Cardiff Music City Festival 2026 dates announced

Thursday, 26 March 2026

The 2026 festival will run from Friday October 2nd to Saturday October 17th filling venues, clubs and pop up locations across Cardiff with two weeks of bold programming which pushes the boundaries of music innovation, performance and technology.

Featuring global stars, homegrown talent, immersive events, talks, installations, unique collaborations and unmissable one off events the festival will once again proudly encompass:

• Sŵn – Cardiff’s annual new music festival.
• Llais – Wales Millennium Centre’s international arts weekend.
• Welsh Music Prize – celebrating the very best music made in or by Wales.

Since launching in 2024 the festival, which is supported by Cardiff Council and Welsh Government, has brought internationally acclaimed artists including Lauryn Hill, Rufus Wainwright, Moonchild Sanelly and Meredith Monk to Cardiff; hosted pioneering electronic acts Orbital and Leftfield; witnessed blistering sets from underground heroes including Squid, Lambrini Girls, Ishmael Ensemble, English Teacher, and Adult DVD; and championed the creative energy of Cardiff and Wales with showcase performances from the likes of CVC, Melin Melyn, Das Koolies, and Sage Todz.

Last year’s festival alone saw over 1,000 musicians take to stages at 20 grassroots venues across Cardiff, and featured performances from over 270 Welsh and Wales-based artists.

Cardiff Council Cabinet Member for Culture, Parks and Events, Cllr Jennifer Burke, said: “Cardiff is fast becoming one of the UK’s most exciting music destinations and Cardiff Music City Festival is a big part of that. Every year it brings some incredible global talent to Cardiff to play in our independent venues, as well as providing a valuable platform for local artists and celebrating our vibrant scene.”

Cardiff Music City Festival is a key part of Cardiff Council’s long term Music Strategy, which aims to protect, promote and strengthen the city’s music ecosystem.