Cardiff has a new club night for country music as the genre continues to grow in popularity across the UK
Western Nights, a club night in Cardiff dedicated to country music, has helped attendees launch pre-event meetups for people who want to meet lovers of the musical style.
Hellen Wild, 38, founder of Western Nights, said she launched the event because South Wales had no space where country music fans can meet others who enjoy the genre.
Despite the growing interest in country music in the UK, Wild says those who like the genre don’t always have friends who enjoy it.
“Two people who met at the event were going to the Morgan Wallen concert in London alone because they had no one to go with. They became friends through Western Nights and went together this summer,” Wild said.
For Wild, the community aspect is as important as the event. She didn’t want to create just another themed club night.
“It’s about bringing people together that love this style of country music,” she said, “giving them a space to enjoy it and meet others who also do.”
The organiser posts the location and time of where people are before the event, an opportunity to meet new people and feel comfortable to attend alone.
According to Statista research, 23% of all audio listeners in the UK chose country music as their preferred genre in 2024, compared to just 16% in the previous year, showing the genre is gathering in popularity.
Chloe Thomas, 31, a country music fan and event attendee, says she hasn’t come across many other country music-themed nights in south Wales.
She said: “I enjoy Western Nights because of how many amazing people there are. It’s amazing to wear your cowboy boots and know you’re in a room full of ‘your people’.”
So far, two music nights have been held at The Globe in the Roath area of Cardiff, an independent music venue. Both sold out.