Wales’ Music Festivals Collaborate To Organise Free Virtual Music-Comedy Show

Four Welsh festivals have teamed up to create a free online music and comedy program during the COVID lockdown season.

One of the organizers, Graeme Farrow, said the event would be a celebration of “what we can enjoy once again hopefully soon”.

Artists

The show includes artists Cate Le Bon, Gruff Rhys, Catrin Finch, band Adwaith, and comedian Kiri Pritchard-McLean among others.

Gwyl will be available on the BBC website over the weekend.

Produced by the organizers of festivals like Festival of Voice, Focus Wales, Other Voices Cardigan and Aberystwyth Comedy Festival.

‘Talent From Everywhere’

The event was launched according to coronavirus guidelines, according to the organizers.

“We have great talent from everywhere, not just Wales,” said Mr. Farrow, artistic director at the Wales Millennium Center and Voice Festival.

He said the idea was to create a festive atmosphere that allowed the audience to “pop into stages” although they would be able to watch back about eight hours of performances in total.

Songwriter Cara Hammond, originally from Wrexham, said it was “very fun” to get involved as she had been focusing on producing music during the coronavirus pandemic.

“It’s amazing to be a part of it,” he said.

Brighter Future

Graeme Farrow, Artistic Director of Wales Millennium Centre, which has had to make job cuts during the pandemic, said the festival would bring “much-needed joy to audiences to blow away the cobwebs.”

Henry Widdicombe, of the Aberystwyth Comedy Festival, said last year had been an “unprecedented challenge in the event industry” but the festival had shown the community to come together “as a result of the challenge”.

Neal Thompson, of WRExham’s FOCUS Wales, said: “After a dark and difficult year for all of us, we look forward to a brighter future and come together to celebrate Wales’ rich cultural diversity and offering, through a program of outstanding music and comedy.”