AS FESTIVALS and events are making a comeback, BBC Wales has announced an exciting summer of music across television, radio and digital.
BBC Wales says that it is “diving head first into a summer of live music at events across Wales – from local town hall shows to large scale concerts and festivals.”
On television, an exclusive Stereophonics homecoming gig will be broadcast live from the Principality Stadium Cardiff when the band play in front of 60,000 fans on the second of a two night stand at the iconic venue. Stereophonics Live in Cardiff: We’ll Keep a Welcome will be on BBC One Wales – and BBC Two across the UK – on Saturday, 18 June from 8.40pm just as the band hits the stage.
BBC Wales’ Director Rhuanedd Richards says “As people across Wales at long last come together again to enjoy live music and festivals, BBC Cymru Wales will be supporting and broadcasting from events across the nation. It’s going to be a jam-packed summer – with live music being central to local community and large scale events – and BBC Cymru Wales will be there to capture the performances of Welsh and international artists. Following the pandemic, it’s time to turn up the volume again, and celebrate music as a force for bringing people together and showcasing the best that Wales has to offer. I’m also delighted that our ‘Summer of Music’ will culminate in a landmark series with Huw Stephens exploring The Story of Welsh Music.”
Wynne Evans’ Townhall Showdown sees the presenter and opera singer visit towns and villages across Wales, starting at the Newbridge Memo, and bringing with him regular features from his daily show. Wynne will also perform at each event, as will a local Welsh band or artist. And John Quirk and his band will provide musical accompaniment to the evening. Highlights from the evening will be heard on Wynne Evans’ show every Friday following each event.
Fresh from Gŵyl Triban at the National Urdd Eisteddfod, Radio Cymru will be live at Tafwyl festival in Cardiff, the Sesiwn Fawr in Dolgellau and at the National Eisteddfod in Tregaron, and will bring unmissable and exclusive music to Radio Cymru listeners and BBC Sounds users. To coincide with each of these major events, the station will embark on a schools tour, bringing the best of live Welsh music to a school in each of the local areas.
The BBC National Orchestra and Chorus of Wales will be at a variety of events across Wales over the summer. From performing their season closing Romance and Revolution concerts in Cardiff and Swansea in June, to entertaining the crowds at the Welsh Proms in July and accompanying Carwyn Elis at the Greenman Festival in Crickhowell in August. BBC NOW will then return to the St Asaph Festival in September. The orchestra is also performing over the summer at four of the BBC Proms in London, including a concert with the Tredegar Band.
In September, BBC Two Wales will show The Story of Welsh Music, where presenter Huw Stephens will look at key stages in the history of Wales as a musical nation. The two part series will tell various stories – from the history of the triple harp and how it’s importance meant it was considered Wales’ national harp – to the story behind Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau, the phenomenon of ‘Cwl Cymru’ and the international success of bands like Manic Street Preachers and Stereophonics.
On digital, BBC Wales’ Horizons/Gorwelion project will feature coverage from the In It Together festival in Port Talbot. And will have filmed and recorded sets from venues across Wales – including Queen’s Hall Narberth, Swansea’s Sin City, Aberystwyth Arts Centre and Pontio in Bangor.
BBC Sounds will feature summer playlists and set highlights from across the summer’s events and programmes.
