Cardiff is gearing up for a new event which promises three glorious weeks of music.
With just over four weeks until the Cardiff Music City Festival kicks off on Friday, September 27, a new wave of iconic and emerging artists, exciting events, music industry talks, and impressive installations are lined up in established and unconventional venues throughout the city.
Cardiff City Music Festival aims to celebrate artists who have pushed the boundaries of music production and performance and continue to do so, creating a space for new and established performers to inspire audiences, try new things and deliver unique participation experiences.
Joining pioneering electronic artists, Leftfield and Orbital, Ms Barrier-busters Lauryn Hill and The Fugees, gender-crossing Irish rap trio Kneecap, and poet and jazz saxophonist Alabaster DePlume at the festival, will be:
- Local rapper Mace the Great, who was born and raised in Splot, the area in Cardiff celebrated in his Welsh Music Award-nominated album SplottWorld, but in recent years has seen earning invitations to the MOBOs and delivering thrilling sets at SXSW. Mace returns to Tramshed Cardiff on Saturday, October 5, in an impressive display of local Welsh hip-hop talent, which also includes Sage Todz and Luke RV, Aleighcia Scott, Adjua, Local, Source and Silk Futures.
- Cardiff native High Contrast has been at the heart of the drum and bass scene since 2002. He will invite people into his cinematic world to present an innovative live-streamed event, straight from his studio on Saturday, September 28, giving an unparalleled insight into his creative genius.
- Born in Guinea to a ‘djeli’ family with a hereditary responsibility for preserving traditional Mandingue culture by sharing ancient rhythms, songs and stories, N’famady Kouyate combines his traditional West African musical heritage with the classical European instruments of Sinfonia Cymru in a performance special at Porter’s in his adopted town on Wednesday, October 2.
- Blurring the lines between techno and house, Frankie Rizardo has established himself as one of the Netherlands’ finest musical exports. A regular performer at nightlife establishments such as Fabric (London), Amnesia (Ibiza) and Sound (Los Angeles), Frankie plays District in Cardiff on Saturday, October 5.
Leader of Cardiff Council, Councillor Huw Thomas said: “Music is the heart of Cardiff and the first Cardiff Music Festival is a key part of our music strategy to support all parts of the city’s musical ecosystem – from musicians to producers, promoters, venues and the beyond.
“The whole city will be alive with music throughout the festival. It promises to be a very special few weeks. Music is such a powerful way of bringing people together and perhaps now more than ever, that sense of social cohesion is very important.”
The Welsh Government’s Cabinet Secretary for the Economy, Transport and North Wales, Ken Skates, said: “This brand new music festival is fantastic for Cardiff and I am pleased that we have been able to support the festival and elements of the city’s music scene over the years.
“It’s an amazing line-up that includes all kinds of musical genres that will really showcase the city’s diverse range of music venues.”
Festival performances also include:
- Tân Cerdd presents Children of Zeus and Guests as part of an event that showcases an exceptional line-up of Black artists who are redefining the musical landscape. Hosted by Dionne Bennett, guests include Lemfreck and Mercy Rose.
- A program of dance and electronic events at Cardiff’s leading dance venue, with Frankie Rizardo, Elkka and Bradley Zero.
- An exhibition of Cardiff’s young talent, developed through the city’s new ‘Little Gigs’ schools program with the aim of nurturing young talent.
- A celebration of 10 years of Forte Project and Horizons nurturing Welsh talent with alumni including HMS Morris and Minas.
As well as a series of unique one-off performances and gigs, three long-standing events in the cultural calendar of Cardiff and Wales will become an essential part of the larger, ambitious celebrations under the banner of this year’s Cardiff Music City Festival.
The winner of the Welsh Music Award , the annual prize for the best album from Wales, will be announced at the Wales Millennium Centre on Tuesday, October 8.
Caerdydd’s annual international arts festival, Llais will grace Cardiff Bay like a live jukebox with a program of bold live music from Thursday, October 10 to Sunday, October 13.
Noise Festival, established in 2007, is an award-winning multi-venue music festival focusing on new music, emerging artists and original acts and has grown into one of the UK’s leading news, which runs from Thursday, October 17 to Saturday, October 19.
Noise Festival will also host the festival conference, including industry sessions, mixers and meetups.
In the downtime between gigs, visitors to Cardiff will also be able to enjoy talks, meetings, industry sessions, societies, one-off events and a vinyl bar, as well as being welcomed by Cardiff’s many venues, bars, coffee shops and hospitality venues.
The full Cardiff City Music Festival list is here: https://dinasgerddcardiff.cymru/
