The biggest music festival in the history of Cardiff starts today

A three week-long celebration of music is coming to Cardiff from tomorrow (Friday, September 27).

According to organisers the Cardiff Music City Festival is set to push the boundaries of music innovation, performance and tech.

A spokesperson said: “The Welsh capital has a rich history as an exciting and energetic music city and this autumn Cardiff’s streets will pulse with immersive music happenings, secret gigs, headline shows and inventive pop-ups.

“A city where music interventions and unusual residencies are suddenly coming alive in unexpected corners. A city where electronic and dance events, sonic
art and talks with emerging artists and cultural thinkers push things forward.

“Intending to challenge, excite and inspire fans across generations and genres, and provide platforms and showcases for radical ideas, sounds and collaborations, the Cardiff Music City Festival will break new ground in disruptive, diverting, spectacular ways.

“Aiming to attract over 20,000 people to grassroots venues, concert halls and arenas, the festival will bring together household international names and local talent. Reinventing what a music festival can be, Cardiff Music City Festival promises to be the beginning of something very, very special.”

What’s happening? As well as a series of one-off unique performances, long-established events in Cardiff and Wales’ cultural calendar will also become vital parts of the ambitious celebrations under the Cardiff Music City Festival banner this year including:
• Electronic music pioneers Leftfield and Orbital lighting the torch that signals the opening of festival at the Utilita Arena (Fri 27 Sept)
• The same venue will see Ms. Lauryn Hill and The Fugees reunite for The Miseducation Anniversary Tour (Wed 9 Oct)
• Cardiff’s annual international arts festival, Llais Festival is inspired by the instrument that connects us all – the voice. With a mixture of free and ticketed events, Llais presents a programme of adventurous live music including Joan as Police Woman, Squid and Porridge Radio (Tues 8 Oct – Sun 13 Oct)
• Llais opens with the ceremony for an annual music award for the best album from Wales. The Welsh Music Prize shortlist for 2024 includes Gruff Rhys, Aleighcia Scott, Lemfreck, HMS Morris and CHROMA who’ll perform at Wales Millennium Centre (Tues 8 Oct)

• Established in 2007, Sŵn Festival is an award-winning multi-venue music festival that focuses on new music, emerging artists and homegrown acts and has grown into one of the UK’s most eminent new music festivals. This year’s line-up includes recent Mercury Prize winner English Teacher, Wu-Lu, Art School Girlfriend, Lambrini Girls, Porij and many more (Thurs 17 Oct – Sat 19 Oct)
• Melting dancefloors from the moment his debut album True Colours dropped in 2002, Cardiff local High Contrast has been at the heart of the drum and bass scene ever since. A special invitation into his cinematic world sees a live streamed event, direct from his studio giving unparalleled insight into his creative genius at the Atrium University of South Wales (Sat 28 Sept)
• Gaelic rap sensations Kneecap turn up the heat midweek at Tramshed (Tue 1 Oct) before jazz fusion saxophonist and poet Alabaster DePlume hypnotises in the serene surroundings of Llandaff Cathedral (Wed 2 Oct). N’famady Kouate celebrates his Mandingue African roots alongside indie jazz references.
• Local rapper Mace the Great was born and raised in Splott, the area of Cardiff celebrated in his Welsh Music Prize nominated album SplottWorld, but the last few years have seen him winning invites to the MOBOs and delivering storming sets at SXSW. Mace returns to Cardiff’s Tramshed for Welcome to Wales a stunning showcase of local Welsh hip-hop talent, also featuring Sage Todz and Luke RV, Aleighcia Scott, Adjua, Local Source and Silk Futures (Sat 5 Oct)
Plus countless other live concerts, interactive arts installations and arts and music industry events happening all over the city.

The festival site stretches throughout the city, collaborating with the city’s thriving independent grassroots venues, concert halls and arenas including:

• Clwb Ifor Bach – The iconic indie venue in Cardiff, gigs in one of three spaces in Clwb Ifor Bach have been the beating heart of Wales’ music scene since it opened its doors as a Welsh language social club in 1963.
• Utilita Arena Cardiff – Wales’ largest exhibition centre with a capacity of 7,500 which recently celebrated its 30th birthday.
• Llandaff Cathedral – One of two cathedrals in the city, the site has been a place of congregation for almost a millennium.
• Wales Millennium Centre – Wales national arts centre and the home of Llais festival, this unique building hosting a range of concert halls and performance spaces, is the dominant landmark of historic Cardiff Bay.
• The Great Hall – The home of Cardiff University’s Students Union in the heart of the Cathays area of the city, the 1.5k capacity Great Hall has held seminal gigs for breakthrough bands for more than half a century.
• Tramshed – located in a Grade II-listed building that was once the old tram depot for west Cardiff, Tramshed has held intimate concerts for over a decade.

• CULT VR Lab – Europe’s first immersive arts centre, The Lab creates an environment for multi-disciplinary artists to host truly mind-bending performances in this most unique of spaces.
• Atrium, University of South Wales – The city centre campus and the home of its Creative Industry offerings.
• District – perfectly nestled on the renowned Greyfriars Road, an essential stop for DJs and artists from South Wales and across the globe.
• Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama (RWCMD) – Wales’ national conservatoire, situated at the edge of Bute Park.
• The Gate – An arts centre hidden in the Cardiff suburb of Roath, finding its home in a Grade II listed church building.
• Chapter Arts Centre – This converted school building is home to more than 50 artists and creative companies in the historic community of Canton.
• The Moon – Nestled on the culturally infamous Womanby Street, The Moon was rescued from closure by locals in 2017 and now thrives as a non-profit community performance venue.
• Fuel – The only dedicated rock & metal venue in Cardiff, Fuel provides a hub for all fans of heavy music and continuing Cardiff’s tradition of legendary rock gigs.
• Porter’s – Hidden away in plain sight in Cardiff’s city centre, Porter’s is an gig/comedy/arts bar that is also home to Wales’ only pub theatre.
• The Sustainable Studio – A haven for makers, creators and startups, The Sustainable Studio has moved into its new space and become Cardiff’s newest arts space.

The Cardiff Music City Festival runs from 27 September – 20 October

• Cardiff Music City Festival website
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• Listen to a Spotify playlist of festival artists HERE