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Business & Culture
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‘Immerse yourself in the culture’: five Welsh events not to miss in 2019

Is rugby not your thing, but all you hear is Six Nations? We’ve got you covered with five of the best events in Wales this year.

St David’s Day parade walking past Cardiff City Hall

The country of Wales is unique. Its distinct national identity forms a rich culture of music, language and sporting events not to be missed.

As a publication based in its capital, we want to encourage you to enjoy the very best Wales has to offer.

If you’re a tourist, short term resident, or just oblivious and fancy something new in 2019 then our top five events will have something for you.

1. St David’s Day

Each year on March 1st the people of Wales celebrate the life of their patron saint, Saint David. In Cardiff, the National St David’s Day Parade is a party featuring dragons, a procession, singing of Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau (the national anthem) and a concert from the BBC National Orchestra of Wales. For details on the parade click here. Unfortunately, last year was ruined by the Beast from the East, but here’s a video teaser of 2017.

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2. The RHS Flower Show

The Royal Horticultural Society Flower Show takes place in Cardiff’s Bute Park from 12th-14th Filled with practical tips for flower beds and garden designs, there is also talks from experts focussing on sustainability, health and wellbeing. Click here for tickets.

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3. Battle on the Beach

If you’re interested in getting a little more active, the largest and most unique off-road cycling event in the UK is happening in Pembrey County Park, Carmarthenshire. Over Saturday 6th and Sunday 7th April cyclists will complete the three-lap race, approximately 45km (you can just do two if you’re just there for fun). Each lap consists of the hard, sandy beach of Cefn Sidan, and forest roads. As a truly weekend event, there is kids’ racing, camping and entertainment to enjoy and, since 2016, a night time trial event called Battle in the Dark. Click here for tickets.

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4. Hay Festival

The original world-renowned Hay Festival takes place in Hay-on-Wye from Thursday 23rdMay – Sunday 2nd This annual literary event has become a prominent cultural staple with an international audience interested in art, literature, culture and exploring important contemporary debates. A highlight is the philosophy and music festival, HowTheLightGetsIn, in the beautiful Wye Valley. Likened to Edinburgh’s Fringe, this unique offshoot has 200+ events with previous speakers including Noam Chomsky, Laurie Penny and Philip Pullman. See below for links to both festivals.
Hay Festival of Literature and Arts – https://www.hayfestival.com/wales/home

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 HowTheLightGetsIn – https://howthelightgetsin.org/hay/

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5. The National Eisteddfod

The Welsh National Eisteddfod is an artistic and cultural event celebrating the oldest living language in Britain, and this year will be held in Llanrwst, Conwy County. The competition-based festival takes place over ten days from the first Saturday in August, attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors and consisting of singing, dance, theatre and more. Please click here for further details.

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