Womanby Street in Cardiff boasts a vibrant history as a bustling thoroughfare spanning hundreds of years, making it fittingly the Welsh capital's central hub for grassroots music. This is particularly true during a special weekend in October when the city welcomes hundreds of acts for three days dedicated to discovering new music without headliners. Dominating the street is a mural of Gwenno, Cardiff’s leading figure in pop experimentalism; one can imagine her enjoying the eclectic sounds during this weekend that celebrates innovation and boldness.
The Sŵn Festival serves as a quick tour of the city center, with venues lining St. Mary Street and High Street, flanked by the historic Cardiff Castle on one end and the less harmonious Principality Stadium on the other, both of which host live music in the summer. It is hard to envision many acts from this year's lineup reaching such mainstream success, highlighting the festival’s admirable commitment to the eclectic and unique.
An early standout on Thursday night takes place beneath the city’s indoor market at Boho Club, where the lo-fi pop project two blinks, i love you, led by Liverpool’s Liam Brown, showcases a promising performance as his sound translates more vibrantly in full band form. Meanwhile, the energetic Leeds six-piece Adult DVD fills the larger space upstairs at Clwb Ifor Bach, and they are sure to be headlining similar or bigger venues soon. Their live performance is electrifying, breaking free from the dance-rock label typically ascribed to them; instead, they create an exciting blend that deconstructs the electronic elements associated with the genre.
Once the full schedule kicks off on Friday, attendees face some challenging scheduling conflicts. Prima Queen's incredibly enjoyable set honors one of the year's most underrated albums, 'The Prize', while also overlapping with a performance by hometown favorite Gruff Rhys, who still has solo endeavors to pursue before reuniting with Super Furry Animals next year. Rhys’s show fills Cardiff’s historic St. John the Baptist Church to capacity, but there’s still an opportunity to catch a breathtaking, minimal performance from Clara Mann, whose delicate songs from her debut album, 'Rift', demand a pin-drop silence to appreciate their contemplative insights on modern relationships, resonating with a spiritual ambiance in the church.
Following this, the traditional rush between venues accelerates. At the exciting new grassroots venue The Canopi, Cloth’s set acts as a natural follow-up to Mann’s performance. The duo of Rachael and Paul Swinton has recently affirmed their status as prominent musical talents from Glasgow with their impressive LP, 'Pink Silence', whose songs carry significant weight and depth, beautifully juxtaposing lyrical complexity with minimalist pop structures. Meanwhile, back at Clwb Ifor Bach, the stylistic transitions continue with Man/Woman/Chainsaw, whose performance oscillates between vibrant chaos and exuberance, reflecting the unpredictable energy that is becoming their hallmark, especially evident in the reception of ‘Ode to Clio’.
Downstairs, in one of Clwb Ifor Bach's smaller spaces, perhaps the highlight of the weekend follows. Tasmin Stephens's solo project TTSSFU has released an exceptional EP this year titled 'Blown'. This captivating collection, while buzzing in more ways than one—partly due to its debut with Partisan Records and partly for its unique blend of low-level electric tension within a dream-pop framework—creates an enchanting yet uneasy atmosphere, encapsulating the essence of bedroom pop with a sense of encroaching confinement. Live, her songs are nothing short of a revelation, fierce and turbulent while unmistakably melodic. Tasmin Stephens is set for an exciting 2026.
Although nothing could quite surpass that experience on Friday night, the subsequent afternoon on the festival’s final day presents not just a three-way clash, but a rather perplexing choice: a secret set from The Bug Club, the post-punk sounds of The Sick Man of Europe, or the consistent brilliance of Kathryn Joseph. Ultimately, Joseph’s performance wins out, offering a profoundly atmospheric set at Clwb Ifor Bach, featuring tracks from her latest album, 'WE WERE MADE PREY', alongside reimagined favorites with the help of producer Lomond Campbell.
As the day transitions into evening, the festival showcases a fantastic range of talent, including standout Welsh act Gareth Bonello, known as The Gentle Good. His performance at St. John the Baptist is a mesmerising experience, presenting ancient-feeling folk music that deeply honors the Welsh language and culture. Later, highlights include Goodnight Louisa at Tiny Rebel—Glasgow’s witty singer-songwriter merging dark disco with influences from Robyn and Molly Nilsson—before the meticulously chaotic experimental sounds of Squid conclude the festival in front of a packed audience at Tramshed. The locals take great pride in Sŵn; in its community spirit, its distinctive venues, and its daring programming. As challenges to grassroots live music continue, the festival's significance increases, evolving from merely a music festival
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The locals take great pride in Sŵn; they cherish its sense of community, the uniquely charming venues, and its bold lineup of events.