The music may be rooted in the great Cuban tradition, but for the Buena Vista All Stars it is very much alive, evolving and looking forward. Antonia LeVay speaks to Demetrio Muñiz and Ángel Aguiar, two members of the Havana band, ahead of their October appearance at Cardiff’s Llais festival.

We begin with a small practical hurdle: language.

“We have only one problem,” laughs Demitrio Muñiz, Buena Vista All Stars co-founder. “I speak a little English, but the rest of the guys only speak Spanish.”

That barrier quickly dissolves with the help of translators: fitting, perhaps, for a band whose ethos upholds music itself as a universal language. They’re set to visit Cardiff for the first time to play the annual Llais Festival, whose name is the Welsh word for ‘voice’.

Wales and Cuba share a deep attachment to singing and storytelling. I ask Muñiz and his bandmate, Buena Vista All Stars vocalist Ángel Aguiar, what they think Cuban music has in common with a place like Wales. A translator jumps in to reword my question in Spanish: what connection do they see between the music being shared at this festival and their own? Muñiz answers, setting a pattern where he speaks for both himself and Aguiar.

“I’ll tell you my opinion. Music, in general, everywhere in the world, is only one thing. Music has no borders. It’s free. And that free music can reach any soul in the same way,” he says. “For us, it’s easy, in every corner of the world, to communicate and to share our music because it’s part of the music of the world. Cuban music is one of the most important pieces of music in the world. It’s important in Latin America, of course, but everywhere we go there are people who know it and enjoy it.”

It’s a reminder that while Cuban music is often framed as ‘world music’ from the outside, for the players themselves it simply belongs to the same global current as everything else. Buena Vista All Stars are the successor group to Buena Vista Social Club, whose lineup also featured Muñiz and whose remit was to keep the music of postwar, pre-Revolution Cuba alive. They are, though, clear that what they do should not be treated as a museum piece.

I ask whether they feel misunderstood when their work is described as “classic” or “nostalgic”. First, they clarify the question in Spanish amongst themselves. Am I asking about how they play Cuban music, or how it’s perceived? Then comes the answer.

They explain that the band’s connection with audiences around the world is constantly changing the show.

“Our music is known internationally, and every audience is different,” says Muñiz. “People already recognise our music because of the tradition and the long history of Cuban music around the world. That’s why we can take part in festivals of so‑called traditional music – there is an immediate identification between our music and audiences everywhere.”

But these so-called traditions are far from rigid. “In our concerts there’s always a dialogue with other styles – with jazz, with rock. We have Cuban versions of different kinds of pieces. In Cuba, historically, we’ve always had contact with many kinds of music – Cuba is a country in the middle of a continent. Over history we’ve had French, Spanish, African influences, even English – the English occupied Havana in the 18th century. We’re part of the world. So the way we play is traditional, yes, but always in communication with other musics.”

I ask how they see the future of Cuban music and its cultural integrity, especially with younger generations coming through in a rapidly changing world. The answer begins in Spanish: “The future of our music, in general, is full of new strands and directions,” Aguiar says. “But our cultural identity will always be maintained. There will always be renewal and creation, but our music has survived many years, many decades, and it will continue.

“We may see fusions, as we already do, but always with our national and cultural identity at the core. We are maintaining it now, the generations before us maintained it, and I believe the future generations will as well, even as they create new fusions like everywhere else.

Muñiz picks up: “I think the world is going to change a lot – it already is. But I believe Cuban music, and music in general, will remain a bridge between people, even between people who disagree. The world is very complicated now, but in all these years travelling and playing around the world, we always find one important thing: communication. Music is the best way we have to communicate feelings between different cultures.

“I was telling a friend that we had played in India,” the trombonist continues. “He couldn’t believe how strong the reaction was. But the people there were enthusiastic, they understood everything, they felt it. India has a very different culture from ours, but our music is international.

“Our rhythms – son, mambo, cha‑cha‑chá – they’ve travelled everywhere. People may not even realise they’re Cuban, because those rhythms have been absorbed into rock, jazz, so many things. So when we play them with our own identity, people immediately recognise the feeling.

“When we went to Tbilisi, in Georgia, the people there were singing our songs like Cubans, dancing like Cubans. It was my first time there and it was amazing. The public became part of the show. The last time in France, in Javené, it was the same, an incredible connection with the people. The audience isn’t separate from the concert, they are inside the concert with us.”

When Muñiz and Aguiar are taking downtime from the All Stars, they’re suitably globally-minded in their listening habits. “Many kinds of music,” comes the answer. “From Brazil, Canada, the United States, Africa. I don’t have one special style. I love the fusion of different cultures. The most important thing to be open to all cultures, because you grow when you listen to other points of view about sound. I like symphonic music very much, but also jazz, and some kinds of rock.”

If they could put one Cuban song in the ears of someone who has never really listened to Cuban music before, where would they start? The question is clarified in Spanish – am I asking about the first song to open a show, or the first song to introduce a newcomer to Cuban music? – and once that’s settled, they offer a small canon.

“I think one of the most Cuban songs is [Isolina Carrillo’s] Dos Gardenias,” Muñiz says. “It’s like a paradise of Cuban feeling. Another is Lágrimas Negras [by Miguel Matamoros]. These are traditional Cuban songs, from the early part of the 20th century, but they’re still alive. And of course, Chan Chan – which was written later, but all of them are still alive in our daily lives, like mother songs to us.”

They agree, especially with Lágrimas Negras. “For me, it’s perfect because it can move between a bolero and son. It shows different genres and rhythms in one piece, and it really identifies our music. If you asked me for the Latin American song {par excellence}, I would also mention Gracias A La Vida [by Chilean folk musician Violetta Parra]. Everyone sings it around the world as if it were from their own country.”

Both Demitrio and Ángel are formally trained, but they’re equally products of Cuba’s informal musical education: the streets, the parties, the neighbourhood gatherings where music is woven into everyday life. I ask what they learned growing up surrounded by music, that they didn’t necessarily learn at the conservatoire.

“From traditional music, we’ve learned a lot,” Aguiar explains in Spanish. “We also have a classical education – that’s very important. We studied the great classical composers of the world, and the Cuban classics too: danzas, contradanzas. That classical training, in proper schools, gave us a wider vision of genres and rhythms.

“But you grow up inside the music. You learn from any corner, any street. In Cuba, a street corner can be as much of a conservatoire as a formal school because of the level of musicianship all around you.”

Buena Vista All Stars, Llais Festival @ Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay, Sun 11 Oct

Tickets: £29.50. Info: here

words ANTONIA LEVAY

Seeking to celebrate the deep (and expanding) history of photography in Wales and bring great international examples to our domestic galleries, Ffoto Cymru’s second edition looks to be as arresting and thought-provoking as its debut two years ago. Ben Woolhead sifts through some potential highlights.

October sees the return of the biennial, month-long Ffoto Cymru to venues around the country, following its debut in 2024 as a successor to Diffusion. Under the broad theme “There’s More To Life”, this year’s event is focused on offering new angles and fresh perspectives and, in the words of organisers Ffotogallery, “celebrates photography as a tool for storytelling, questioning and imagining – creating spaces where different experiences, ideas and conversations can come together”.

The headline exhibition, arguably, is Coping With And Enjoying Life, a retrospective of images taken by the late Francesca Odell between 1983 and 1985, when she was studying at the storied School Of Documentary Photography in Newport. Many of the prints come from the archives of Ffotogallery and the University Of South Wales, but it’s the tantalising prospect of previously unseen pictures, selected by Odell’s daughters, that will have enthusiasts flocking to Penarth’s Turner House Gallery.

The tender fly-on-the-wall work is the result of a sensitive approach and a concern to construct rapport. Odell’s photographic philosophy – “I try to convey the essential humanity we share as individuals, despite sometimes very adverse situations, believing that through knowledge and understanding, we can come to a more tolerant attitude towards each other and, perhaps ultimately, change for the better” – makes her an ideal figurehead for the festival.

Richard Billingham also made his name with intimate domestic images – in his case, lurid portraits of his dysfunctional parents. 1996’s Ray’s A Laugh has a fair claim on being one of the most controversial photobooks ever published, and pictures from the series were selected by Charles Saatchi for his infamous 1997 exhibition Sensation. For Ffoto Cymru, he’s been specifically commissioned to produce new work: a moving image installation on far-right protest to be screened at the Elysium Gallery in Swansea.

Politics and simmering anger are also to the fore in Jack Moyse’s work on disability and inadequate welfare provision, on display at Machynlleth’s Oriel Sploj. The title of his project, A Sorry State, draws attention to the way in which structural problems are all too often read merely as individual failings. Exploring and depicting how others live is a key preoccupation of Bindi Vora’s practice too, with her exhibition Silence In The Dream Of A Language That Cannot Hold Us showing at Chapter Arts Centre in Cardiff.

At Ffotogallery HQ, the curators have brought together a quartet of photographers for a thematic group exhibition. These include Heather Agyepong, whose work centres around Blackness, identity, agency and mental health, and Harley Weir, who pursues personal projects alongside her commercial and editorial work for prestigious publications and international fashion brands.

Beyond the capital, another group show is taking place at Carmarthen’s Coleg Sir Gar, featuring images by Welsh photographers Peter Finnemore and Paul Cabuts, who share a fascination with culture, memory and history. At Pontypridd’s YMa, self-proclaimed “visual storyteller” Bukunmi Oyewole’s Living On The Edge tackles the thorny and urgent topic of climate change, illustrating its devastating impacts in Nigeria and The Gambia but also human resilience and resistance in the face of environmental apocalypse. Visitors to Theatr Clwyd in Mold, meanwhile, have the opportunity to enjoy Gemma Pepper’s intriguing project The Quiet Locus, in which found photos are absorbed into carefully arranged natural collages.

With a programme that builds on and strengthens the fledgling festival’s international alliances (with the GLAZ Festival in Rennes, for example, and with the Foto Feminas group in South America) and encompasses a Portfolio Review day on Fri 16 Oct and the ever-popular Photobook Fair on Sat 24 Oct, Ffoto Cymru promises to provoke dialogue and promote creative connections.

Ffoto Cymru 2026: Wales International Festival Of Photography, various venues across Wales throughout October

Admission: FREE. Info: Linktree

words BEN WOOLHEAD

What better way to mark the 10th anniversary of the It’s Called Ffasiwn project than with its first full exhibition in Wales, at the National Museum? It began in 2016 as the brainchild of one Valleys outsider and one Valleys insider: Clémentine Schneidermann, who came to Cardiff from France to study documentary photography at the University Of South Wales and subsequently fell in love with the area, and Charlotte James, a stylist and artist from Merthyr. But the stars are the photographs’ subjects – local children, several of whom have been enthusiastic participants from the very beginning.

Many a photographic series has sought to correct perceived misrepresentations of the Valleys, or to show them in a fresh light, and it’s in the latter respect that the Ffasiwn exhibition succeeds. The project blurs the boundaries between landscape and portrait photography, being as much focused on people as it is rooted in place.

The muted mundanity of the backdrops – housing estates, bus stations, social clubs – throws into vivid relief the bold and vibrant colours of the extravagant and out-of-place costumes, modelled by children who have no direct experience of the heavy industry that shaped the area but are living in the literal and metaphorical shadow of its spoilheaps. (Schneidermann and James clearly revel in this striking juxtaposition – their joint studio is named Bleak Fabulous.)

It’s always tempting to speculate over deeper resonance. Are the images (particularly the decision to feature children) a deliberate attempt to shift focus away from the Valleys’ past and towards their future? Do the kids’ adult outfits and makeup signify the loss of childhood innocence, a commentary on the fact that children grow up too fast? Could the photo that depicts a street party taking place between two rows of condemned, boarded-up terraced houses be an acknowledgement that the Brexit for which the Valleys voted has turned out to be the hollowest of victories? Perhaps.

But there remains a danger of imposing interpretations and reading too much into things – which is where the two short films, screened in a mock-up of a working men’s club, are invaluable. In them, the young participants reflect that the project has, primarily, been a lark: an opportunity to dress up, show off and have a laugh.

This isn’t to trivialise its impact, though. Schneidermann and James may have been the ultimate directors of operations, but the children were actively involved at every stage, including workshopping ideas and buying, creating and customising clothing ahead of shoots. They unanimously describe the experience as empowering: one that has helped to them to feel pride in both who they are and where they’re from.

As such, the films – and the exhibition as a whole – are testament to an exemplary case of long-term artistic commitment, close community engagement and genuinely collaborative practice, underlining that photographic projects can be a vehicle for creating positive social change on a local scale.

Ffasiwn, National Museum Cardiff, until Sun 4 Apr.

Admission: pay what you can (minimum £1). Info: here

words BEN WOOLHEAD

International names, Welsh talent, grassroots venues and unexpected collaborations: it’s the imminent return of Cardiff Music City Festival. But beyond the lineup, writes Antonia LeVay, the festival is also making an important statement about the kind of music Cardiff is supporting and embracing long-term – not just until the bar closes. 

Cardiff has never struggled to make noise. From grassroots venues to stadium gigs, legendary club nights to the unending list of bands which emerged, singing in Welsh and English alike, from its slightly battered backstreets, music has long been stitched into the fabric of the capital. Cardiff Music City Festival, then, assists in joining those dots.

Returning for its third year and running from Fri 2 until Sat 17 Oct, the festival spreads itself across the city rather than simply dropping into one arena. Gigs, installations, club nights and one-off performances take over established venues, independent spaces and pop-ups, while Sŵn Festival, Llais and the Welsh Music Prize all sit beneath the wider Music City umbrella.

Last year’s festival saw more than a thousand musicians – 270 of those Welsh or Wales-based, reckon the stats – performing across 20 venues. At a time when independent venues and musicians are facing escalating costs and increasingly difficult economics, bringing audiences through those doors has an implication beyond the immediacy of good programming: think of it as an investment in the ecosystem that allows music to exist in the first place. There’s an economic argument too – music fans eat, drink, travel, stay overnight and wander into places they might otherwise never have visited. Cardiff’s live music calendar is helping position the city as a destination in its own right.

Acid Casuals open proceedings at the Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama on Fri 2 Oct: celebrating the 20th anniversary of their Omni album, it’s something with history and a reason for happening here. At Wales Millennium Centre, Llais brings some serious international weight, with highlights including Laurie Anderson, Buena Vista All Stars and Lisa Hannigan’s Sirens project – a changing collective of female singers, Charlotte Church, Bess Atwell and Kate Stables among them.

French trip-hop pioneer Wax Tailor plays his only UK show of 2026 underneath the immersive dome of Cultvr – a space ran by pioneers who are unafraid to push boundaries, and another clever example of matching artists to space rather than filling a venue. And, bringing the curtain down on Cardiff Music City Festival, Sŵn is very much one of its most important components. Taking over nine venues from Thurs 15 until Sat 17 Oct, upwards of 150 acts comprise its 2026 crop – including out-of-towners like Working Men’s Club, The Orielles, Honeyglaze and Ireland’s Dove Ellis, alongside Welsh talent from Cerys Hafana to Pys Melyn, Ifan and north Walian alt-pop outfit Wrkhouse.

This is where Cardiff Music City Festival really earns its name. Big international artists generate headlines, but a genuine music city needs the whole chain: rehearsal rooms, promoters, tiny venues, technicians, producers, new bands, established musicians and crucially audiences prepared to take a chance on something they’ve never heard before.

Perhaps most importantly, CMCF encourages Cardiff to see music not simply as entertainment but as part of its identity. A thriving music city creates jobs, develops young talent, supports independent businesses and gives emerging artists somewhere to start. Festivals come and go, but building a sustainable musical culture leaves something considerably more valuable behind.

Cardiff Music City Festival, various venues, Cardiff, Fri 2-Sat 17 Oct

Info: cardiffmusiccity.wales

words ANTONIA LEVAY

Cardiff-based poet and performer Rachel Helena Walsh is once again bringing Buzz some typewritten excellence! (Read her review of 2025’s Sŵn Festival here and an interview with Spit Hood here.) Below is the results of her meetup with Ellis Acton-Dyer from Welsh noiserock band Shlug, who have a show at Cardiff Tramshed and the release of their second EP in the next few weeks.

the below is a poetic profile piece of the band SHLUG, mostly verbatim, born from an in person interview held at Braeval Street Studios in Cardiff. 

Shlug, Tramshed, Cardiff, Sun 20 Sept (supporting Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs – rescheduled from March. Tickets: £22. Info: here)

New EP Eat God In The Death House is released on Fri 2 Oct via Roccoco Swn and can be preordered here; the band play a launch gig that evening at The Lanes, Bristol (tickets: FREE. Info: here)

Shlug on Linktree

Find Rachel and her poetry in Cardiff Market at her stall Poetry For You, or at the launch of her second book Rose Gold Rituals (Porter’s, Cardiff, Wed 21 Oct. Admission: FREE).

Rachel on Instagram

words RACHEL HELENA WALSH

Harri Grace, an actor-turned-producer from south Wales, blends documentary and drama in The Cycle Of Love, a heartfelt exploration of love and humanity. Grace has long worked in the field of documentary on projects such as The Walk, which followed a Syrian refugee processing her war trauma via a giant puppet; From Devil’s Breath, a timely documentary about Portuguese wildfires and their aftermath, co-produced by Grace and Leonardo DiCaprio; and Lost And Found, a study of ethnic cleansing in Myanmar made with regular collaborator, director Orlando von Einsiedel.

Grace and von Einsiedel’s latest film, The Cycle Of Love, was made with the backing of executive producer Priyanka Chopra Jones amongst others. Having premiered at Telluride Film Festival in 2025, it’s now about to get a UK release, and tells the story of PK Mahnandia, a young Delhi street artist played by Chirag Lobo.

In 1975, PK sketched a Swedish woman, Lotta Van Schedvin. Their paths appear to be starcrossed: she was on the hippie trail travelling through India when they met. Destiny, PK believed, had brought them together, and over the weeks their bond deepened. When Lotta left to return to Sweden, they promised to meet up again; Lotta failed to appear, so PK decided to cycle the 6,000 miles from Delhi to Sweden to find her.

The film uses interviews and reminiscences between the two of them, cleverly keeping them apart throughout the film, to maintain a sense of suspense. This present-day material is blended with reenacted footage brought to life by Chirag Lobo’s PK and Maria Lind’s Anee-Charlotte, both of whom add weight, chemistry and believability to this fantastical tale.

The journey takes PK through eight countries, including Afghanistan and Iran; he does portraits along the way to help finance his trip, battles the extremes of weather and relies on the (plentiful, it turns out) kindness of strangers. The film also casts a light on the horrors of the caste system, a rigid societal structure which, though outlawed, still holds sway. PK is a Dalit – an untouchable – and his encounters with fellow Dalits and their hardships are heartbreaking.

Nevertheless, his positivity constantly shines through, both in his interviews and in Lobo’s charming personification of his younger self. In a world where darkness seems suffocating, The Cycle Of Love is a welcome testament to positivity and love and well worth taking a ride upon.

The Cycle Of Love is in cinemas from Fri 18 Sept.

words KEIRON SELF

With a debut album out this month and a clutch of Welsh and London shows, Celyn Of Gwent talks to Jason Machlab about the creative journey from their hometown of Torfaen; discovering their identity whilst studying classical singing; and facing challenging questions about humanity’s self-perception and our stewardship of the Earth.

What pushes you to create music? 

I’ve always been interested in music and different types of performance. When I left Wales at 18, I went to a music conservatoire in London and was doing a classical singing degree. I felt a bit uneasy in that context almost from the get-go, but also had that kind of drive, in training a skill in a very high level. I’ve always had that drive to be making my own work as an artist. 

It was a gradual process of developing my own voice, my own kind of performance. I incorporate music and sound, but also experimental theatre and performance art, with obviously a huge deal of influences from the queer scene – clubbing, cabaret and drag. I have some tracks that are kind of spoken word, with field recording and more like soundscape composition, as opposed to some that are more traditional songs, with regular key signatures.

Are there any major artistic blueprints for the way you’re marrying quite heavy social themes with pop styles in your work?

There’s a work kind of encapsulating the same idea that’s had a big influence on me. So, the singer Anohni – she’s amazing – her 2016 album Hopelessness, particularly, was very much about using pop bangers and high-end electronic production as a kind of Trojan horse to bring these political and sociopolitical themes to audiences, and somehow try and present them in a way that lands differently. I think dance music and things and electronic music definitely can be a vehicle for these larger themes, and I think they actually marry quite well as opposed to there being too much of a friction.

On one of your videos, someone left a comment about feeling uncomfortable – to which you responded, “I’m glad to hear about the discomfort!” Why is it important for someone to feel discomfort when looking at art?

I think it’s important to hold up a mirror to the society we’re living in. Sometimes the things we have an initial negative reaction against are the things that actually we end up loving. There’s also so much work that is done to smooth over these uncomfortable realities that underpin the world in which we operate. The world of advertising presents products as if they will make you so happy, says this is all so normal. But once you unpick it, that product was actually made in really grotesque circumstances. Like the fast fashion industry – it’s just destroying us… but we’ll have great skincare.

Among your live shows in the next few weeks is an audiovisual one at Cultvr in Cardiff. Can you give us a preview of what to expect?

That’s a really exciting one – it’s part of a broader album tour show which has an audiovisual aspect running throughout the whole piece. The Cultvr gig will be special because I’m adapting that show for a fulldome presentation. The audience will be completely immersed in those projected visuals, and also the soundsystem is going to be particularly all-encompassing. For my costume I worked with an artist called Mudslide, and there’s a whole AV show with text in both English and Cymraeg.

And just ahead of this, your debut album is finally out too… tell us about the themes on it.

The album – and the live show – is called Dying And Rising. It’s looking at us, and at the fork in the road we have, to either make a huge societal shift and truly recognise the situation that we’re in: a rebirth, and moving away from fossil fuel use, consumption and individuality. If we don’t do that, the planet will make that decision for us.

Celyn Of Gwent, The Globe At Hay, Hay-On-Wye, Sat 19 Sept (tickets: £8. Info: here); Cultvr Lab, Cardiff, Fri 25 Sept (tickets: £14. Info: here); Volcano, Swansea, Thurs 8 Oct (tickets: £8-£20. Info: here); New River Studios, London, Sat 10 Oct (tickets: £13. Info: here).

Dying And Rising is released on Mon 14 Sept.

Info: Linktree

words JASON MACHLAB

Welsh National Opera Cenedlaethol Cymru opens its Autumn 2026 season this month with stunning productions showcasing just how thrilling and alive opera can be. Neil Collins chats to director Joe Hill-Gibbins and soprano Alexia Voulgaridou.

Joe Hill-Gibbins is having a lot of fun bouncing between two WNO rehearsal rooms, directing a daring double bill of Bluebeard’s Castle and Oedipus Rex. 

Both operas explore what we reveal and conceal in our inner lives, and Hill-Gibbins believes they become even more powerful when seen together.

“The castle becomes an exploration of Bluebeard’s emotional landscape. It asks questions about emotional intimacy; not just the fear we feel when exposed, but also how that is prerequisite for falling in love.”  

In Oedipus Rex, a devastating plague grips the ancient city of Thebes and Oedipus vows to uncover its cause – only for his search to reveal a horrifying truth about himself.

“As the crowd turns on him, Stravinsky’s music switches the mood between reverence and bloodthirsty glee,” says Hill-Gibbins. “There is something sinister and all too familiar in a society turning on a scapegoat.”

Binding the double-bill together, actor and drag king LJ Parkinson makes their WNO main-stage debut as narrator.

For anyone unsure about stepping into opera for the first time, Hill-Gibbins has one piece of advice. “I had only seen four operas when I directed my first opera 13 years ago. I have come from outside of this world too and understand people may fear not knowing the conventions in this new space.

“I also know the sound world of Stravinsky and Bartók may feel wild and weird if you haven’t experienced it before, but that’s okay.  Embrace that weirdness, as you would if you were going to your first ever death metal concert. Take a chance and see what it does to you.”

A week later comes Floris Visser’s five-star Glyndebourne production of Puccini’s La Bohème, which is a deeply moving and metaphysical take on a much-loved opera that he describes as “pacy, gut-wrenching and emotional – a La Bohème that teaches us about love, life and death.”

Stripping away postcard Paris, it delves into a cinematic 1930s world of shadowy, stark monochrome with seamstress Mimì shadowed by death from the moment she appears. Mimi is played by Alexia Voulgaridou, who says Puccini’s music is “not just beautiful, but human and alive.”

“I think we see in Mimi the people we’ve lost, and the people we are; fragile but powerful.

“Mimi is afraid of dying, but not afraid to live. She makes you stop and think. This whole production does. It helps you see how precious the small things in life can be.”

Bluebeard’s Castle + Oedipus Rex, Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay, Sun 20 Sept, Fri 25 Sept + Fri 2 Oct; Venue Cymru, Llandudno, Thurs 22 Oct.

La Bohème, Wales Millennium Centre, Sun 27 Sept, Thurs 1 Oct + Sat 3 Oct; Venue Cymru, Sat 24 Oct.

WNO Family Concert, Wales Millennium Centre, Wed 30 Sept; Venue Cymru, Fri 23 Oct.

Info: here

words NEIL COLLINS

ADVERTORIAL

As a diehard fan of hit 2010 movie Burlesque, I approached this touring musical adaption with a mixture of excitement and nervousness – curious to see how it would translate to the stage, and more importantly how it would feel without the presence of Christina Aguilera (who does have a credit as executive producer here) or Cher.

The first thing you’ll notice, then, is just how different the story is. The musical retains its familiar setting, New York nightspot the Burlesque Lounge, and many of the characters we know and love – but takes the plot in a different direction. Some of the relationships and character journeys have been changed, and the story feels developed for the stage, as opposed to being a simple recreation of the film. Even so, I was initially tentative about these changes, and there are moments where I found myself instinctively comparing everything to the movie.

It’s easy to settle in, though, and appreciate this production for what it is – its own version of Burlesque. Faye Brookes was fantastic as Tess, bringing plenty of warmth and personality to the role; Gracie O’Brien as Ali was also a real highlight, with a brilliant voice and plenty of confidence.

The big musical numbers were exactly what I had hoped for: loud, glamorous, energetic and packed with glitter, and one facet of the show which definitely brought back that cinematic feeling. An unfortunate technical interruption during the first act stopped the show for around 15 minutes – frustrating for all concerned in the moment, naturally, but the cast handled it professionally and retained their energy on returning.

Would I still choose the film over the musical? Reaffirming my ‘diehard fan’ status – yes, probably. Nevertheless, I left the Wales Millennium Centre genuinely entertained, and pleasantly surprised. This Burlesque isn’t the film, nor does it try to be; it’s a fresh, fun and fabulous take on its own terms.

Burlesque, Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay, Tue 1 Sept

On until Sat 5 Sept. Tickets: £22-£88. Info: here

words CATI FLORES DAVIES

As summer slips into autumn, Wales’ food festival season is far from finished. September and October bring some of the biggest and quirkiest dates in the Welsh foodie calendar, from serious chef action and artisan producers to fire-cooked feasts in a medieval castle.

ST FAGANS FOOD FESTIVAL

National Museum Of History, St Fagans, Sat 12 + Sun 13 Sept

One of the most relaxed and best value foodie weekends around. More than 80 food, drink and craft stalls take over St Fagans, alongside cookery demonstrations, live music and family activities. Expect everything from Welsh producers to tacos, pizza, cakes and ice cream, all scattered among the museum’s historic buildings. Entry is free.

Info: here

ABERGAVENNY FOOD FESTIVAL

Various locations, Abergavenny, Sat 19 + Sun 20 Sept

The heavyweight of the Welsh food calendar returns for its 28th year, with over 120 producers joining chefs, growers, campaigners and food obsessives across the town, Demos, talks, tastings, workshops and live music go into a festival where what we eat and where it comes from matters as much as how good it tastes.

Info: abergavennyfoodfestival.com

MOLD FOOD & DRINK FESTIVAL

New Street Car Park, Mold, Sat 19 + Sun 20 Sept

North Wales gets its own two-day feast with food and drink stalls, artisan Welsh produce, street food and craft drinks alongside chef demonstrations and plenty of live music. This year also marks the festival’s 20th anniversary.

Info: moldfoodfestival.co.uk

MABON

Caldicot Castle, Fri 25-Sun 27 Sept

Sporting the tagline ‘Fire, Feast & Folklore’, this is perhaps the most atmospheric food event of the season. Over three days inside Caldicot Castle, Hang Fire BBQ and Street Food Circus celebrate the Autumn Equinox with some of the UK’s leading live-fire chefs, dishes cooked over flame, a producers’ market, natural wines, cookery demos, fireside talks and music. Cooking demonstrations will come courtesy of Hang Fire’s Sam and Shauna, with Cai Ap Bryn, James Peck and Polly Baldwin among other chefs appearing; there’s a Smoke & Fire demos stage hosted by Jayde Adams, camper van facilities available, plus it’s dog-friendly.

Info: here

NARBERTH FOOD FESTIVAL

Town Moor, Narberth, Sat 26 + Sun 27 Sept

A community-minded favourite with food and drink stalls alongside guest chefs, street food, a bar, live music and entertainment. Now in its 26th year and run entirely by volunteers, it’s also a very good excuse for an autumn weekend exploring Pembrokeshire.

Info: narberthfoodfestival.com

NEATH FOOD & DRINK FESTIVAL

Neath town centre, Fri 2 + Sat 3 Oct

Neath turns foodie for two days with pop-up food markets, street food and entertainment taking over the town centre. Its Victorian market provides a fitting backdrop for a festival celebrating food, community, creativity and culture.

Info: Instagram

BRECON BEACONS FOOD FESTIVAL

Market Hall, Brecon, Sat 3 Oct

A one-day showcase of Welsh food and drink in Brecon’s historic Market Hall, bringing together local producers, artisan treats and plenty of opportunities to fill your shopping bag as well as your stomach.

Info: breconbeaconsfoodfestival.co.uk

LLANGOLLEN FOOD FESTIVAL

Various locations, Llangollen, Sat 10 + Sun 11 Oct

Round off the autumn food trail in north Wales. Llangollen’s long-running festival brings Welsh producers and food lovers together for a weekend in one of the country’s prettiest towns – worth the trip north and a fitting final feast before winter arrives.

Info: llangollenfoodfestival.com

words ANTONIA LEVAY