Last weekend, Cardiff’s homegrown DEPOT in the Castle festival took place in sweltering temperatures against the stunning backdrop of Cardiff Castle, delivering an unforgettable experience for all attendees.
Anne Marie, the big headline act, wowed the crowd with an energetic set on Saturday, 27th July; and was joined by platinum-selling singer-songwriter Tom Walker, who electrified the grounds of the castle with passionate renditions of his hits ‘Leave A Light On’ and ‘Just You & I.’
Accompanying Anne Marie and Tom Walker were DJ, songwriter, and producer Jax Jones, along with the legendary Garage duo Artful Dodger, whilst local talent shone brightly with Welsh six-piece CVC delivering their unique brand of psych-pop, punctuated by sets from Cardiff singer-songwriter Ben Ellis and local DJ Ian Davies.
It was a fitting end to a summer jam-packed with incredible live music performances at the Castle – part of the TK Maxx Presents DEPOT Live series which has seen a total of 55 acts grace the stage over the past seven weeks, including Nothing But Thieves, Crowded House, Paul Heaton, Eric Prydz, Avril Lavigne, The National, JLS, Rick Astley, IDLES, Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, and Madness.
Manic Street Preachers with Suede and Catfish and the Bottlemen both sold-out two consecutive shows each; and in a double-headlining set, US rockers The Smashing Pumpkins and Weezer selected Cardiff as one of only five UK dates for their European tour this summer – resulting in fans travelling from far and wide to experience the Welsh capital.
Whilst each of the artists rightfully wowed the crowds, it’s safe to say that the stunning backdrop of the Castle also garnered plenty of admiration, with Avril Lavinge stating, “It’s hard not to be doing amazing when you’re out here in front of all of you beautiful people and a beautiful castle!” and Tom Grennan enthusing “What a venue, what a place,”. IDLES frontman Joe Talbot even took time in his set to shout out his favourite Cardiff restaurant, Matsudai Ramen.
The headline shows for TK Maxx presents DEPOT Live at Cardiff Castle were presented by promoters DEPOT Live and Cuffe and Taylor.
Nick Saunders, founder of The DEPOT / DEPOT Live, expressed his gratitude to Cardiff Council, and to all of the staff and external teams who have made this summer of live music possible, saying, “It has been an incredible summer at the castle – by all accounts a resounding success. We did some huge numbers; welcoming 170,000 people through the gates to enjoy live music in the Welsh sunshine – and whilst 52% of our attendees came from here in Wales, we had some who travelled in from places as far-flung as Brazil, America, Portugal and even Australia.
Cabinet Member for Culture, Parks and Events, Cllr Jen Burke, said: “This summer of live music in the castle has been a fantastic addition to the city’s events calendar and has brought a huge economic boost to our city centre, attracting crowds from all over the world to our vibrant Welsh capital. Our grassroots music and hospitality venues have spoken to us about a clear benefit to them having these concerts take place. We are really proud of how we are establishing Cardiff as a must-go destination for music delivering on our Cardiff Music Strategy, we look forward to building on this. A big congratulations to all involved.”
Cuffe and Taylor co-founder Peter Taylor said: “This has been our second summer working with the DEPOT team, and we look forward to many more. Cardiff is a fabulous city and being able to present headline shows in the shadows of the iconic Cardiff Castle is a privilege.”
Now in its seventh year, DEPOT in the Castle is Cardiff’s annual homegrown festival, celebrated for its dynamic line-ups and the iconic setting of Cardiff Castle.
DEPOT in the Castle is presented by DEPOT Live, the live-events arm of The DEPOT (Cardiff’s premier live events venue) which will also be celebrating its tenth birthday in the capital this September.
