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.

10 - 15 October 2023. 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! 

TBC March 2024. 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.

24 - 27 May 2024. 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

24 - 27 May 2024. 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.

31 May to 02 June 2024. 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 and more, and explore beautiful Pembrokeshire.

 13 - 16 June 2024. 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.

21 - 23 June 2024. 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.

TBC 2024. 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.

Summer camp 19 - 22 July 2024, 26 - 29 July 2024 and 02 05 August 2024

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.

28 - 30 July 2024. 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.

01 - 04 August 2024. 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.

23 - 25 August 2024. 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!

TBC. 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.