Events in Swansea

The online Swansea event calendar contains events of interest to both visitors to Swansea and to community alike. There are several events taking place in Swansea at any given time and we have tried to give you a comprehensive listing in our events calendar below. If you'd like to add an event see the link at the bottom of the page.

September

Sat 4th | Bae Fest at Swansea Beach

A diverse and colourful festival with a multifaceted activity schedule of water and land-based events, live music, seafood and shanty, extreme sports, children’s entertainment and much, much more. Swansea Promenade (opposite St Helens Rugby Ground). Part of the Swansea Bay Summer Festival....more info

Sat 4th | Open Day at Swansea Buddhist Centre at SA1 6DE

On the day of this Open Doors event, Springfield House will be offering free entrance to all members of the public, from 12pm until 4pm, during which time the World Peace Café will be serving delicious, home-made cakes and speciality teas and coffees. The Centre’s shop will also be open, selling a range of books and CDs on meditation and Buddhism, as well as gift items. At 1pm visitors will have the opportunity to receive a short talk based on the history of the building and a guided tour of the property and its attractive gardens, which are maintained by volunteers and residents of the Centre. At 2pm there will then be a chance to experience what Springfield House has to offer in its present incarnation as Dharmavajra Kadampa Buddhist Centre, by enjoying a relaxing, taster meditation session and an explanation of the shrine within the peaceful meditation room....more info

Mon 6th | Meditation Classes for Inner Peace in Swansea at SA1 6DE

At Dharmavajra Kadampa Buddhist Centre, Springfield House, Ffynone Road, Uplands, Swansea, SA1 6DE 6th September to 13th October 2010 Monday lunchtimes, 12.30pm – 1pm, & Wednesday evenings, 7.30pm – 9pm These sessions are open to everyone and will provide guidance on how to cultivate and maintain a peaceful state of mind during our busy daily lives though meditation practice. The particular focus of this term will be how we can bring great meaning to our life by practising ‘The Six Perfections’, which are giving, moral discipline, patience, effort, concentration and wisdom....more info

Wed 8th | Junior Park Rangers - Bat / Moth night at Clyne Gardens

Come with us and discover the fascinating world of bats and delve into the lives of moths at Clyne Gardens. Bring a torch. Meet at the Woodman Pub entrance. (Booking in advance is essential) For more information on the Junior Park Rangers club please visit the website....more info

Sat 11th | BBC Proms in the Park at Singleton Park

Enjoy Swansea's eighth Proms in the Park as the world's largest classical music festival comes to a spectacular end on Saturday 11th September. Special guests bring rousing choruses and orchestral favourites to the city. Featuring the BBC National Orchestra of Wales with conductor Grant Llewellyn. Pre-concert performances, audience-participation singing and fireworks will make it a night to remember. Times to be confirmed. Part of the Swansea Bay Summer Festival. www.swanseabayfestival.com ...more info

Wed 15th | On the Edge: Talking to Wordsworth by Gillian Clarke at SA1 1RR

Gillian Clarke is the much acclaimed National Poet of Wales, and we’re delighted to be staging a rehearsed reading of Talking to Wordsworth, which will be introduced by Gillian herself. It will be preceded by a revival of Highjinx Theatre’s Wishful Thinking. ...more info

Sat 18th | Gower Cycling Festival at Gower, S. Wales

A programme of 18 cycle rides in and beyond the Gower with rides rnaging from gentle to challenging. For all: from families with children to experienced cyclists....more info

Sat 25th | Dunvant Male Choir 31st Annual Patrons Concert at Brangwyn Hall

This years' Guest Artiste is international tenor Wynne Evans. Whether Wynne sings to 75,000 at the Millennium Stadium, 2,500 attending an opera or presenting in the radio studio, Wynne is equally at home. His personality combined with the fact that he has trained and performed at the very highest level has made him into the polished, unique and versatile performer. Wynne is the face of Gio Compario on the infamous "Go Compare website". Part of the Swansea Bay Summer Festival. ...more info

Sat 25th | Don Paterson at SA1 1RR

One of Britain’s finest poets reads from his work. Don Paterson’s poetry has won an impressive number of awards, including the Forward Prize for Best First Collection, the Whitbread Poetry Prize, the Geoffrey Faber Memorial Award, and the T.S. Eliot Prize on two occasions. Most recently, Rain won the 2009 Forward Prize. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, and received an OBE in 2008 and the Queen’s Gold Medal for Poetry in 2010. Paterson teaches poetry at the University of St Andrews, and since 1996 has been poetry editor at Picador MacMillan....more info

Sun 26th | Admiral Swansea Bay 10K at Swansea Prom

Suitable for fun runners and serious athletes, come and take part in this annual road race. Junior races also available. (Get your entries in early for this one as spaces fill up quickly). Part of the Swansea Bay Summer Festival....more info

Sun 26th | Poetry Workshop with Don Paterson at SA1 1RR

Don Paterson will conduct an open seminar-style workshop and discuss all aspects of the poetic art, looking at the business of poetic composition as a technical, practical and spiritual exercise, and focussing on every stage of the process from inspiration to publication. Please bring pen, paper and two or three good questions. ...more info

October

Sat 2nd | The Swansea Outdoor Show at SA1 3ST

"Explore your adventurous side!" Experience Swap and The LC leisure Complex have teamed up to bring you Wales’ newest outdoor event... The Swansea Outdoor Show! Combining indoor and outdoor taster sessions, including Paintball, indoor Surfing, Climbing and Kitesports, and many other activities, the Swansea Outdoor Show will be a blast. Swansea is an outdoor enthusiasts mecca, with brilliant surf, beautiful beaches, stunning cliffs, the Brecon Beacons and wild rivers. It also has some great indoor 'adventure' facilities too. So come along and meet the instructors, activity centres and equipment providers on the 2 & 3rd of October 2010. The LC Leisure centre in Swansea is 10 mins walk from the beach, 30 seconds walk from the marina and only 40 mins from the Brecon Beacons meaning that you could combine a visit to the show with any other activities in the area. Entry is FREE! (small charges may apply for activities, remember to bring your swimming shorts!) Visit the website for more information: http://www.experienceswap.com/swansea-outdoor-show and Facebook: www.facebook.com/experienceswap to stay up to date ...more info

Thu 7th | The Featherstonehaughs present Edits at SA2 8PZ

EDITS is the highly anticipated new work by British pioneer Lea Anderson for her six strong, all male dance company The Featherstonehaughs. Using a drastic and compelling new way of creating movement material, Lea Anderson takes to extremes her translation of the conventions of film, photography and painting into dance. ...more info

Fri 8th | Yoruba Women's Choir at SA2 8PZ

Gospel is the biggest music in Africa and one of the biggest choirs of them all is the mighty Yoruba Women Choir. Funmi Olawumi leads the captivating and extremely communicative choir featuring ten female singers and six piece skin-tight band lead by guitarist Kunle Olasoju to present a show that is bursting with intense passion. Marrying the intricate rhythms and harmonies of their native Nigerian musical traditions to the sounds and sentiments of Christian gospel music, this is the music that inspires the mind and uplifts the soul. ...more info

Fri 8th | Festival Lecture: The World of Mahler at SA1 4PE

Paul Banks, Head of the Centre for Performance History and Professor of Historical Musicology at the Royal College of Music, discovers fascinating connections between Mahler's symphonic writing and his programme-planning as Music Director of the Vienna and New York Philharmonic Orchestras. Location: Lord Mayor's Reception Room, Guildhall. The lecture, supported by the Friends of the Swansea Festival, is inclusive of a glass of wine. Although this event is free, tickets should be obtained from the Grand Theatre Box Office. ...more info

Sat 9th | BBC National Orchestra of Wales at SA1 4PE

As part of the Swansea Festival of Music and the Arts, BBC National Orchestra of Wales will be performing at Brangwyn Hall. Tadaaki Otaka (conductor) Llyr Williams (piano) Mathias - Dance Overture Schumann - Piano Concerto in A Mahler - Symphony No 1 in D Mathias' Overture, in his 75th anniversary year, reminds us how his rhythmic, highly-engaging style rapidly established his reputation as one of Britain's most popular composers. ...more info

Sun 10th | Art and Pasta Tour at SA1 4PE

The Art and Pasta tour is part of Swansea Festival of Music and the Arts. (10:30am leaving from outside The Guildhall) Coach departs for a tour of Festival visual art exhibitions at various City galleries and locations, followed by a pasta lunch. Galleries include; - Mission Gallery - Locws International Projects - Oriel Ceri Richards Gallery Tickets (limited to 50) from Grand Theatre Box Office must be booked by 23rd September. For full details visit www.swanseafestival.org ...more info

Sun 10th | Cantemus Chamber Choir of Wales at SA1 3LP

One of Wales’s finest Chamber choirs, conducted by their Music Director, Robert Court, and accompanied by leading London-based period instrumentalists. perform this 90 minute work of religious music. Montiverdi’s Vespers is monumental in scale requiring a large and skilful choir. Part of Swansea Festival of Music and the Arts. ...more info

Sun 10th | Georgie Fame in Concert at SA2 8PZ

Throughout his 40 year career, Georgie Fame has recorded over 20 albums and 14 hit singles. He is equally at home in the company of jazz groups and big bands, orchestras, rock groups and his own band - The Blue Flames. Their recording of Yeh, Yeh, Yeh being the first recording that knocked The Beatles off the number one spot in the charts. Part of the Swansea Festival of Music and the Arts. ...more info

Mon 11th | Thomas Trotter Organ Recital at SA1 4PE

Thomas Trotter is one of Britain's most widely admired musicians with his career firmly founded on his relationship with the City of Birmingham where he is City Organist at the historic Town Hall and Resident Organist at Symphony Hall. He is also Organist at St Margaret’s Church, Westminster Abbey in London. His concert will feature some of the very best of organ music, including Wagner’s Ride of the Valkyries. ...more info

Mon 11th | Rudolf Nureyev Russian State Ballet Academy at SA1 3QJ

This is a first visit to the City by the Rudolf Nureyev Russian State Ballet Academy where they perform Tchaikovsky’s classic Swan Lake - the timeless story full of mystery and romance which has captured the imagination of generations of audiences worldwide. Part of Swansea Festival of Music and the Arts. ...more info

Tue 12th | Catrin Finch Harp Recital at SA1 4PE

Described as “The Queen of Harps”, Catrin Finch has delighted audiences with her performances in the UK and worldwide being a true international ambassador for Wales and its national instrument. A former Royal Harpist to HRH the Prince of Wales Catrin held the appointment from 2000-2004, having the honour of reviving this ancient tradition last held in 1873. Her superlative technique and astonishing range of repertoire, alongside her engaging personality, provide an exciting concert for the Festival which will include her own arrangement of Debussy’s Deux Arabesques. Part of Swansea Festival of Music and the Arts. ...more info

Tue 12th | Live Music Now 20th Anniversary Concert at SA1 3LP

Mapping Wales is a special concert to mark the 20th Anniversary of Live Music Now Founded over 30 years ago by Yehudi Menuhin to bring music to areas of social need and helping to develop the careers of young talented musicians, Live Music Now perform over 3,000 events each year delivering social, emotional, physical and educational benefits to participants of all ages. The concert, Mapping Wales, takes its title from its centrepiece, a work for harp and strings by Welsh composer John Metcalf. Part of Swansea Festival of Music and the Arts. ...more info

Wed 13th | Junior Park Rangers - Nature Photography at Brynmill Park

Come to Brynmill Park for a late afternoon of nature photography. (Booking in advance is essential) For further information on Junior Park Rangers please visit the website....more info

Wed 13th | Welsh National Opera - The Magic Flute (Mozart) at SA1 3QJ

The Magic Flute (Mozart) - sung in English with English & Welsh surtitles One of opera’s most well-known and joyous experiences mixing comedy and pantomime with philosophy and religion, this lovely production with monster lobsters, dancing animals, a trio of magical boys and a bright orange chorus also contains some of Mozart’s most beautiful music -including the famously demanding Queen of the Night’s aria. Popular Welsh baritone Neal Davies is the comical Papageno with Elizabeth Watts and Peter Wedd as the lovers Pamina and Tamino. Part of Swansea Festival of Music and the Arts....more info

Thu 14th | Welsh National Opera - Fidelio (Beethoven) at SA1 3QJ

Fidelio (Beethoven) - New Production – sung in German with English & Welsh surtitles Fidelio is supported by Colwinston Charitable Trust and the Friends of WNO Beethoven’s only opera Fidelio is a captivating story which, with sublime music, he tells thrillingly. Leonore, sung by Lisa Milne, poses as a man (Fidelio) to gain entrance to the prison where her husband Florestan, sung by Dennis O’Neill, is unjustly imprisoned awaiting execution. This dramatic opera will take you on a journey through darkness and into light with one of the most uplifting finales in opera. Part of Swansea Festival of Music and the Arts. ...more info

Fri 15th | Welsh National Opera - The Magic Flute at SA1 3QJ

The Magic Flute (Mozart) - sung in English with English & Welsh surtitles One of opera’s most well-known and joyous experiences mixing comedy and pantomime with philosophy and religion, this lovely production with monster lobsters, dancing animals, a trio of magical boys and a bright orange chorus also contains some of Mozart’s most beautiful music - including the famously demanding Queen of the Night’s aria. Popular Welsh baritone Neal Davies is the comical Papageno with Elizabeth Watts and Peter Wedd as the lovers Pamina and Tamino. Part of Swansea Festival of Music and the Arts. ...more info

Fri 15th | Tchaikovsky Orchestra of Moscow Radio at SA1 4PE

Internationally recognised as one of Russia’s most prestigious and versatile orchestras, the Tchaikovsky Orchestra of Moscow Radio (formerly the Moscow Radio Symphony Orchestra) was founded in 1930. Norwegian conductor Terje Mikkelsen has been working with the Moscow Tchaikovsky Symphony Orchestra regularly since 1993, and in 2009 he became the orchestra's Principal Guest Conductor. Russian pianist, Nikolai Demidenko, performs Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No 3 in D minor – famous for its technical and musical demands. Part of Swansea Festival of Music and the Arts. ...more info

Sat 16th | Philharmonia Orchestra at SA1 4PE

The Philharmonia Orchestra is conducted by their Conductor Laureate, Vladimir Ashkenazy, who is also Principal Conductor of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. Moscow-born pianist Nikolai Lugansky - considered by many to be one of the very best classical pianists - will play Grieg’s Piano Concerto in A minor. This was the only concerto that Grieg completed and is one of his most popular works. Part of Swansea Festival of Music and the Arts. ...more info

Sat 16th | Festival Buffet at SA1 4PE

Following the concert at approx. 9:30pm in the Lord Mayor’s Reception Room. Finger buffet and wine reception in association with the Friends of the Festival to entertain the musicians of the Philharmonia Orchestra and to celebrate 62 years of the Swansea Festival of Music and the Arts. ...more info

Sun 17th | National Youth Choir of Wales at SA1 3LP

Members of the National Youth Choir of Wales, who are aged between 16 and 21 years, are drawn from all parts of Wales, and auditioned annually. They meet for occasional weekend courses but the Choir’s main work is concentrated in a week of intensive rehearsals in the summer followed by a series of concerts. Many professional singers started their careers in the Choir – including Katherine Jenkins. Ralph Allwood, the choir’s musical director who first worked with them 10 years ago, is now back with them for the 2010 and 2012 seasons. Part of Swansea Festival of Music and the Arts. ...more info

Tue 26th | Animal Antics: Bug Fest at Plantasia

Back for October half term, Animal Antics is the ultimate interactive animal show with fun and entertaining performances for the whole family to enjoy. The theme is 'bug fest'. Get hands on with some creepy crawlies – if you dare! Pre-booking is essential for these sessions. Sessions at 10.30am, 12noon, 2pm and 3.15pm....more info

Wed 27th | Dylan Thomas Festival - “A Home from Home for the Thomases” at SA1 1RR

This year’s festival – programmed by David Woolley with Jeff Towns - takes as its theme the considerable number of Thomases who have made a significant contribution to the literature of Wales and beyond. As well as Dylan himself, there will be events focusing on R.S., Edward, Wynford Vaughan, Gwyn and John Ormond Thomas. Participants include contemporary writers of the stature of Andrew Motion, Gwyneth Lewis, Jo Shapcott, Alexis Lykiard, Mike Jenkins, and the superb Canadian poetry and music troupe, The Fugitives. We host the first full Swansea performance of a new one man show on David Lloyd George, and Peter Hain discusses his new book on Nelson Mandela. This year’s festival exhibition includes a display on the Thomases, and the first showing of some doodles by Dylan and artist and illustrator, Dodie Masterman....more info

Sun 31st | Halloween at Plantasia at Plantasia

Plantasia is opening its doors for the fist time after dark and inviting all you ghouls, goblins and witches to explore the depths of the hothouse at night! Visit us on 31 October and see real live creepy crawlies, join in the ghost trail and enjoy spooky children’s activities. Pre-booking essential....more info

November

Mon 1st | Ross Noble at Swansea at Swansea Grand Theatre

Ross Noble has become one of the most highly regarded stand-up performers on the circuit. Well known for his hilarious stream of consciousness style and surrealism Ross Noble tickets are bound to be amongst the fastest selling comedy tickets of the year. For your chance to see the star of standup classics 'Noodlemeister' and 'Sonic Waffle' in action make sure you get yours early for what is already being tipped to be his best tour yet. ...there may be other dates available....more info

Wed 10th | Junior Park Rangers - Bird Box making at Brynmill Park

Come along and help make your own nest box suitable for garden birds at Brynmill Park. (Booking in advance is essential) For more information on Junior Park Rangers please visit the website....more info

December

Wed 8th | Junior Park Rangers - Christmas Decorations at Brynmill Park

Come and join us at Brynmill Park to create your own Christmas Decorations. (Booking in advance is essential) For more information on Junior Parks Rangers please visit the website....more info

Fri 10th | Carol Ann Duffy and Gillian Clarke at SA1 1RR

National Poet of Wales On Tour, in association with Academi. The National Poet of Wales Gillian Clarke and Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy read and discuss their work. These two poets have been awarded the highest recognition: to be called on to reflect and interpret the emotions of a nation. Gillian Clarke became National Poet of Wales in 2008. After two successful years in the post, this is your chance to hear new work by the National Poet, as well as a selection from her vast back catalogue. Since becoming Poet Laureate in 2009, Carol Ann Duffy has written on subjects as disparate as the parliamentary expenses scandal, the volcanic ash cloud, and David Beckham’s injured heel. We’re delighted to welcome her back to the Dylan Thomas Centre. This event is part of the National Poet’s Tour of Wales throughout the autumn, organised by Academi. For other tour dates, please visit www.academi.org or contact post@academi.org / 029 2047 2266. The National Poet of Wales project is sponsored by the Arts Council of Wales and administrated by Academi. ...more info