Welsh language music and arts festival returns to Swansea

Adam Johannes

Swansea is set for a cultural shake-up this summer as Gŵyl Tawe, a Welsh-language music and arts festival, returns to Wales’ second largest city, with the exciting lineup revealed today.

The festival which takes place across the weekend of 5–6 June 2026 has grown rapidly since its humble beginnings outside the Railway Inn in Killay. It is delivered by Menter Iaith Abertawe in partnership with Museum Wales, with support from Swansea Council, The Bunkhouse, the Taliesin Arts Centre, and funding from the Arts Council of Wales.

The weekend kicks off on Friday with a new opening night at The Bunkhouse, where alt-rock trio The Joy Formidable return to Gŵyl Tawe for their first full-volume electric gig in two years.

Frontwoman and guitarist Ritzy Bryan and bassist Rhydian Dafydd will be joined by new drummer Dafydd Cartwright, ahead of the band’s upcoming shows with the Manic Street Preachers and The Cure.

Also on the bill are the crushing noise-meets-melody of Breichiau Hir, Pat Morgan of Datblygu fame, and the minimalist “punk-neo rave” outfit Crinc.

On Saturday, the festival spills into the National Waterfront Museum, where Gwenno, a past Welsh Music Prize winner and Mercury Prize nominee, headlines the main stage.

Outdoors, psychedelic surf-rockers Melin Melyn take over the museum garden, while the critics’ favourite four-piece Mellt headline the Taliesin stage inside.

Drawing on influences from The Clash, The Band, and The Replacements, Mellt combine catchy guitar riffs with slacker-rock and post-punk energy. Their debut album won Welsh Language Album of the Year and a Welsh Music Prize nomination, while their follow-up chalked up rave reviews from Clash, NME, and Uncut.

Other performers include Candelas, Cerys Hafana, Mwsog, Griff Lynch, and Coron Moron, with more acts to be announced.

In a festival first, Carwyn Ellis & Rio 18 bring a fusion of Welsh lyrics and Brazilian rhythms, offering shimmering tropicalia, soulful grooves, and lush orchestration that organisers say will bring “warm, uplifting” vibes to Swansea, whatever the Welsh weather is doing.

Alongside the main acts, the festival offers a programme of folk music and arts workshops for young people, a new community choir led by Swansea musician Ify Iwobi, interactive theatre and dance, and a stage for schools and emerging performers, with stalls and activities filling the museum foyer.

Festival director Tomos Jones said he was “excited to share the initial line-up for this year’s Gŵyl Tawe” and “delighted to see the festival continuing to grow year on year.”

He added that “2025 was our biggest year to date” and organisers “can’t wait to welcome a wide range of internationally acclaimed artists such as Gwenno, The Joy Formidable, and Carwyn Ellis & Rio 18 to Swansea for this year’s edition.”

Jones also highlighted the new community elements, calling them “another exciting development,” and reaffirmed that the festival “remains committed to ensuring that high quality Welsh language art is accessible to everyone in Swansea.”

Tickets for Friday at The Bunkhouse go on sale at 10am on 28 January via the venue’s website, while Saturday’s full programme is free, running from 10am to 9pm on a first-come, first-served basis.