Coming Sŵn

Small and interesting is the way forward for festivals of all kinds. Anyone who has been to Glastonbury (music) or Hay-on-Wye (literature) in recent years will know that the concept of the festival has been thoroughly co-opted by the corporate machine. In fact, there is a term to describe someone who gets excited by the prospect of attending one of these extortionate uber-gatherings - it's: gullible dickhead.

How refreshing then that Huw Stephens (off the radio) has taken it upon himself to curate a small but perfectly formed festival in the heart of Cardiff entitled Sŵn. Out of season, cheap, urban, and brimful of bands, art, and cinema you can indulge your festival-going instincts without having to endure any of the rubbish bits. That means you will require no wellington boots; you will encounter no jugglers; and you will sleep in a comfy bed at the end of the evening. Bliss.

There are more bands on show than you can shake a shitty stick at. I'm particularly looking forward to Edwyn Collins; Black Lips; Threatmantics; The Cribs; and Cate le Bon. As far as artistic highlights are concerned you can watch Pete Fowler creating one of his famous monster designs live at Chapter Arts Centre. Whilst over at Jacob's Market Peter Finnemore is displaying a load of Welsh-language record covers in an intriguing exhibition of Welsh kitsch (one of my favourite of all artistic genres). And I'm barely scratching the surface of what's on offer here.

Lets hope the inaugural Sŵn festival proves to be a big success and that it becomes a regular part of the Welsh cultural calender. The Sŵn festival will take place between November 9 and 11. For the full schedule of events and ticketing details check out the Sŵn website. Today!