Swansea Arts Weekend lit up the city centre this past weekend, 11-12 October, with a spectacular showcase of creativity, community, and culture.
Over 180 artists and performers took to 15 venues and outdoor spaces, delivering more than 300 hours of free cultural entertainment that captivated residents and visitors alike.
From the historic grandeur of Swansea Castle to the welcoming charm of St David’s Place, the city itself became an artistic playground. The iconic castle served as the dramatic backdrop for Limbic Cinema’s Vessels, a monolithic pyramid of light, lasers and smoke that drew over 600 mesmerised attendees. Meanwhile, St David’s Place transformed into a dynamic dance stage, celebrating genres and cultures through movement and rhythm.
The weekend’s programme was rich with highlights. At the sold-out Dylan Thomas Theatre, acclaimed actor and Artistic Director of Welsh National Theatre, Michael Sheen, delivered a stirring performance comparing the works of Dylan Thomas and R.S. Thomas, beautifully complemented by folk legend Martyn Joseph. Over at Swansea Minster, Luke Jerram’s six-metre sun sculpture Helios welcomed more than 6,900 visitors, offering a radiant centrepiece to the festival.
Michael Sheen, Actor and Artistic Director at Welsh National Theatre said:
“Events like Swansea Arts Weekend are a fantastic way to celebrate the cultural life of a city, its culture is its beating heart, and this city in particular has a rich cultural life, which I hopefully am now adding to with the Welsh National Theatre being based in Swansea.”
Councillor Rob Stewart, Swansea Council Leader, praised the event’s impact:
“Swansea Arts Weekend has once again shown the power of culture to bring people together, inspire creativity and showcase the incredible talent we have here in Swansea. It’s a testament to the hard work of our teams and partners that the city was transformed into a vibrant celebration of the arts.”
Creative Swansea delivered a dynamic afternoon of programming at The Pop Up, focusing on Swansea and the screen industry. It included a conversation with celebrated writer and producer Russell T Davies OBE, fresh from receiving the BAFTA Cymru 2025 Outstanding Achievement Award. He said “Everybody goes to the Edinburgh Festival, why not come to the Swansea Arts Festival. Its confident, its noisy, why not? Swansea Arts Weekend, keep going!”
Swansea Arts Weekend featured a mix of live music, visual arts, performance, exhibitions, and hands-on workshops for all ages. Audiences experienced everything from aerial performances by Organised Kaos and immersive installations by Upshotography, to bold theatrical work from Out Loud Arts Collective and live art by Nazma Botanica. The Orchard Street Music Stage enjoyed live sets such as Kizzy Crawford, CITIES, Aleighcia Scott, while artists and companies such as Jason & Becky, Jenny Alderton, Jamie White, Ren Wolfe, Grand Ambition, and Theatr na nÓg contributed to a dynamic and inclusive celebration of Welsh creativity.
Creative Swansea sessions included screenings and conversations with filmmakers such as Amani Khan, Theo Tennant and Charlotte James as well as commissioner and producers such as BBC’s Sian Harris, Christina Macaulay and Sally Weale. The sessions were made possible through collaboration with key industry partners including BBC, Ffilm Cymru, Its MyShout, Screen Alliance Wales, and Yeti TV.
Participating venues included Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, Urban HQ, Mission Gallery, Elysium’s Gallery and Bar, Swansea Minster, Volcano Theatre, The Pop Up at Princess Way, GS Artists, Dylan Thomas Theatre, Hippos, and even artist Anna Barratt’s own home debuting her work. Outdoor locations such as Swansea Castle, Orchard Street and St David’s Place created a vibrant City Centre on what was a beautiful autumnal weekend.
Swansea Arts Weekend was funded by the Shared Prosperity Fund and delivered by Cultural Services at Swansea Council with support from event producers Deryncoch.
