surrounding region.

The support from Welsh Government is invaluable to us and will allow us to grow the festival for years to come. The growth of the festival ties in with our vision to achieve the enhanced economic activity and perception that our area needs and deserves.

Tom Carpenter, Director of Gottwood Festival, said: “We are extremely grateful for the contributions the Arts Council of Wales and Welsh Government have made to support the event.

“This help is invaluable, and with it, the understanding of how festivals are not only extremely important to culture, the local economy and mental health, helping people escape from a very difficult and isolated few years.

“Without such help we would not be able to afford the extreme increase in general costs that it takes to put on a festival in a climate where the cost of living has gone up considerably alongside many variables, including production and labour.

“Gottwood is forever grateful and can’t wait to finally see what is most important to us come to fruition – people from all areas of Wales, UK, Europe and beyond coming together to experience music in a setting we regard as one of the most beautiful areas of the world.

Proud

Economy Minister, Vaughan Gething, added: These two events are great examples of home-grown events that we are proud to support with Welsh Government funding support through Event Wales.

Supporting events like this enriches our arts and cultural offer in communities across Wales. Crucially the events that we support provide a platform for emerging Welsh talent and often provide the basis for an event that goes onto gain international recognition for Wales.

“We will continue to support events across a range of sectors including culture, sport and business. I look forward to the events sector playing a key role in our economic and cultural future”.