Portugal v Wales: Can Craig Bellamy Bring Back Feelgood Factor without Harry Wilson?

THE UEFA Nations League was very good to Wales the last time Craig Bellamy took charge of it.

An unbeaten campaign, promotion back to League A and a renewed sense of optimism helped Bellamy make an encouraging start to life in the Wales hot-seat.

Now he heads into a fresh Nations League challenge with a much tougher assignment: away trips to Portugal and Denmark, followed by home games against Norway and Denmark in quick succession. Wales begin in Lisbon this Thursday, 24 September, before heading to Copenhagen three days later, and the competition that helped Bellamy build momentum early on may now be asked to restore it again.

This time the test is clearly harder. Wales are back among Europe’s elite in League A, and there is no easing into the group. Portugal away is difficult enough on its own, but it also comes with all the familiar intrigue that tends to follow Cristiano Ronaldo, who has again been selected by Portugal, now under new head coach Jorge Jesus.

For Wales, it is the sort of glamour fixture supporters relish — but also the sort that exposes every weakness if a team is not quite ready for it.

The immediate question is whether Bellamy can rediscover the mood his side generated in that earlier Nations League campaign. Wales topped their previous group and remained undefeated, which brought a welcome lift after a frustrating period and showed that Bellamy’s methods could produce a genuine response.

The challenge now is different, but the principle is the same. If Wales can compete strongly again, even against stronger opposition, the feelgood factor around the national side can quickly return.

Bellamy’s task has not been made any easier now that Harry Wilson has withdrawn from the Wales squad, turning the earlier expectation that he would miss the Nations League games into a confirmed absence. Goalkeeper Karl Darlow has also withdrawn, while Nathan Broadhead’s absence is now formally reflected in the reshuffled squad. Bellamy has responded by calling up Joe Taylor, Charlie Savage and goalkeeper David Cornell. Taylor and Cornell are uncapped at senior level, while Savage returns to the Wales squad for the first time since June 2024.

At the same time, Bellamy originally had to plan without defensive pair Joe Rodon and Dylan Lawlor, which makes the back line one of the main talking points of the window. Lawlor has since returned to club action for Cardiff, and while it still seems unlikely that Bellamy would rush him straight into this demanding set of internationals, his progress is worth monitoring in case he is invited to link up with the squad in some capacity.

That defensive theme becomes even more interesting because Bellamy has refreshed his coaching set-up at exactly the moment Wales are about to face elite attacking talent. Former Wales captain Ashley Williams and former Swansea City head coach Alan Sheehan have joined the staff as assistant coaches ahead of the autumn Nations League campaign. Williams, in particular, brings obvious authority and experience, and there will be real curiosity over whether the new-look staff can influence Wales quickly at the back before matches against Ronaldo now and Erling Haaland’s Norway shortly afterwards.

There are, however, positive signs from the domestic picture. All three Welsh Championship clubs went into the international break on a high. Swansea City came from behind to beat Lincoln 2-1 and moved to the top of the Championship, Wrexham beat Southampton 2-1 with Kieffer Moore on the scoresheet, and Cardiff City secured a 3-1 win over Charlton, with Ashford’s club form already having earned him his first senior Wales call-up. That does not guarantee anything at international level, but it certainly does no harm if Wales players report for duty with confidence, rhythm and a sense that football on home soil is moving in the right direction.

Another reason this campaign matters is that the Nations League is not just decorative. Wales are one of the co-hosts of Euro 2028, but they will still take part in normal qualifying, with the 12 group winners and eight best runners-up reaching the finals automatically.

Two places are reserved for the two best-ranked host nations who do not qualify directly, while the remaining places are decided through play-offs involving remaining qualifying runners-up and the best-ranked non-qualified Nations League group winners.

In other words, a strong Nations League campaign can still strengthen Wales’s route towards a home European Championship.

That is why this week feels significant even this early. Portugal away is not just an attractive fixture or a reunion with a familiar giant of the European game. It is the beginning of a campaign that could shape Wales’s confidence, sharpen Bellamy’s new coaching team, give new faces like Ashford meaningful exposure, and possibly provide valuable insurance for the road to Euro 2028. Bellamy has already shown once that the Nations League can work in Wales’s favour. The question now is whether he can do it again against a much tougher class of opposition.

It would be no surprise if Wales had to suffer at times in Lisbon. Portugal at home, with Ronaldo still around and quality all over the pitch, is a formidable opening assignment. But Wales do not necessarily need a statement win to leave this international window feeling better about themselves. A disciplined performance, signs of defensive improvement and evidence that Bellamy’s Wales are still moving forward would be a good start. From there, the feelgood factor may follow.

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Did Ewe Know?

Ashley Williams captained Wales in the unforgettable Euro 2016 semi-final against Portugal — and now returns to the national set-up as part of Craig Bellamy’s coaching staff ahead of another meeting between the two countries.

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A Long Time Ago… in Pembroke Dock: The Welsh Story Behind Star Wars’ iconic Millennium Falcon ship

A LONG time ago, in a dockyard not very far away…

Did ewe know that before the Millennium Falcon became one of the most recognisable spacecraft in cinema history, a full-size version of Han Solo’s famous ship was being constructed in considerable secrecy in Pembroke Dock, west Wales.

Not in Hollywood.

Not at Pinewood.

Not even at Elstree Studios.

Pembroke Dock.

And as Star Wars prepares to speak Welsh for the first time this Christmas, the story of how a group of Pembrokeshire engineers helped bring the galaxy’s most famous freighter to life suddenly feels particularly appropriate again.

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SEE THE MILLENNIUM FALCON STORY FOR YOURSELF
Pembroke Dock Heritage Trust recently shared this look inside its permanent Millennium Falcon exhibition, where visitors can discover how the famous spacecraft was constructed in west Wales:

@pembroke.dock.her

From royal warships to the most famous starship in the galaxy 🌌🎬 Pembroke Dock spent over a century as a world-famous naval shipyard. But in 1979, local shipwrights gathered inside a former flying boat hangar to craft one final, secret masterpiece—a full-scale, 80-foot Millennium Falcon for Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back. Come explore our Star Wars exhibit to see original photos, rare memorabilia, and learn how our town’s shipbuilding legacy took off into space! 🚀✨ 🏛️ Pembroke Dock Heritage Centre, Royal Dockyard Chapel, SA72 6WS 📅 Open Monday to Friday 🕙 10:00am – 4:00pm #PembrokeDock #StarWars #Pembrokeshire #MillenniumFalcon #MuseumTok

♬ original sound – Vader’s Order

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From oil industry to outer space

Following the enormous success of the original Star Wars film in 1977, George Lucas and his production team needed something much bigger for the sequel, The Empire Strikes Back.

The Millennium Falcon had previously been represented using models, partial sets and other film-making techniques. For the new film, however, the production required a huge full-size exterior prop.

The job eventually went to Marcon Fabrications, an engineering company based at Pembroke Dock.

Marcon was rather more accustomed to creating machinery for the oil industry than spaceships, but it possessed two important advantages: a skilled engineering workforce and access to one of Pembroke Dock’s enormous former aircraft hangars.

Construction began during the spring of 1979.

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Welcome to ‘Magic Roundabout’

Secrecy surrounded the project.

Workers were reportedly instructed not even to refer to the object as the Millennium Falcon. Instead, the operation was given the wonderfully unlikely codename “Magic Roundabout”.

Keeping a 20-plus-tonne spaceship secret in a close-knit Pembrokeshire community proved rather difficult.

Rumours circulated that some kind of UFO was being constructed inside the hangar, and the local Western Telegraph eventually blew the secret in March 1979 with a story about the mysterious “flying saucer”.

It must have been quite a sight.

Around 30 to 40 craftspeople and engineers worked on the project for approximately three months. The completed Falcon measured more than 80 feet in length and around 65 feet across and weighed roughly 23 tonnes.

This was not some lightweight movie model.

It was serious Welsh engineering being applied to a spaceship that didn’t actually exist.

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How do you move the Millennium Falcon along the M4 motorway?

Building it was only half the problem.

The Falcon was needed at Elstree Studios in Hertfordshire, where The Empire Strikes Back was being filmed.

Unfortunately, even Han Solo might have struggled to fly a 23-tonne film prop out of Pembrokeshire.

Instead, the structure was dismantled into sections, loaded onto lorries and transported eastwards before being reassembled at the studio.

Special effects supervisor Brian Johnson later recalled that compressed-air pads beneath the structure enabled the enormous prop to float fractionally above the floor so that it could be moved around the set.

And so a spaceship constructed by engineers in a former Royal Dockyard in west Wales eventually found itself appearing in one of cinema’s most famous science-fiction films.

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The Falcon comes home – sort of

The original structure no longer survives, but Pembroke Dock has certainly not forgotten its unlikely role in cinema history.

Pembroke Dock Heritage Centre [https://pdht.org] now has a permanent Millennium Falcon exhibition featuring photographs, models, film material and recollections from people involved in the project.

Visitors can also see a full-size reconstruction representing one of the 16 sections used to create the original prop – useful for appreciating just how enormous the finished structure really was.

The Heritage Centre describes the Falcon alongside the many genuine vessels associated with Pembroke Dock’s long maritime and military history.

There is something rather wonderful about that.

A town famous for building ships and housing flying boats can also claim a place in the history of a spacecraft from a galaxy far, far away.

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Wales and Star Wars – the story continues

The Millennium Falcon is not Wales’ only connection with Star Wars.

Richard Marquand, who directed Return of the Jedi, was born in Cardiff.

Other Lucasfilm productions have used Welsh locations, while parts of Star Wars: The Acolyte were also filmed in Wales.

But in 2026 the connection has become stronger still.

This Christmas, the original Star Wars: A New Hope is being released in Welsh for the first time as Star Wars: Gobaith Newydd.

The official Welsh-language version has been produced by Lucasfilm and Disney in collaboration with S4C and Creative Wales and will be broadcast on S4C from Christmas Day 2026, ahead of the original film’s 50th anniversary in 2027.

And the cast is impressively Welsh.

Fresh from his historic double Emmy success, Matthew Rhys voices Han Solo.

Rhys Ifans is Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Aimee-Ffion Edwards plays Princess Leia, Osian Morgan is Luke Skywalker and Mark Lewis Jones, who previously appeared in The Last Jedi, provides the voice of Darth Vader.

The wider cast includes Llyr Ifans, Nia Roberts, Richard Harrington, Owain Arthur and Rhodri Meilir.

Almost half a century after Welsh engineers built Han Solo’s spacecraft in Pembroke Dock, Han Solo himself is therefore about to speak Welsh.

You really couldn’t script it much better.

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From Pembroke Dock to a galaxy far, far away

The story of the Millennium Falcon is exactly the sort of unexpected Welsh connection that can easily disappear beneath the bigger story of a Hollywood blockbuster.

But behind the cameras, special effects and science-fiction mythology were dozens of real craftspeople in Pembrokeshire.

They weren’t Jedi.

They weren’t Hollywood special-effects stars.

They were engineers and fabricators who were presented with an extraordinary problem and worked out how to build something that audiences were supposed to believe had crossed galaxies.

More than 45 years later, people around the world still recognise the result.

And a small piece of that galaxy belongs to Pembroke Dock.

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Did Ewe Know?

The huge Pembroke Dock Millennium Falcon did not survive to become a priceless piece of movie memorabilia. After filming, the full-size structure was ultimately sold for scrap – making the surviving photographs, recollections and modern reconstruction in Pembroke Dock all the more valuable.

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MATTHEW RHYS

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“Small but Mighty”: How Matthew Rhys Made Emmy History – and Carried Wales With Him into the Spotlight

MATTHEW RHYS could have simply thanked Hollywood.

Instead, after making television history in Los Angeles, the Cardiff-born actor made sure that a small country more than 5,000 miles away was part of the moment.

On 14 September 2026, Rhys became the first actor ever to win two lead-acting Emmy Awards in the same year.

And when he returned to the stage to collect the second one, he thanked “the great and good people of Wales” and described the country in which he grew up as a “small but mighty nation.”

Then he signed off in Welsh.

It was quite a night for a boy educated in Welsh-language schools in Cardiff.

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Two roles. Two Emmys. One night.

Rhys’s first acting victory came for Netflix’s The Beast in Me, in which he plays wealthy property magnate Nile Jarvis.

Jarvis becomes the subject of fascination for writer Aggie Wiggs, played by Claire Danes, after moving into the house next door. There is just one rather significant complication: he was once suspected in the disappearance of his wife.

Rhys won Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for the performance.

Then came Widow’s Bay.

The Apple TV series could hardly be more different.

Rhys plays Tom Loftis, mayor of an isolated New England island determined to rescue its struggling economy by attracting tourists – despite the inconvenient insistence of many residents that the place is cursed.

Unfortunately for the mayor, they may have a point.

The series mixes horror with character-driven comedy and became one of television’s biggest successes of the year.

Rhys won Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series.

The second victory put him into the Emmy record books.

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From Soviet spy to comedy mayor

There was another layer to the achievement.

Eight years earlier, Rhys had won Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for Philip Jennings in The Americans.

That means the Welsh actor has now won lead Emmys in drama, comedy and limited-series television – a combination no performer had previously achieved.

And the trophies did not end there.

Widow’s Bay itself won Outstanding Comedy Series. Rhys is an executive producer on the programme, meaning he shared in that Emmy as well. The Television Academy now records four Emmy wins against his name.

Not a bad return for someone whose acting ambitions began back in Cardiff.

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From Glantaf to Hollywood

Rhys grew up speaking Welsh and attended Ysgol Gynradd Gymraeg Melin Gruffydd and Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Glantaf.

After discovering acting as a teenager, he trained at RADA before beginning a career that initially took him through Welsh film, theatre and British television.

America eventually beckoned.

Brothers & Sisters made him familiar to US television audiences before The Americans established him as one of the outstanding dramatic actors of his generation.

There followed Perry Mason, films including The Post and A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, and now two very different performances in The Beast in Me and Widow’s Bay.

It would have been easy for the Welsh part of the story to become little more than a line in the biography.

It hasn’t.

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Wales was on that stage too

Perhaps that is why the end of Rhys’s second acceptance speech resonated so strongly back home.

This wasn’t an actor suddenly rediscovering his Welshness for an awards ceremony.

Rhys has repeatedly spoken about growing up through the Welsh language and has continued using Welsh while living in America. He has also talked about trying to pass it on to his children.

Former teachers and classmates at his Welsh-language schools in Cardiff were celebrating his achievements after the Emmys, with his connections to Welsh education and culture becoming part of the story surrounding his historic success.

And so when Matthew Rhys stood before one of the biggest audiences in American television and spoke about the country that raised him, the words carried rather more weight.

Small but mighty.

Three words that could well describe Wales.

And, after one remarkable evening in Los Angeles, perhaps Matthew Rhys too.

***

Did Ewe Know?

Long before becoming one of American television’s most convincing Americans, Matthew Rhys played Dylan Thomas in the 2008 film The Edge of Love – bringing one of Wales’ most internationally famous literary figures to the screen.

READ Ewegottalove’s new Matthew Rhys profile story

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Mountains of Things to Do in Wales This Sunday: From Italy to Nashville, Circuses to Castles and Pop Culture to Pop Music

FOR so many generations, Sunday in Wales was a quiet and uneventful day. Families dressed for church or chapel before returning home to gather around the table for Sunday lunch. In many communities the pubs were closed, most shops kept their doors firmly shut and Sunday was regarded, quite literally, as a day of rest.

Times have changed!

So what does a typical September Sunday look like in modern-day Wales 2026?

Well, this weekend, it could involve Italian food and music in Cardiff, a taste of Nashville on the Porthcawl seafront, world-class circus, Pokémon trading, thousands of runners beside Swansea Bay, a free visit to one of north Wales’ great castles – or a final night with one of Wales’ best-known singers.

Our Ewegottalove September Super Sunday, today – September 20, 2026 – has a little bit of everything – and a surprisingly international feel to it.

So, if you haven’t made plans yet, here are just a few of the many possibilities for getting out and about around Wales this Sunday.

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Enjoy a taste of Italy in Cardiff

Perhaps Sunday’s most obvious international celebration is the Cardiff Italian Festival at Tiger Yard in Cardiff Bay, running from 12 noon until 6pm.

The day begins with a ribbon-cutting involving the Italian Consul, followed by live music including the Italian Radio Society and Calabrian folk music. There is a wine tasting at 3.30pm, karaoke from 4pm and plenty of Italian food from businesses including Calabrisella Group, Roma Eat and Khione Sicilian Delicatessen.

And this isn’t simply an excuse for pizza and prosecco.

Wales has a substantial Italian heritage. Italian migration helped shape communities across South Wales, particularly through the cafés, ice-cream parlours and family businesses which became fixtures of towns and valleys during the 19th and 20th centuries.

So there is a genuine Welsh story sitting beneath Sunday’s Italian celebration.

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Nashville is still partying in Porthcawl

If Italy isn’t far enough, how about Tennessee?

Country to Cymru reaches its final day at The Hi Tide in Porthcawl, completing a weekend designed to bring a little Nashville atmosphere to the Welsh coast.

Sunday includes the Hi Tide Hoedown from 12 noon until 6pm, Blue Grass Sunday, more live country entertainment and a free Honky Tonk Wrap Party to close the festival.

Country bands, cowboy hats, bluegrass and a Welsh seaside resort may sound like an unusual combination – which is probably part of the attraction.

See Ewegottalove’s full Country to Cymru guide

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Catch the final CARNATION performance in Cardiff

Another event with an international flavour comes from a company that actually calls Wales home.

NoFit State Circus celebrates its 40th anniversary this year with CARNATION, its latest large-scale Big Top production.

Sunday brings the final Cardiff performance at Sophia Gardens at 3pm, following a 2026 tour which has already visited Porthcawl, Brighton, Bristol, Galway and Carmarthen.

The production combines contemporary circus, live music, cinematic imagery and an international company of performers in a show lasting approximately two hours.

This is a nice example of Wales exporting culture rather than merely importing it: a Cardiff-based circus company whose work has travelled internationally before returning home.

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Watch 4,000 runners take on Swansea Bay

Sunday also brings the 45th Swansea Bay 10K.

The main race starts at 11am and follows the fast, flat course beside Swansea Bay. Entries have already sold out, with the official race limit set at 4,000, while the wider programme includes junior races, wheelchair racing and the traditional mascot race.

The event typically attracts around 4,500 participants across its races.

You don’t have to be running, of course. Major road races are often as much about spectators, families and atmosphere as the people wearing race numbers.

And there can be few more attractive urban running backdrops than the sweep of Swansea Bay.

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Go Pokémon hunting in Cardiff Bay

A global phenomenon takes over the Red Dragon Centre.

The Cardiff Bay Card Show runs from 10am until 4pm, bringing together Pokémon Trading Card Game collectors to buy, sell and trade cards.

There are specialist vendors, opportunities to trade with other collectors, character appearances and giveaways, with the event aimed at everyone from beginners to serious collectors.

Pokémon may have begun life in Japan, but it has become one of the great international pop-culture franchises – and Cardiff’s trading-card community is very much part of that worldwide collecting phenomenon.

Read an interesting take on trading card collecting: Where Nostalgia, Playground Fun and Swapsies meet a Cut-throat World of Commerce in our Yougottalove pop culture section

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See Charlotte Church’s Pop Dungeon reach its final chapter

Sunday evening brings another very Welsh performer with a worldwide profile back to Cardiff.

Charlotte Church’s End Times Pop Dungeon takes over DEPOT Cardiff from 7pm until 11pm.

After more than a decade of Charlotte’s unconventional Late Night Pop Dungeon performances, the venue describes this incarnation as “one final chapter”.

For someone who first became internationally famous as a classical singer while still a child, Church’s journey into an experimental live show built around everything from pop to rock, rave and theatrical performance has been quite a transformation.

If Sunday daytime is Italy, Nashville, circus and running, this provides a suitably unpredictable way to finish the night.

Read Charlotte Church Profile

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Visit Penrhyn Castle for free

If all that sounds slightly frantic, north Wales offers something much more leisurely.

Penrhyn Castle and Garden near Bangor is offering free admission on Sunday from 10am until 5pm as part of Cadw’s Open Doors programme.

Visitors can explore the castle, Victorian kitchens, walled garden and parkland. Last admission to the castle itself is at 3pm.

There is an added Welsh heritage attraction this weekend, with quarrymen from the National Slate Museum giving demonstrations of traditional slate splitting and dressing. Demonstrations run during the day in the Stable Block.

Read more on Welsh History & Heritage

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And some of our weekend favourites are still going…

Several events we’ve already featured on Ewegottalove continue into Sunday.

Abergavenny Food Festival runs from 9.30am until 5pm, with more than 120 producers and its extensive programme of demonstrations and talks. Sunday adult admission is £17, with under-16s free.

Up north, Mold Food & Drink Festival continues from 10am until 5pm, with its free park-and-ride operating again on Sunday.

[North or South? Two Mouth-watering Welsh Food Festivals to Savour This Weekend]

And if medieval history is more appealing than food, Llantrisant Medieval Fayre returns for its second day beside Llantrisant Castle and Guildhall, with the Medieval Combat Society among those bringing the Middle Ages back to life.

[Step Back in Time to the Middle Ages at Llantrisant Medieval Fayre This Weekend]

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One Welsh Sunday – quite a lot of the world

So this no-longer-sleepy Sunday is all about variety.

Italy comes to Cardiff. Nashville comes to Porthcawl. A Welsh circus brings home a production that has travelled around Britain and Ireland. Japanese pop culture fills a Cardiff trading-card show. Thousands run beside Swansea Bay, while a Welsh singer who became a global star brings one of her most unusual projects home.

And alongside all that, Wales’ own castles, medieval history, food and industrial heritage are never very far away.

Not bad for one September Sunday!

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Did Ewe Know?

Italian cafés became so familiar in parts of South Wales that the name “Bracchi” became a general term for an Italian café.

The name came from Italian migrant Giacomo Bracchi, whose family developed a network of cafés. By the early 20th century, “Bracchis” had become part of everyday life in communities across the south Wales valleys.

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Nashville Comes to Porthcawl: Country to Cymru Takes Over the Welsh Coast

COWBOY boots, country bands, line dancing and a little taste of Nashville have arrived on the South Wales coast.

Country to Cymru is taking over The Hi Tide in Porthcawl this weekend for three days of live music, dancing, tribute acts, food and Western-themed entertainment.

The festival began on Friday and continues throughout Saturday 19 and Sunday 20 September, with a mixture of free family-friendly entertainment and ticketed evening shows.

So what exactly happens when Nashville comes to Porthcawl?

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WHAT IS COUNTRY TO CYMRU?

Country to Cymru is a new three-day celebration of American country music and culture beside the sea.

Rather than relying on one main stage, the programme is spread around different areas of The Hi Tide, including the Marquee, Harbour Lights and Bayside, with everything from full country bands to acoustic performances, line dancing, tribute shows, karaoke and DJs.

There are also food and trader stalls and Western-themed games in the courtyard. The organisers say the free shows are family-friendly, while paid shows are restricted to over-18s.

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WHAT’S HAPPENING ON SATURDAY?

Saturday is probably the busiest day of the festival.

The Marquee hosts free line dancing from 12 noon until 5pm, with Dusty Road, Annalee West and guests.

At 2pm, visitors can choose between another free Country All Stars Stage at Harbour Lights and the Bluebird Cafe Stage at Bayside, curated by Rebecca & Kristian.

The evening then divides into several different country experiences.

The Porthcawl Opry, running from 7pm until 11pm, features the Taynee Lord Band, Rebecca Richards Band and Buffalo Smoke Band.

Elsewhere, Darren Graceland Jones and Ernie Emmanuel bring an Elvis Country Stage to The Hi Tide, while the Giddy Up Bar offers Country-Oke, a honky-tonk DJ and jukebox until midnight. Some of the evening performances require tickets, so visitors should check availability with the venue before setting out.

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WHY ALL THE NASHVILLE REFERENCES?

Anyone familiar with country music will recognise some deliberate nods to Nashville.

The name Porthcawl Opry inevitably brings to mind the Grand Ole Opry, the legendary Nashville radio show that began in 1925 and has now spent more than a century showcasing country music.

Likewise, Saturday’s Bluebird Cafe Stage echoes Nashville’s famous Bluebird Cafe, the tiny 90-seat listening room renowned for putting songwriters at the centre of performances. Garth Brooks, Taylor Swift and many other artists have important connections with the venue.

There is no suggestion that the Porthcawl stages are officially connected with those Nashville institutions, but the names certainly help create the atmosphere Country to Cymru is trying to bring to the Welsh coast.

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WHAT’S HAPPENING ON SUNDAY?

There is still plenty to come on the final day.

The Hi Tide Hoedown runs in the Marquee from 12 noon until 6pm, with Andrew Hayes, Jukebox Country and Hat & Fiddle.

General entry to the hoedown is free, while a £10 VIP option offers guaranteed seating and a cocktail on arrival.

The Country All Stars return to Harbour Lights at 2pm, while Bayside stages Blue Grass Sunday at the same time.

Then, from 7pm, the weekend finishes with a free Honky Tonk Wrap Party.

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WHERE IS COUNTRY TO CYMRU?

The festival takes place at:

The Hi Tide
Mackworth Road
Porthcawl
CF36 5BT

The venue is right beside the coast and has direct beach access.

The Hi Tide also has its own private car park, currently charging £3 for all-day parking.

As always with live events, Ewegottalove recommends checking the official Country to Cymru/Hi Tide information before travelling, particularly for ticket availability and any late programme changes.

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IS COUNTRY TO CYMRU SUITABLE FOR FAMILIES?

Much of it is.

The organisers specifically describe the free shows as family-friendly, which means families can sample the atmosphere without necessarily buying tickets for an evening concert.

The ticketed shows, however, are for over-18s, so it is worth checking the programme before making plans.

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WHY PORTHCAWL?

Perhaps the better question is: why not?

Porthcawl already has something of a reputation for transforming itself around major music-themed weekends.

Its seaside setting gives Country to Cymru something different from a conventional indoor country concert. Visitors can move between live music, food, dancing and the waterfront, creating something closer to a mini destination festival.

It is also another example of the sort of international influence increasingly turning up in Wales.

This weekend, a corner of the south Wales coast is borrowing a little from Nashville, Tennessee.

And judging by the programme, visitors are being encouraged to bring their dancing shoes.

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DID EWE KNOW?

Country to Cymru isn’t even Porthcawl’s biggest themed music takeover this month.

Next weekend the town stages its famous Porthcawl Elvis Festival, running from 25–27 September. Visit Bridgend describes Porthcawl as home to the world’s largest Elvis festival – meaning the seaside town effectively moves from country music to the King in the space of a week.

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What Changed? Wales Women End 14-Month Wait With Stunning South Africa Win

FOURTEEN months. Six first-half tries. Fifty points.

After a long and difficult run without a Test victory, Wales Women finally had a night to celebrate at Cardiff Arms Park, sweeping aside South Africa 50–19 in their opening WXV Global Series match.

Wales had not won a Test since beating Australia 21–12 in Brisbane in July 2025. Against a South African side that reached the quarter-finals of the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup, few could have predicted quite how emphatically that sequence would end.

So what changed under the Friday night lights in Cardiff?

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How did Wales beat South Africa 50-19?

Wales started at a pace South Africa simply could not contain.

Courtney Keight crossed after only six minutes following good work from Keira Bevan and Lisa Neumann, before powerful prop Sisilia Tuipulotu added the second.

South Africa briefly responded through Felicia Jacobs, but Wales simply accelerated again.

Scrum-half Seren Lockwood scored before an extraordinary spell in which Maisie Davies and Kelsey Jones both went over. By the 33rd minute, every member of the Welsh starting front row had scored a try.

Neumann then completed a superb first half by adding Wales’ sixth before the interval.

For a team that had spent more than a year searching for a Test victory, it was a remarkable transformation.

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WHY WAS THE WELSH PACK SO IMPORTANT?

The statistics may eventually tell one story, but the visual evidence was obvious: Wales were repeatedly winning collisions and getting over the gain-line.

Tuipulotu, Davies, Jones, Georgia Evans, Branwen Metcalfe, Bryonie King and the returning Alex Callender continually gave Wales forward momentum.

That mattered because South Africa arrived with a reputation for physical rugby. They had already won a fifth consecutive Rugby Africa Women’s Cup during 2026, won twice in Fiji and shared a two-Test series with the USA.

Instead of trying to avoid the Springbok forwards, Wales confronted them.

And it worked.

Callender’s return was particularly important. Injury had kept her out of the 2026 Women’s Six Nations, but back in a Wales shirt and sharing the captaincy with Kate Williams, she was prominent throughout and eventually scored herself during the second half.

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DID THE SOUTH AFRICAN RED CARD DECIDE THE GAME?

It certainly made South Africa’s task harder – but Wales were already firmly in control.

Springbok lock Danelle Lochner was initially shown yellow for a high tackle on Kate Williams before the decision was upgraded to red.

By then Wales had already established their superiority and scored repeatedly.

South Africa added second-half tries through Maria Tshiremba and Maceala Samboya, but further scores from Tuipulotu and Callender ensured there would be no Welsh collapse.

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DID THE KEIRA BEVAN EXPERIMENT WORK?

One of the most interesting selections before kick-off was the decision to start experienced scrum-half Keira Bevan at fly-half for the first time for Wales.

Head coach Sean Lynn had experimented with Bevan at ten during the summer preparations, pairing her with Seren Lockwood at scrum-half.

Lockwood’s injury meant the partnership did not last as long as planned, with Lleucu George entering the game earlier than expected.

But Bevan looked comfortable during Wales’ explosive opening period, using her passing and kicking game effectively as the Welsh attack repeatedly found space.

Whether Lynn sticks with the experiment next weekend will now be an intriguing selection question.

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HOW IMPORTANT IS THE VICTORY FOR SEAN LYNN?

Very.

This was only Sean Lynn’s second Test victory in 16 matches as Wales head coach, according to RugbyPass, and therefore represents something more significant than simply one positive result.

A prolonged losing run can become increasingly difficult to escape. Confidence falls, pressure builds and even promising performances become dominated by the final result.

Scoring 50 points against South Africa provides a rather different platform from which to work.

It does not suddenly solve every problem Wales have experienced over the past year, but it gives the players something they have badly needed: evidence that progress can produce victories.

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WHO DO WALES PLAY NEXT?

There isn’t long to celebrate.

Wales face the USA at Cardiff Arms Park next Saturday, 26 September, kicking off at 3pm.

It will be another significant occasion because it will be the first time Wales Women have faced the USA on home soil.

And suddenly that fixture looks rather more intriguing.

The question going into Friday night’s game was when Wales would finally win again.

Next week it becomes:

Can Wales do it twice?

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Did Ewe Know?

Wales wing Amy Williams, who made her Test debut against South Africa, became the 10th new Wales cap introduced under Sean Lynn since he took charge in 2025. She had already caught the eye by scoring twice against the Barbarians in an uncapped international at Twickenham.

SPORT IN WALES

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Why is American college football at Wembley? Everything you need to know about Arizona State v Kansas, kick-off time, TV coverage, London events – and the Welsh connection

AMERICAN college football is coming to Wembley – and this is no exhibition match.

The Kansas Jayhawks and Arizona State Sun Devils meet at Wembley Stadium on Saturday 19 September 2026 in the inaugural Union Jack Classic, a genuine Big 12 Conference game being transported thousands of miles across the Atlantic.

It will be the first college football game staged at the present Wembley Stadium and is being promoted as the first NCAA Division I/FBS college football game played in the UK. Kansas are officially the home team despite the rather unusual surroundings.

For British spectators unfamiliar with college football, expect considerably more than four quarters of American football. Marching bands, cheerleaders, tailgating, pep rallies and the elaborate traditions of a US college game day are all part of the package.

And the party has already started in London.

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WHAT IS THE UNION JACK CLASSIC?

The Union Jack Classic is a new international college-football series designed to bring the American college game to Britain.

Saturday’s first edition features two teams from the Big 12, one of the major conferences competing at the highest level of US college football.

Unlike a pre-season friendly, the result counts. This is part of the regular Big 12 schedule, with Kansas designated as the home team.

Organisers are trying to recreate the full American Saturday experience rather than simply bringing over two football teams. The official event promises tailgate parties, marching-band performances and the pageantry which helps make college football such an extraordinary phenomenon in the United States.

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WHEN IS ARIZONA STATE v KANSAS AT WEMBLEY?

The game takes place on Saturday 19 September.

Wembley currently lists kick-off at 5.10pm, with general admission opening at 3pm. Hospitality opens at 2pm. Spectators are being encouraged to arrive early because of stadium security arrangements.

Ticketmaster still lists the event for general sale, subject of course to availability. Anyone making late plans should check the official Union Jack Classic or Wembley Stadium information before travelling.

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CAN I WATCH THE UNION JACK CLASSIC ON TELEVISION?

In the United States, the game is being shown on FS1, with kick-off scheduled for 11am Central Time.

FOX is making a major occasion of it by bringing its Big Noon Kick-off pre-game programme to London. The show begins at 9am Central Time before handing over to the live game coverage.

UK listings also currently have Arizona State v Kansas scheduled on Sky Sports NFL from 5pm.

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So What’s the Welsh Connection and What Happened to Louis Rees-Zammit’s NFL dream?

There is an obvious Welsh connection whenever American football comes to Britain.

Louis Rees-Zammit stunned Welsh rugby in January 2024 when he stepped away from the sport and joined the NFL’s International Player Pathway programme.

The Penarth-raised winger possessed the raw quality NFL teams immediately understood: exceptional speed. At his pro-day workout he ran the 40-yard dash in around 4.43 seconds and subsequently signed with the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs.

But speed alone does not make an NFL player.

Rees-Zammit was attempting in a matter of months to learn skills that many American players had practised since childhood. He had to master completely different tactics, terminology, blocking assignments, route-running and ball-carrying techniques while adjusting to helmets, pads and the specialist demands of American football.

He himself admitted early in the process that the sheer amount he had to learn was one of the greatest challenges.

Kansas City used him at running back and on special teams during the 2024 pre-season but waived him when reducing their roster. He subsequently joined the Jacksonville Jaguars, initially on their practice squad and later signing to their active off-season roster as a wide receiver.

He ultimately left the NFL in August 2025 without appearing in a regular-season game and returned to rugby, later saying he felt continuing in American football would mean he was “wasting his talent”.

It would therefore be unfair simply to say Rees-Zammit wasn’t athletic enough.

If anything, his experience illustrated just how difficult it is for even an elite international sportsman to enter one of the world’s most specialised sports in his twenties and compete with players who have spent years mastering it.

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WHICH OTHER WELSHMAN HAVE TRIED THEIR LUCK IN AMERICAN FOOTBALL?

Rees-Zammit was certainly not the first.

Perhaps the most entertaining Welsh-American football story belongs to former Wales full-back Paul Thorburn.

Thorburn’s extraordinary long-range kicking for Wales attracted the attention of the Los Angeles Rams, who signed him to a one-game contract when they played the Denver Broncos in an American Bowl pre-season fixture at – appropriately enough – Wembley in 1987.

Thorburn was brought in primarily to kick off and did indeed take a kick during the game, although the experiment did not develop into an NFL career.

More recently, Evan Williams from Bridgend travelled to the United States originally on a rugby scholarship before becoming a punter for Missouri Western State University.

Williams was named third-team All-MIAA in 2023 and openly pursued the possibility of progressing towards the NFL. His journey was documented by S4C in The Big Kick.

And another Wales and British & Irish Lions wing, Alex Cuthbert, revealed in 2025 that he had undertaken an American-football trial back in 2017, although he admitted it did not go particularly well.

So the relationship between Welsh rugby players and American football goes back considerably further than LRZ.

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WHAT’S HAPPENING IN LONDON AHEAD OF THE UNION JACK CLASSIC?

Quite a lot – and that is one reason Friday may be almost as important as Saturday for creating the atmosphere.

Today, Arizona State’s Spirit Squad, marching band and mascot Sparky are appearing at the adidas flagship store at 425 Oxford Street from 2.30pm to 4.30pm.

Then the celebrations move to the Leake Street tunnels at Waterloo, where the official Union Jack Classic pre-game party runs from 5pm until 11pm.

General admission is free, with the Kansas and Arizona State bands and cheerleaders scheduled together during the evening alongside entertainment including rapper Tech N9ne, B2Wins and DJ Special Ed.

On Saturday, tailgating and other pre-game entertainment continue around Wembley as organisers attempt to give British spectators a taste of what an American college football Saturday is really like.

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WHO ARE ARIZONA STATE SUN DEVILS AND KANSAS JAYHAWKS?

Both arrive in London with 1–1 records, so there is plenty at stake.

Kansas opened with a 51–6 victory over LIU before losing 38–21 against No.23 Missouri.

Quarterback Isaiah Marshall has thrown for 414 yards and four touchdowns through his first two career starts, while receiver Nik McMillan has 182 receiving yards and two touchdowns.

Arizona State also arrive following defeat, losing 48–20 at No.10 Texas A&M last weekend.

There are some potentially explosive players to watch. Sun Devils quarterback Cutter Boley has already thrown for 641 yards and eight touchdowns this season, while receiver Reed Harris has 326 yards and four touchdown catches through just two games.

So although much of the publicity surrounds the novelty of playing at Wembley, neither team has crossed the Atlantic merely for sightseeing.

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WHY IS COLLEGE FOOTBALL SO BIG IN AMERICA?

This can be difficult to appreciate from Britain.

College football is theoretically university sport, but at its highest level it operates on an enormous scale, with packed stadiums, national television coverage, huge coaching salaries and fan bases whose allegiances often run through generations of the same family.

The atmosphere can feel closer to European club football than most British visitors might expect.

The marching bands, mascots, student sections, tailgating and long-established rivalries are not decoration around the sport – they are a large part of what makes college football distinctive.

That may explain why the organisers have brought so much of the surrounding culture to London rather than concentrating solely on Saturday’s match.

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COULD BIG-TIME AMERICAN FOOTBALL COME TO CARDIFF, WALES?

Now for the obvious Ewegottalove question.

If Wembley can stage college football, why not Cardiff?

The Principality Stadium appears to have many of the physical ingredients required.

It has 73,931 seats, a playing surface measuring 120 metres by 79 metres and, of course, its famous retractable roof. It was designed from the outset as a multi-use venue rather than purely a rugby ground.

So accommodating an American-football field should not be the fundamental obstacle.

The much more interesting question is whether Cardiff could attract enough spectators for an NFL or major college game.

We shouldn’t assume that almost 74,000 seats would automatically be filled. But Wales has repeatedly demonstrated an appetite for major one-off stadium occasions, while Cardiff’s city-centre stadium gives it one advantage few huge sporting arenas can match.

With the NFL continuing to stage regular-season games overseas and college football now testing the British market, could the Principality Stadium eventually become another home for the American game?

Would ewe go?

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COULD THE UNION JACK CLASSIC BECOME A REGULAR FIXTURE?

That appears to be the ambition.

The Union Jack Classic has been presented from the outset as more than a one-off match, with organisers talking about creating an annual international college-football presence in Britain. The project’s chairman has said there is a multi-year agreement with Wembley.

The real test comes this weekend.

If British spectators embrace not just the game but the marching bands, cheerleaders, tailgating and traditions surrounding it, Saturday could become the beginning of something rather larger.

And perhaps one day that expansion need not stop at London.

Cardiff, anyone?

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Did Ewe Know?

Saturday will not actually be London’s first encounter with American college football.

Back in 1988, Richmond played Boston University in the capital. What makes this weekend historic is that it brings top-level FBS/Division I college football to Britain and college football to Wembley for the first time.

SPORT WALES

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Step Back in Time to the Middle Ages at Llantrisant Medieval Fayre This Weekend

KNIGHTS, archers and centuries of Welsh history return to one of south Wales’ oldest hilltop towns this weekend when Llantrisant Medieval Fayre takes over Castle Green.

The free family event is being held beside Llantrisant’s historic Guildhall and the remains of its medieval castle.

For visitors, it promises an entertaining journey back into the Middle Ages.

For Llantrisant itself, however, the medieval setting is much more than make-believe.

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When is Llantrisant Medieval Fayre 2026?

The fayre takes place on Llantrisant Castle Green, George Street, CF72 8EE on Saturday 19 and Sunday 20 September 2026, from 10am to 4pm on each day.

Admission is free.

As with all outdoor events, programmes and arrangements can change, so Ewegottalove recommends checking the Llantrisant Guildhall website before travelling.

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What can visitors expect?

The Medieval Combat Society has Llantrisant Medieval Fayre listed on its official 2026 programme for the weekend, bringing living history back to Castle Green. The society specialises in historical displays involving medieval armour, combat and everyday life.

Previous Llantrisant fayres have transformed the green into a medieval encampment with battle demonstrations, archery, historic crafts and displays, while the setting itself provides much of the atmosphere.

And this is one event where the surroundings really matter.

The fayre does not take place in an anonymous field or modern events arena. Visitors are standing beside the remains of Llantrisant Castle and immediately outside a Guildhall whose origins stretch back to the medieval borough.

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Why is Llantrisant such an appropriate setting?

Llantrisant has a history stretching back far beyond the Middle Ages, but the medieval period helped create the town visitors recognise today.

The castle was fortified in stone in 1246 under Richard de Clare, Earl of Gloucester and Lord of Glamorgan, becoming an important administrative centre controlling the surrounding territories of Meisgyn and Glynrhondda.

Only part of one tower survives today, but its commanding position above the surrounding countryside gives some idea of why Llantrisant was strategically important.

The medieval borough developed around the castle, and in 1346 Llantrisant received a charter granting important rights and privileges to its townspeople.

That same year would become particularly significant in the town’s story.

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What connects Llantrisant with the Battle of Crécy?

The Guildhall’s heritage displays commemorate Llantrisant’s medieval longbowmen, traditionally known as the ‘Black Army‘, who fought for the Prince of Wales at the Battle of Crécy in 1346 during the Hundred Years’ War.

The bow became one of the defining weapons of medieval warfare, and Llantrisant continues to celebrate its connection with the Welsh archery tradition.

The Guildhall even has an Archer’s Hall, where its exhibition includes a life-sized representation of a medieval Welsh archer armed with a longbow.

That gives this weekend’s archery and combat displays rather more local meaning than they might have almost anywhere else.

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What is Llantrisant Guildhall?

The Guildhall stands alongside Castle Green and has been at the heart of the town’s civic life for centuries.

An earlier Guildhall dates to the medieval borough, while the building was rebuilt in 1773. It served as the centre of local government, with its Court Room overseeing markets, fairs and local justice.

Among its treasures is a silver mace dating from 1633, while the building also tells the stories of Llantrisant’s Freemen, its archers and some of the colourful characters associated with the town.

Its location immediately alongside the castle ruins makes Castle Green one of those unusual places where several layers of Welsh history sit almost on top of one another.

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Does Owain Glyndŵr enter the story?

Llantrisant Castle had already endured centuries of conflict by the beginning of the 15th Century.

Local tradition has long connected its final decline with Owain Glyndŵr’s revolt, and Rhondda Cynon Taf’s conservation history notes that it remains uncertain whether the castle was destroyed during Glyndŵr’s campaigns around 1404 or simply became redundant as political conditions changed.

There is therefore no firm documentary evidence that Glyndŵr personally destroyed Llantrisant Castle — but the possibility gives the town another fascinating connection with one of the most turbulent periods in Welsh history.

Read more about Owain Glyndŵr

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What else can visitors see in Llantrisant?

It is worth allowing some extra time rather than simply arriving for the fayre and leaving.

The old hilltop town retains its historic streets, independent shops and pubs, while the castle, Guildhall and parish church are all clustered close together.

The Guildhall recommends Swan Street Car Park, Caerlan Hall and Gwaun Ruperra Car Park off Heol y Sarn for visitors travelling by car. Disabled parking is available outside the Guildhall.

The Royal Mint Experience is also less than a mile away, giving visitors another substantial heritage attraction nearby.

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Medieval history brought back to life

There is an important difference between reading about history and standing where some of it happened.

At Llantrisant this weekend, visitors can watch medieval re-enactors on a green overlooked by the remains of a genuine medieval castle, beside a Guildhall representing a borough whose history stretches back more than six centuries.

It makes the Medieval Fayre considerably more than fancy dress and clashing swords.

For Ewegottalove Wales, it also provides a timely reminder that the history of Wales is often still visible in the towns and communities around us — sometimes hiding almost in plain sight.

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Did Ewe Know?

Llantrisant still preserves the extraordinary tradition of Beating the Bounds.

Historically used to ensure each generation remembered the boundaries of the ancient borough, the ceremony involves younger participants being held by their arms and legs and ceremonially bounced on the old boundary stones. The tradition has medieval roots and is still periodically observed in Llantrisant.

WELSH HISTORY & HERITAGE

LLANTRISANT

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Why the Llandovery Sheep Festival Is One of Wales’ Most ‘Ewegottalove’ Events

IF there is one event in Wales this weekend that seems almost tailor-made for us at Ewegottalove Wales, it has to be Llandovery Sheep Festival.

Sheep, wool, rural crafts, Welsh farming heritage, local food, music and one of Wales’ most historic market towns all come together in Llandovery, Carmarthenshire, on Saturday 19 September 2026.

And best of all, admission is free.

The festival has been celebrating Llandovery’s sheep-farming heritage since 2010 and spreads through the town centre, bringing together farmers, craftspeople, food producers, musicians and visitors for a celebration of rural Welsh life.

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When is Llandovery Sheep Festival 2026?

The official 2026 festival website promotes the event for Saturday 19 September, with activities taking place around Llandovery town centre.

(Festival programmes and timings can occasionally change, so visitors are advised to check the official Llandovery Sheep Festival website before setting out.)

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What happens at Llandovery Sheep Festival?

The stars of the show are, naturally, the sheep.

Visitors can meet local Welsh breeds, talk to the farmers who raise them and discover more about the important part sheep and wool have played in the economy and landscape of rural Wales.

The festival also features craft and shopping stalls offering handmade textiles, artwork, gifts and wool-related products, alongside local food, street food, Welsh cheeses and craft drinks.

There is live music and entertainment around the town, while the Village Show brings another traditional element with classes covering baking, handicrafts, horticulture, photography and children’s entries.

That combination is important. This isn’t simply an agricultural show.

It is a celebration of the whole rural community built around sheep farming — from the animal in the field to wool, food, traditional skills, independent businesses and Welsh culture.

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Why is Llandovery the perfect place for a sheep festival?

Llandovery has been connected with farming and livestock for centuries.

The town grew as an important Welsh market and droving centre. Drovers gathered here before taking livestock on long journeys eastwards towards markets in England and London.

Llandovery’s prosperity was closely tied to agriculture, the wool trade and the movement of livestock, and traces of that history remain throughout the town today.

Even its famous Black Ox Bank, founded in 1799, grew out of the droving trade. Drovers needed somewhere safer to deposit money rather than carrying large sums on journeys where highwaymen were a genuine danger.

The connection survives in another very Welsh institution too: Llandovery RFC are still known as The Drovers.

So although the Sheep Festival is colourful and entertaining, there is some serious Welsh history sitting underneath it.

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Is Llandovery Sheep Festival good for families?

Yes. The organisers describe the festival as suitable for families, with sheep, entertainment, stalls, food, community activities and opportunities to meet the people involved in farming and rural crafts.

For children who may never have visited a working farm, it is also an opportunity to see that wool does not simply begin life in a shop.

The festival connects the sheep in the field with spinning, textiles, clothing, crafts and the wider rural economy.

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What food and drink is available?

The organisers promise a “flock of food vendors”, with local street food, Welsh cheeses, wood-fired food and small-batch drinks among the offerings.

Coming just a week after the St Fagans Food Festival and on the same weekend as the major food festivals in Abergavenny and Mold, it is another reminder of how closely Wales’ food story is connected to its farming communities.

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How do I get to Llandovery Sheep Festival?

Llandovery sits at the junction of the A40 and A483, making it readily accessible by road.

The official festival site says free visitor parking will be available courtesy of Llandovery Town Council, with overflow parking at the agricultural market car park behind the Castle car park.

Llandovery also has its own railway station on the scenic Heart of Wales Line, within walking distance of the town centre.

That makes arriving by train an attractive option for visitors who would rather leave the car at home.

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More than just sheep

There is something rather appealing about an event which celebrates something so fundamental to Wales.

Sheep have helped shape the Welsh landscape, supported rural communities and provided wool, meat and livelihoods for generations.

Llandovery Sheep Festival takes that heritage and turns it into something visitors can see, taste, hear and experience for themselves.

And where better to do it than in an old Welsh market town whose streets were once filled with livestock and drovers beginning the long journey towards London?

For ewegottalove.com, a website born out of an affinity with Wales’ favourite woolly mammal, this event was always going to be top of the ‘must-do’ list.

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Did Ewe Know?

Over 90% of the land area in Wales is dedicated to farming, much of which supports grazing livestock like sheep in the rugged uplands. Wales has approximately 8.8 million sheep and lambs, meaning sheep outnumber the human population by a ratio of nearly 3 to 1.

CARMARTHENSHIRE

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North or South? Two Mouth-watering Welsh Food Festivals to Savour This Weekend

FOOD lovers are catered for whether they live in the north or the south of Wales this weekend, with two long-established festivals serving up everything from Welsh produce and street food to chef demonstrations, live music and family entertainment.

Abergavenny Food Festival in Monmouthshire and Mold Food & Drink Festival in Flintshire both take place over Saturday 19 and Sunday 20 September 2026, giving visitors the chance to celebrate Welsh food and drink wherever they’re located.

So what is happening, how much does it cost – and which festival might suit you best

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WHEN IS ABERGAVENNY FOOD FESTIVAL 2026?

Abergavenny Food Festival takes over venues throughout the town centre this coming Saturday and Sunday.

Saturday runs from 9.30am until 6pm, while Sunday’s festival runs from 9.30am until 5pm. The event spreads across the heart of Abergavenny, including the Market Hall, Brewery Yard and the grounds of Abergavenny Castle.

This is the festival’s 28th year, and organisers are expecting more than 120 stallholders alongside over 80 chef demonstrations, talks and events and more than 16 live music performances.

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WHAT’S ON THE MENU AT ABERGAVENNY FOOD FESTIVAL?

Quite a lot more than simply buying something tasty to take home.

Visitors can watch live cookery demonstrations, discover artisan producers, join talks and debates about food and farming, take part in foraging activities and see open-fire cooking in the grounds of Abergavenny Castle.

The 2026 programme includes inaugural Great British Bake Off winner Edd Kimber, MasterChef champion Ping Coombes, BBC food broadcaster Sheila Dillon and a host of Welsh chefs, producers, writers and food experts.

There is also a free Kids’ Cookery School for youngsters, including Welsh-language and quieter sessions during the weekend.

One of Sunday’s additional ticketed events features former Top Gear and The Grand Tour presenter Richard Hammond in conversation with Welsh presenter Steve Jones, discussing food, travel and Hammond’s venture into the spirits business. Tickets for that event cost £20.

Saturday continues after the daytime festival with the Party in the Castle, featuring two stages, four bands and entertainment at Abergavenny Castle. Separate tickets cost £31 and the event is for over-12s.

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HOW MUCH ARE ABERGAVENNY FOOD FESTIVAL TICKETS?

Adult day tickets cost £17 for either Saturday or Sunday, while a weekend ticket covering both days costs £26.

Children aged under 16 receive free festival admission, although some special events and masterclasses carry an additional charge.

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WHAT ABOUT MOLD FOOD & DRINK FESTIVAL?

Some 140 miles to the north, Mold Food & Drink Festival – Gŵyl Fwyd a Diod yr Wyddgrug – has another reason to celebrate.

2026 marks its 20th anniversary, having first been staged in 2006.

The festival takes place at New Street Car Park, Mold, opening from 10am until 9pm on Saturday – although the indoor stalls close earlier – and from 10am until 5pm on Sunday.

There is even a musical warm-up on Friday 18 September from 6pm until 10pm, with the Friday evening event restricted to over-18s.

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WHAT’S COOKING AT MOLD FOOD & DRINK FESTIVAL?

Expect more than 100 food and drink stalls featuring Welsh produce alongside UK and international flavours, street food, artisan drinks, chef demonstrations and live entertainment.

The Welsh Culinary Team is among those represented, while the Cookery Theatre features chefs and local food businesses alongside complimentary beer, wine and gin tastings between demonstrations.

Mold has deliberately combined food with entertainment, making the event as much a music festival as a food market once the cooking demonstrations and shopping begin to wind down.

This year’s programme is especially significant because of that 2006–2026 twentieth-anniversary milestone.

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HOW MUCH DOES MOLD FOOD & DRINK FESTIVAL COST?

On-the-day/full-price admission is £12 on Saturday and £7 on Sunday. A Saturday evening-only adult ticket costs £10.

Under-16s are admitted free when accompanied by a paying adult, subject to the festival’s conditions. Friday night’s music event costs £20 and is for over-18s.

That makes Sunday at Mold a particularly affordable family option.

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HOW DO I GET TO THE FESTIVALS?

Abergavenny is particularly convenient for visitors travelling by public transport. The railway station is around a ten-minute walk from the festival, while the bus station is approximately five minutes away.

Drivers can use the temporary Castle Meadows Festival Car Park, costing £5 for the day, with proceeds supporting local community organisations.

Mold has an added attraction this weekend: a free Park and Ride service between Mold County Hall and Mold Bus Station on both Saturday and Sunday.

Two shuttle buses will operate, with Saturday services beginning at 9.30am and Sunday services from 10am. Flintshire County Council has confirmed the service specifically for this weekend’s festival.

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ABERGAVENNY OR MOLD – WHICH SHOULD YOU CHOOSE?

Geography may make the decision for many visitors, but the two festivals offer rather different experiences.

Abergavenny spreads itself across an entire market town and combines a huge food market with chefs, authors, debates, foraging, cookery and activities within historic venues.

Mold offers a more concentrated North Wales festival atmosphere, combining scores of food and drink exhibitors with cookery demonstrations and a strong live-music programme – with the added celebration of its 20th anniversary.

Whichever end of Wales you find yourself in, this looks like being one of the tastiest weekends of the Welsh calendar.

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DID EWE KNOW?

Abergavenny Food Festival was actually born out of a food crisis. It was founded in 1999 by local farmers Chris Wardle and Martin Orbach after the BSE crisis had badly damaged public confidence in British food. The first festival brought just 39 producers together in Abergavenny Market Hall – the beginning of an event which now attracts thousands of visitors to the town.

FOOD AND DRINK WALES

ABERGAVENNY

WHERE TO GO IN FLINTSHIRE

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