Cardiff has been chosen to host the BBC 6 Music Festival in early April with Little Simz performing, following her Brit Awards success.
The London born rapper will be joined by punk band IDLES and The Smiths’ guitarist Johnny Marr, performing across the city from the 1st to the 3rd of April this year – with a fringe festival taking place the week before.
The performances will be held across three nights and multiple venues including The Great Hall, St David’s Hall and Y Plas.
It’s a big platform for Welsh music too with Adwaith, Gruff Rhys and Gwenno currently among the announced acts.
WHERE CAN I GET TICKETS?
Tickets for each separately ticketed event will be available from 10am on Thursday 17 February at bbc.co.uk/6musicfestival.
WHAT’S SPECIAL ABOUT CARDIFF’S HOSTING OF THE FESTIVAL?
One thing that makes Cardiff’s hosting of the festival different to previous years is the creation of a the 6 Music Festival Fringe.
Creative Wales – an internal Welsh Government agency that promotes the creative sectors in Wales – is working with local venues and music partners to show exactly why Cardiff was named the UK’s first ‘Music City’ in 2021.
The Festival Fringe will run from 28th March until 3rd April and feature events and performances at grassroots venues across the city.
Gerwyn Evans, Deputy Director of Creative Wales, said: “It is hugely exciting to … have the opportunity to create a Fringe Festival hosted at grassroots music venues across the city. There are many events planned: jazz performances at Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama; rock gigs at Fuel, hip-hop at Porter’s and much more.
“Creative Wales has partnered with Cardiff Council, Creative Cardiff and the University of South Wales to create a series of daytime events and access for journalism students to experience the festival, write about it in their own words and have their work published.”
BBC Music Introducing, in partnership with Horizons / Gorwelion, will be warming up for the festival with a special gig at Clwb Ifor Bach on Wednesday 30th March. Hosted by 6 Music’s Tom Robinson and BBC Radio Wales’ Bethan Elfyn, the show will see performances from Welsh artists and BBC Music Introducing favourites including Panic Shack, Adwaith, Malan and Hemes.
WHAT HAS THE REACTION BEEN?
BBC 6 Music DJ and proud Cardiffian Huw Stephens says: “It’s great news that the 6 Music Festival is coming to Cardiff. We love our live music here; gigs and club nights are a massive part of what makes Cardiff special, and live music is in our blood. We also love BBC Radio 6 Music and to have this incredible festival happening here at this important time in live music venues’ recovery, is really exciting.”
Leader of Cardiff Council and Chair of the Cardiff Music Board, Cllr Huw Thomas, said: “We are thrilled to welcome the BBC 6 Music Festival to Cardiff this spring.
“Here in Cardiff there’s a real pride in the independent music scene which the city offers and through our Cardiff Music City strategy we have plans to grow and harness that energy.
“We’ve worked with the BBC to help bring the festival to Wales for the first time and we know it will shine a well-deserved spotlight on what Cardiff has to offer.
“This is a great opportunity for the city and we can’t wait for it to start and to see more people getting out to enjoy live music again.”
BBC 6 Music DJ Mary Anne Hobbs says: “Lockdowns have kept us apart since 2020, so this year’s gigs in Cardiff are going to feel super-charged.”
THE LINE-UP
Clwb Ifor Bach
- Hemes, Malan, Adwaith, Panic Shack (Wednesday 30 March, BBC Music Introducing/Horizons night)
St David’s Hall
- Deyah, Curtis Harding, Mykki Blanco, Little Simz (Friday 1 April)
- Ibibio Sound Machine, Ezra Collective, Khruangbin (Saturday 2 April)
- audiobooks, Gruff Rhys, Cat Power, Father John Misty & members of the BBC National Orchestra of Wales (Sunday 3 April)
The Great Hall
- Pixies, Lucy Dacus, IDLES (Friday 1 April)
- beabadoobee, Sports Team, Bloc Party (Saturday 2 April)
- Wet Leg, Self Esteem, Johnny Marr (Sunday 3 April)
Y Plas
- Obongjayar, Porij, Ibeyi (Friday 1 April)
- Gwenno, Orlando Weeks (Saturday 2 April)
- The Bug Club, Big Joanie, The Mysterines (Sunday 3 April)
Tramshed
- DJ sets from Elkka, Tom Ravenscroft, AFRODEUTSCHE, OVERMONO, Sherelle (Friday 1 April, 6 Music Late)
- Carwyn Ellis & Rio 18 (performance), Jamz Supernova In Conversation with Elkka, Stuart Maconie In Conversation with Manic Street Preachers, Don Letts (DJ set)
- Gilles Peterson In Conversation with Khruangbin, Emma-Jean Thackray (performance) and More TBA (Saturday 2 April, 6 Music By Day)
- DJ sets from Jamz Supernova, David Holmes, Craig Charles, Nemone (Saturday 2 April, 6 Music Late)
- Georgia Ruth (performance), Jon Ronson In Conversation, Green Gartside In Conversation, Gruff Rhys (acoustic performance), H. Hawkline (performance) and More TBA (Sunday 3 April, 6 Music By Day)
The full line-up appears on the official site here.