Alternative culture and arts festivals in Wales

Are you lost? Find yourself - or just find a jolly good time - at one of these intimate, boutique Welsh gatherings.

08 - 13 October 2024. 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

TBC. Cardiff International Film Festival takes place in the historic Pierhead Building in Cardiff Bay. Festival patrons include Welsh Hollywood actors Matthew Rhys and Michael Sheen. Submissions come in from all over the globe and categories include animation, features films, documentaries, Welsh language films and short films. The festival is open to the public, so head to Cardiff Bay for some glamour and glitz Welsh-style!

28 - 30 March 2025. 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.

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.

TBC 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.

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 6 stages, plus a Big Top with circus and cabaret all weekend, and a fabulous range of children’s and family activities. The 2024 line up includes Arrested Development, Molotov Jukebox, King of the Beats featuring Krafty Kuts, Freestylers and Plump DJs, among many more!

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.

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.

Summer camp 18 July - 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.

No festival in 2024. Save the dates for 2025, provisionally 05 - 07 September. 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.

21/22 - 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!