With a week-long fringe event culminating in a 3 day event at Cardiff Castle, Tafwyl is a celebration of the Welsh language and wider Welsh culture. Organised by city-based charity Menter Caerdydd, the festival attracted over 40,000 visitors in 2018 and has previously been named as Cardiff’s Best Festival at the Cardiff Music Awards. So what’s it all about then?
Cardiff is a hub for the local and international Welsh family, and Tafwyl is an entire showcase of everything that that encompasses: music, sports, literature, comedy, art, drama and food & drink. Best of all, entry is free (some of the events throughout the week are ticketed, but you’ll be getting a lot for your money) and it’s open to everyone, whether you speak Welsh or not! Menter Caerdydd are determined to ensure that the Welsh language is central to life in Cardiff by promoting and expanding language usage, and the various events definitely reflect that.
From Welsh gin-tasting to treasure hunts, a teddy bear’s picnic to yoga in a museum and everything in between, Tafwyl’s week-long fringe event has something for everyone no matter what you’re into or how good your Welsh language skills are. The main event, of course, is the jam-packed weekend of music (and more) starting on Friday and continuing through Sunday; with music from Ani Glass, Lleuwen A’R Band, Y Niwl, Rhys Gwynfor, Chroma, I Fight Lions, Jack Mac’s Funk Pack, Omaloma, Fleur De Lys, Glain Rhys and many more, it’s definitely not to be missed. The music spans various different genres, with bands from across Wales coming together on multiple stages to wow the crowd – and there’s other stages, too, with literature readings and of course, a dedicated ‘Welsh learners’ stage that offers games, Q&As, tips and more.
Every event that makes up Tafwyl week, the run up to the festival itself, has been so well thought out; mentioned above, a free teddy bear’s picnic in Heath Park means the little ones have something to enjoy – and adults will be sure to enjoy the Tafwyl supper club hosted by Imran Nathoo from MasterChef at Dusty Knuckle on Llandaff Road. There’s a free treasure hunt leaving from the Woodville, with all the clues in Welsh, and theatre from Dirty Protest at Mae Maria. For details about these events and everything else on during the week, head to the Tafwyl website.
With approximately 19% of the Welsh population being able to speak Welsh, according to the 2017/18 National Survey for Wales, a festival that focuses on celebrating the Welsh language is so important and here at Wales International we want to celebrate and share it as much as possible! Tafwyl has grown in size astronomically since its conception in 2006, with each festival attracting more and more visitors from Welsh experts to those who are just beginning their Welsh-speaking journey. To be able to celebrate the beautiful Welsh language through music, art, literature and everything else the festival has to offer is something really special, and Tafwyl get it spot on with their free family-friendly festival.
For more information about Tafwyl and Menter Caerdydd, stage times and location details, check out the Tafwyl website and their social media pages. And if any of our international Welsh family are visiting, let us know with the hashtag #WorldwideWelsh
