Alternative culture and arts festivals in Wales

25-27 April, 2025. Enjoy all things noir at Gwyl Crime Cymru Festival - a crime literature festival, celebrating fiction and non-fiction crime writing from across the world. With writing workshops, panel sessions and interviews with a wide variety of well-known crime writers, it's a not to be missed event for crime literature fans.

23 - 25 May 2025. The Devauden Festival is a family friendly event set in the heart of Monmouthshire. Devauden Festival is built around music but it there's also plenty to keep the younger visitors happy in the Kids' Zone, with children’s entertainers, circus skills, arts and crafts, displays by local groups, bouncy castles and small fair rides. Running Friday night and all of Saturday, three stages feature a wide range of some of the best local talent from across South Wales and surrounding areas.

23 - 25 May 2025. Enjoy a variety of music at the In It Together Festival in Margam over the bank holiday. It's a great atmosphere for all, including families.

23 - 26 May 2025. Nestling in the Welsh Hills of Hay-on-Way, HowTheLightGetsIn is the world's largest philosophy and music festival. Alongside dynamic debates, speakers delve into their specialist topics in Solo Talks and Philosophy comes to life in Hat Sessions. In the Inner Circle, a select group of festival goers dine with some of the greatest minds on the planet.

23 - 26 May 2025. Head to Lawrenny in the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park for a long weekend of relaxing and re-energising. The Big Retreat Festival is a feel-good festival, in every sense of the word. With an impressive line-up of more than 200 events including wellbeing classes, workshops, cookery demonstrations, spoken word, bushcraft, music and even rum and gin, everybody has a chance to discover a new hobby, rediscover an old one or simply discover the beauty of Lawrenny itself

05 - 09 June 2025. If your cup of tea is a huge house party with loads of like minded party people set on the gorgeous Pembrokshire coast, then you need to try the Westival Kool Aid. Previous years have featured artists like Crazy P, Goldie Lookin' Chain, 2 Bad Mice, alongside a whole host of Welsh talent. A true summertime gem.

12 - 15 June 2025. Gottwood is a critically acclaimed, independent, boutique, and intimate underground electronic music festival. It takes place in hidden woodlands on the beautiful island of Anglesey.

13 - 16 June 2025. Out & Wild Festival is the UK’s first Wellness Festival designed for queer, questioning and curious women and those who are non-binary. Taking place in Lawrenny, Pembrokeshire, it's the place to embrace new friendships, enjoy new experiences, including sports, well being, music, comedy, spoken word, wellness and more, and explore beautiful Pembrokeshire.

20 - 22 June 2025. Unearthed Festival aims to create a space where people of all backgrounds can come together peacefully and share knowledge, skills, conversations, laughter and dance. The philosophy of the event is about the expansion of consciousness. Expect a mind-altering experience.

10 - 13 July, 2025. Held on the stunning Gower Peninsula, the Love Trails Festival, promises an unforgettable blend of running, music, and adventure. This unique festival invites participants to explore breathtaking coastal trails and hikes, suitable for all fitness levels, along with other activities like yoga, surfing, and rock climbing. As night falls, the festival comes alive with live music, DJ sets, and performances, complemented by inspiring talks and wellness sessions, making it a perfect summer escape for adventure and music enthusiasts.

11 - 13 July, 2025..Tonnau Tropical Garden Party takes place in the grounds of Carreglwyd Estate on the beautiful Isle of Anglesey. Enjoy live stages featuring live international bands and DJs, plus workshops, and activities, all set in a scenic location near the coast.

17 - 20 July, 2025. Big Love brings four days of music and arts to the stunning Welsh countryside near Usk, just 20 minutes from the M4. Over 130 acts play across five stages, plus a Big Top with circus and cabaret all weekend, and a fabulous range of children’s and family activities.

25 - 27 July 2025. Steelhouse Festival brings international classic rock music to its breath-taking mountain top location in Ebbw Vale, South Wales. Weekender and day tickets are available.

17 - 20 July 2025. Held in the picturesque town of Brecon, Mid Wales, the Brecon Choir Festival is a celebration of choral music that brings together world-renowned choirs and local talent. The 2025 programme includes performances from the BBC National Chorus of Wales, The King’s Men Cambridge, and the Pendyrus Male Choir. Visitors can enjoy a variety of events, including 'Afterglow' sessions with the opportunity to join in with the festival choirs and sing the night away in true Welsh style. It's a great experience for both long-time choral aficionado as much as the ‘choral curious’ who may never have attended similar events before.

25 - 27 July 2025. Camp VC is one of Wales' best kept festival secrets; an action-packed, womxn only weekend, which offers direct hands-on experiences for almost any and every activity you can think of (beginner's dirt riding? Skateboarding? Welding? Enduro bikes? Quad skating? Wood carving? Crochet? Drag king school? Longboarding? Outdoor cookery? Wild swimming? This isn't even half of what you can experience at Camp VC), set in the magnificent mid Wales landscape of Llangollen. Fiercely independent, Camp VC offers a safe, non-judgmental space for any and all female identifying and non binary folks.

Read more: Discover Camp VC, the women's action, adventure and moto festival

Summer camp over three weekends. Craft 18 - 21 July 2025, For families 25 - 28 July 2025 and Outdoors, wellness & adventure 01- 04 August 2025

Set on the Hawarden Estate of 19th century Prime Minister William Gladstone, the Good Life Experience festival is the brainchild of broadcaster and performer Cerys Matthews and husband Steve Abbott, along with farmers and authors Charlie and Caroline Gladstone. Its broad remit is to help people go in search of the good life, but this loosely translates to them delivering music, food and drink, authors, workshops and plenty of chances for outdoor exploration. It’s a great family friendly (and dog friendly!) way to see out the summer.

31 July - 03 August 2025. The Green Gathering offers four days of low impact living, with great music and community spirit. It takes place in Piercefield Park, Chepstow each summer.

21 - 24 August 2025. If your ideal festival is an intimate event held in the beautiful sand dunes of Wales, head to Between the Trees in Candleston Park, Merthyr Mawr National Nature Reserve, near Bridgend. Between the Trees brings you an encounter with nature, music, art & natural science - and it all happens in the middle of ancient Welsh woodland by the sea!

05 - 06 September 2025. Gladfest brings together award-winning, internationally-renowned and breakthrough writers for a wonderfully eclectic weekend. In case you haven’t heard of the location, Gladstone’s Library is a residential library dedicated to dialogue, debate and learning for open-minded individuals and groups. It is Britain’s only Prime Ministerial library (founded by PM William Gladstone himself). Following Gladstone’s death in 1898, the Library became the national memorial to his life and work as well as one of the few Grade I-listed buildings in North Wales.

13 - 19 October 2025. Cardiff’s international gay and lesbian short film prize welcomes the best new filmmaking talent to the capital.

Find out more about the Iris Prize

18 October 2025.  Hosted at the Odeon in Wrexham, the Wales International Film Festival aims to promote and support independent filmmaking, providing opportunities for independent filmmakers to have their films screened at great red carpet-style venues to a passionate audience of film professionals, film students, journalists and the general public. 

TBC March 2026. This music and literary gathering in the small West Wales town of Laugharne has become infamous for its musical performances and alternative list of authors. Laugharne is best known for its connection with Welsh writer Dylan Thomas, and the three-day Laugharne Weekend continues to celebrate the creative spirit with dynamic line-ups.