Free tickets released for festival marking 20 years of devolution

Tickets have been released for the first GWLAD: Future Wales Festival taking place in Cardiff Bay from 25-29 September.

The festival is part of a series of events being held to mark 20 years of devolution in Wales with further one-day GWLAD events taking place in Carmarthen, Caernarfon and Wrexham in the autumn.

The aim of the festival is to initiate debate about how Wales should be in the future, focusing on topics such as society, politics, culture, diversity and equality, sport, language, media and how Wales is portrayed outside its borders.

There is also a celebration of Welsh art, culture, comedy and music.

Key events will also be streamed online here

The festival, which is being held in the Senedd, Pierhead buildings, and inside the Siambr debating chamber itself, opens with a session chaired by ITV Wales Political Editor Adrian Masters. In the company of a panel of guests he’ll reflect on the establishment of the Assembly in 1999 before discussing hopes and aspirations for the nation for next 20 years.

Race Council Cymru’s discussion session will focus on the key challenges for equality in the Welsh economy, and the panellists are Professor Emmanuel Ogbonna (Cardiff Business School), Professor Parvaiz Ali (Former Head of Nuclear Medicine, Singleton Hospital), Ali Abdi (Community Organiser, Citizens Cymru), Sahar Al-Faifi (Regional Manager of South Wales and West England Muslim Engagement and Development), chaired by Chantal Patel (Swansea University). To coincide with the festival Race Council Cymru will hold their Black History Wales Youth Awards at the Pierhead building.

There will also be conversations with Charlotte Church and Rhys Ifans, and a comedy night with Tudur Owen and the team behind Machynlleth Comedy Club. He will be joined by stand-ups Lloyd Langford, Kiri Pritchard-McLean, Mike Bubbins, Matt Rees and Esyllt Sears.

The line-up for the BBC Horizons music gig will be revealed at a later date.