Cardiff Festival | Cardiff - Capital of Wales Articles

By: Steve Kevin

The Cardiff Festival is a summer-long celebration showcasing the best in sports event, theater, live music, fun fair and entertainment for the youth. The festival, established 21 years ago, is organized and presented by the Cardiff Council. The festival is composed of smaller festivals that run from July to August of each year. Some of the more popular festivals that people take part in are the Cardiff International Food and Drink Festival, WOW on the Waterfront, Tesco Children's Festival, Admiral Cardiff Big Weekend, Welsh Proms and the Mermaid Quay Cardiff Harbour Festival and the MAS Carnival.

Cardiff International Food and Drink Festival

The Cardiff International Food and Drink Festival are held at Cardiff Bay. This festival puts the spotlight on traditional Welsh cuisine. Lavabread, for example, is a favorite offering at the festival and is made of seaweed. Food and drink from all over the globe are offered as well. This festival offers a variety of choices to satisfy even the most discriminating food connoisseur.

WOW on the Waterfront

WOW on the Waterfront is a new addition to the festival, introduced only in 2007. It is an open air show that features outstanding street theatrical performances from French street theater company Plasticiens Volants.

Tesco Children's Festival

The Cardiff Festival also has something to offer to the youth and children through the Tesco Children's Festival held at Cooper's Field located behind Cardiff Castle. This is a two-day event that features fun activities such as interactive workshops, circus shows, sports and music events and walkabout characters. Other popular events are the Sheep Show and a mountain biking event.

Admiral Cardiff Big Weekend

The Cardiff Big Weekend is the grand finale of the festival and it features an extravaganza that includes a fireworks display, free music concerts, UK's largest traveling funfair and the MAS Carnival. The live music performances run for three days and are held at Admiral Stage. The traveling fun fair offers families fun activities that are sure to delight children and adults alike. Families can head to the Civic Center to have fun at the thrilling rides and family-oriented activities. The MAS Carnival showcases elaborately designed costumes, dazzling and colorful masks and headpieces and other carnival spectacles like giant puppets.

Welsh Proms

The Lloyds TSB Welsh Proms is a grand celebration that has featured orchestral symphony concerts, a World Music Prom, concerts for the youth and proms featuring the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic and Royal Philharmonic Orchestras, Orchestra of Welsh National Opera, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra and the Cardiff Philharmonic. Other activities for the 2008 festival include the Children's Prom, Romantic Favorites Prom, Russian Ballet Prom, Grand Classics Prom and the Organ Prom to name a few.

Mermaid Quay Cardiff Harbour Festival

The Mermaid Quay Cardiff Harbour Festival is a family-oriented celebration revolving around a nautical theme. Visitors can enjoy fun-filled entertainment that includes water-based activities, workshops, nautical music and a pirate costume competition.

Other events are the Everyman Open-Air Theater Festival which will stage an adaptation of Romeo and Juliet at the Cardiff Castle grounds, the Cardiff Outdoor Action Show where visitors can take part in sports activities and watch exhibitions, the Fringe@Cardiff Festival featuring presentations from Bute Theater and the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama.