October 21, 2025
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Music Festivals

The fantastic images from Cardiff Music City Festival 2025


Ibibio Sound Machine performing at Llais Festival. Image credit: Llais

Cardiff Music City Festival – the two-week celebration of music that brought global stars, local legends, fresh new talent and thousands of music fans to venues across the city – has wrapped up after a successful second year.

Spanning 20 venues, 60 events and featuring performances from over 200 artists, the 2025 festival programme of gigs, installations, talks and pop-ups opened with a sold-out performance by acclaimed Welsh band CVC at the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama.

CVC opening the 2025 Cardiff Music City Festival at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. Image credit: Anne Siegel

Swn, Llais and the Welsh Music Prize all once again proudly formed part of the Cardiff Music City Festival alongside a range of specially curated programme of events in venues across Cardiff city centre and beyond.

Ishmael Ensemble performing beneath the 360°immersive dome at CULTVR. Image credit: 4Pi Productions
Tai Haf Heb Drigolyn performing at Boho as part of Sŵn. Image credit: Ren Faulkner
A crowd surfer in the audience at Tramshed for Getdown Services as part of Sŵn. Image credit: Charlie Barclay Harris
Man/Woman/Chainsaw onstage at Sŵn. Image credit: Charlie Barclay Harris
Adult DVD on stage at Clwb Ifor Bach as part of Sŵn. Image credit: Charlie Barclay Harris
Gurriers performing at Tramshed as part of Sŵn. Image credit: Jamie Chapman
Rufus Wainwright performing at Llais Festival. Image credit: Llais
2025 Welsh Music Prize Winner Don Leisure. Image credit: Welsh Music Prize
Welsh Music Prize nominees Melin Melyn onstage at award ceremony. Image credit: Welsh Music Prize
Pino Palladino performing at The Gate the day after receiving his Welsh Music Inspiration Award, Image credit: Jamie Chapman

Unforgettable moments included:

Legendary bass player Pino Palladino being awarded the Welsh Music Inspiration Award 2025 at the annual Welsh Music Prize ceremony;

Llais hosting triumphant shows from Rufus Wainwright and Cate Le Bon;

Storming sets from Getdown Services, Moonchild Sanelly, Georgia Ruth, Gruff Rhys and more, at annual new music festival Sŵn;

Mixmag DJ of the Year Max Dean ripping up the Depot dancefloor;

Ishamel Ensemble blending jazz and electronica with 360° visuals at CULTVR;

A mass disco singalong at St John’s Church

The stirring version of Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau which broke out at the Tramshed (WATCH HERE)

The three-night transformation of Cardiff Market into a music, art and light-filled foodie hub complete with a Radio Sudd takeover featuring a DJ set from 2025 Welsh Music Prize winner Don Leisure.

MPH at District. Image credit: Jamie Chapman
The church organ summoning audiences to Discomass at St John’s Church. Image credit: Jamie Chapman
The Discomass congregation enjoying the tunes. Image credit: Jamie Chapman
The Discomass congregation feeling the vibes. Image credit: Jamie Chapman
Los Campesinos. Image credit: Jamie Chapman
Cardiff Market opened late for the last weekend of Cardiff Music City Festival. Image credit: Coal Poet Media
Tunes at the night market came courtesy of a Radio Sudd takeover. DJ Jaffa spinning the tunes. Image credit: Coal Poet Media
Radio Sudd programmed three nights of DJ’s at Cardiff Market. Image credit: Coal Poet Media

Supported by Welsh Government and Cardiff Council, the festival builds on the success of Cardiff’s ‘summer of music’ which saw hundreds of thousands of music fans attended outdoor concerts in the city, bringing millions of pounds in economic benefits with them.

The festival is a key part of Cardiff Council’s long-term music strategy which aims to maximise the cultural, economic, social and wellbeing benefits of music and make Cardiff a ‘music city.’

Key achievements of the strategy so far include:

Helping secure the future of Clŵb Ifor Bach.

Establishing the Cardiff Music Board.

Ensuring the music board is consulted on all planning applications that could impact on music venues.

Supporting the city’s grassroots venues through the pandemic.

Helping independent venue Porters find a new home.

Supporting the opening of grassroots venue The Canopi.

Introducing a new talent development scheme in schools.

Appointing the city’s first dedicated music officer.

Working with partners to bring global music stars including Taylor Swift, Beyonce, Foo Fighters, Stevie Wonder, The Cure and Oasis to Cardiff.

Investing £200,000 in the city’s venues through the first round of a new Grassroots Venues Fund.

Opening applications for round two of the Grassroots Venues Fund, thanks in part to income generated for the Council by last summer’s Blackweir Fields concerts.

Working with AMG to secure the future of St David’s Hall and bring a new Academy venue to Wales.

Supporting the development of a new 16,500 capacity arena in Cardiff Bay.

Cardiff Council Cabinet Member for Culture, Parks and Events, Cllr Jennifer Burke, said: “Music is Cardiff’s beating heart and that’s never been truer than during this year’s festival.

“Our city is fast-becoming one the UK’s most exciting music destinations and there’s certainly been some incredible music for audiences to enjoy, but the impact of the festival goes deeper than that – it helps support our independent venues, provides a valuable platform for local artists and celebrates our scene.”

The 360°immersive dome at CULTVR hosted a range of boundary pushing events. Image credit: 4Pi Productions
Beverly Glenn-Copeland onstage at Wales Millennium Centre during Llais. Image credit: Jamie Chapman
Fans enjoying Los Campesinos at Cardiff Music City Festival. Image credit: Jamie Champan

The festival will return for its third year in Autumn 2026.


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