THE fifth Other Voices Cardigan 2024 Festival was a record breaker, having attracted more than 15,000 music fans from across the world to the pretty Mid Wales coastal town over three days.

The event, which ran from October 31to November 2, featured a curated programme celebrating music, friendship, language, ideas and culture from both sides of the Irish Sea and beyond.

Festival highlights included stellar performances from Nadine Shah, Bill Ryder Jones, and Fabiana Palladino.

St Mary’s Church audiences were treated to an acoustic performance by Manics’ frontman James Dean Bradfield, who performed special renditions of the classics ‘Motorcycle Emptiness’, ‘A Design for Life’, and ‘Ready for Drowning’.

Other Church performers this year include Charlotte Day Wilson, Melys, Victor Ray, and Georgia Ruth. 

Providing an extraordinary and inspiring programme across a myriad of musical genres, events took place in cafes, bars, places of worship and arts venues.    

More than 42 established and emerging acts from Wales and Ireland played the Music Trail and around 300 artists and crew worked and performed. The festival also boosted the local economy, with many businesses reporting increased foot traffic and sales during the event.

Over the past weekend, the festival saw more than 15,000 individual event admissions to more than 100 performances across the weekend, representing a 36% increase on 2023.

Visitors from outside Wales also increased significantly by 41%, with music fans coming from Ireland, Italy, New York, Sweden and Germany.

“This year has been another fantastic success,” said Dilwyn Davies, chief executive of Mwldan, co-producers of the event. “We’ve celebrated the vibrancy and vitality of the music scenes on both sides of the Irish Sea, and the spirit of our communities.

“The audience response has been incredibly positive and joyous, and we can’t wait to bring everyone together again in 2025.”

Phillip King, founder of Other Voices, added: “Cardigan/Aberteifi came alive with great music and stimulating and provocative banter when Other Voices came to town this past weekend.

“The event is growing and expanding year on year, attracting more visitors to this beautiful town. It’s a real delight to bring Other Voices across the Irish Sea, to collapse between Ireland and Wales and to bring us together in a way that deepens and strengthens every aspect of our relationship.”

Church performances were live-streamed on Other Voices YouTube channel and simultaneously streamed to the big screen at Mwldan in Cardigan. Highlights will be later broadcast on BBC Wales TV, BBC iPlayer and RTÉ and RTÉ Player via media partners. The event was presented by BBC DJ and Other Voices regular Huw Stephens.

Other Voices Cardigan is staged with the support and investment of Welsh Government and Government of Ireland, The Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media and The Department of Foreign Affairs’ Reconciliation Fund.

The festival is produced by South Wind Blows in partnership with Mwldan and Triongl. This project is part-funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, supported by Ceredigion County Council.

THIS week, local businesses and industry leaders from across Wales gathered at a Confederation of British Industry (CBI) event in Cardiff to discuss Wales’ journey toward a Net Zero future.

Among those championing the potential for West Wales was local Senedd Member Samuel Kurtz, who serves as the Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Energy.

The event featured a panel discussion, with Mr. Kurtz joining other key speakers, including Luke Fletcher MS and representatives from major Welsh energy projects. Together, they highlighted the exciting opportunities that renewable energy investments could bring to Wales and discussed ways to overcome the challenges of infrastructure and development in this sector.

A major focus was the critical role that Pembrokeshire will play in Wales’ transition to renewable energy. Local projects such as the Celtic Freeport, developments at the Port of Milford Haven and key local employers such as RWE, Valero and others were showcased as vital components in the nation’s Net Zero strategy. Luciana Ciubotariu, CEO of Celtic Freeport, and Steve Edwards from Green Gen Cymru were on hand to share insights on how Pembrokeshire’s ports and energy projects are set to bring economic benefits and clean energy to the region.

Following the event, Mr. Kurtz expressed his enthusiasm for the role that West Wales can play in supporting sustainable economic growth through green initiatives:

“It was fantastic to see such a strong turnout of business and industry leaders all focused on a shared goal for Wales’ Net Zero ambitions. A partnership between government and industry, grounded in smart investment, is essential if we are to secure both our energy future and sustainable jobs in our communities.

“Here in West Wales, we have a huge opportunity to create skilled, well-paid jobs in areas like hydrogen fuel, floating offshore wind, and through the Celtic Freeport project. With the right support, these initiatives can deliver lasting prosperity for our communities.

The CBI event in Cardiff emphasized the importance of local investment and collaboration to make Wales a leader in renewable energy. By leveraging the strengths of Pembrokeshire’s natural resources and local talent, Mr. Kurtz and fellow attendees underscored that West Wales is ready to play a leading role in building a cleaner, greener economy for future generations.

THE FAMILY of Joshua Jones-Rogers, 29, who tragically lost his life in a collision on the A40 near Canaston Bridge Roundabout, has paid tribute to him following the incident on Friday (Nov 1) at 11:15pm.

In a heartfelt statement, Joshua’s family said: “Joshua, we are lost without you. Despite your antics, you were our little troublemaker. The messages we have received show just how much you were loved by everyone. We will love you always. Forever our boy, forever a father, forever our brother, forever our grandson, forever our friend.”

The family extended their gratitude to the emergency services and members of the public who were present on that fateful night.

Police are investigating the collision and urge anyone who may have been on the A40 near Canaston Bridge Roundabout at the time to come forward. Officers are particularly keen to speak with any motorists who may have dashcam footage from the area around that time.

Anyone with information can contact the police either online at DPP Contact Online, by emailing [email protected], or by calling 101.