Review: The Laugharne Weekend 2025

Pierre Donahue

“Would you rather be a werewolf or a vampire?” comedian Stewart Lee asks a packed Congregational church in Laugharne, the place Dylan Thomas once dubbed “the strangest town in Wales”. If you’ve seen his show before you will understand why. Stewart is a man who frequently performs dressed in fur aka – ‘Man Wulf’.

This is just one highlight from three days packed full of talks, poetry, readings, art, music, laughter, books and of course beer that happens each spring in the township.

There is definitely something wonderfully weird and unique about this event out on the edge of rural Carmarthenshire. “Never go there at the full moon!” Dylan also once said in jest. Thankfully the moon is not out this weekend, and nor are the werewolves for that matter. At least none that I saw.

The Laugharne Weekend, now in its 18th year, still manages to go under the radar. Its tickets fly out, not by mass marketing social media campaigns on TikTok, but by word of mouth and returning custom. That says a lot, and includes the artists too, who frequently return and clearly love it as much as the audience do.

There are no fancy green rooms, or luxury backstage yurts here. You’re just as likely to see the headliners at the bar, or queuing for chips, as up on stage. In fact there is nothing pretentious about this festival at all. It has a punky, DIY, edge that emanates from its organisers Richard and John. Their low key approach puts much more emphasis on the quality of the program than any fancy bells and whistles. And in that regard it punches well above its weight.

Folk royalty Martin and Eliza Carthy rubbed shoulders with comedians Josie Long, Robin Ince, John Shuttleworth, Mark Thomas, twitter poet laureate Brian Bilston and punk poet Luke Wright who previewed his new show Pub Grub.

Keith Allen reminisced about his Comic Strip days with director Peter Richardson. Stand up comic Nick Revell gave a joyous reading from his surreal love letter to Laugharne ‘Portrait of the dog as a young artist’ published by the resident book dealer and ‘Dylan Guy’ Jeff Towns.

Political cartoonist and Laugharne stalwart Martin Rowson was seemingly everywhere, and brought a fun and slightly bonkers star studded collaboration together for his satirical epic – Dunciad – featuring most of the above.

However, if there’s one event that stands out from the weekend it’s Mwsog’s utterly mesmerising late night set of psychedelic Welsh folk on Sunday night. Their dark mysticism and energy seem to capture the spirit of this place on the banks of the river Taf. A world where reality and dreams intertwine.

So there it was. Three days of cultural splendour and bohemian delights in Dylan Thomas country. See you all next year.