The Swansea Fringe Festival is taking place from 21st – 24th October 2021. The three-day festival currently boasts around 180 different artists, but there are more acts yet to be confirmed.

Thursday’s event opens the festival with a range of stalls and acts playing live. While the venue is yet to be announced, rumour has it that it will be the party of the year – something you definitely don’t want to miss!

How does it work?

After this opening event, the festival kicks off. For those who don’t know how the Swansea Fringe operates, venues from all around the city will have stages where the artists will perform. Tickets are exchanged for wristbands which grant entry for all venues participating in the festival. When all the acts have been confirmed, a timetable will be published stating who is performing, where, and when.

However, you don’t need to buy a ticket in advance to join in with the fun. There are free events taking place over the weekend, and attendees will even be able to pay £5 on the day for entry to individual events – so if there’s only one band you’re desperate to see, you don’t need to pay for the whole weekend! The event organiser, Joe Bayliss, is also working to ensure that the festival is as accessible as possible for everyone this year.

A great range of local artists and venues for you to enjoy!

There’s something for everyone at the Swansea Fringe, with a range of music, comedy, and spoken word performances. Each venue will have a different themed stage, meaning you can either go around the city trying the whole range of acts on offer or just camp out at your favourite venue. Some of the artists already confirmed include; Trampolene, Lost Tuesday Society, Man, The Orange Circus and Drew Taylor. While the full line-up is yet to be announced, The Swansea Fringe Facebook page has all the acts confirmed so far.

The venues themselves reflect the range of artists who will be at the festival, with confirmed venues including our beloved Hangar 18, the National Waterfront Museum, Brewdog Swansea and the Gamer’s Emporium.

All acts are local to Swansea or the surrounding area. The festival is a great way to support and learn more about local artists and venues after a very difficult year. The festival prides itself in the sense of culture it creates for attendees and performers, who are granted an opportunity to meet other artists within their community.

More Information

There is still a lot of exciting stuff to be announced about the festival this year, but we promised not to tell! All we can say is it’s going to be a great weekend which will more than make up for the postponement last year. If you’re interested, you can follow updates on The Swansea Fringe on their socials: Facebook / Twitter / Instagram

You can find out more information about The Swansea Fringe Festival on their official website and you can purchase early bird tickets, which grant access to all days and the launch party, on Ticket 247.

The post The Swansea Fringe Festival Returns! appeared first on Ticket247 Backstage.

Well for starters, the venue now known as Hangar 18 has been a nightclub for roughly 30-40 years. But when Matt and his partner Sara were looking at the club, they had to practically beg the estate agent and owner to take them seriously. Planning permission had already been granted to demolish the building and turn it into flats, which would have meant the home of Swansea’s legendary clubs such as Top Banana and Milkwood Jam would’ve been lost to new development.  

Once they had secured the location, due in part to their previous experience at their other venue Crowley’s Rock Bar, the real work could begin. The venue, formerly known as The Scene had been closed for around 18 months and had been left in a state of despair. The work was completed within 2 months and in July 2018, Hangar 18 opened to the public.  

Hangar 18 boasts a large stage, state of the art PA system and large lighting rig, which gives them an arena feel perfect for large shows. They also hold a 3am late licence 7 days a week and fortunately, they are also close to the bus station so you never need to worry about getting home.

Named for its high ceilings which make it look like an aircraft hangar, and also for the Megadeth song, Hangar 18 has been providing opportunities for young people within Swansea since its opening. For the past few years, in the time before the pandemic, the DJ Society at Swansea University would be involved with running each Tuesday night at the nightclub. This allowed new DJs a chance to run their first club nights, working with industry-standard equipment, giving them valuable experience.

Hangar 18 is also home to the Area SA1 Open Mic night, which allows local artists to perform, but also to come together and create a sense of community within the Swansea music scene. 

While the pandemic has put a stop to these events, for now, that wasn’t going to prevent Matt and Sara from continuing to improve their venue. Renewing their lease during the pandemic, Hangar 18 wasted no time in diversifying.  They now have the facilities to live-stream all future events for those who may not be able to attend and are currently working on turning their top floor into a recording studio which will be available to rent out within the next few months.  

Despite being one of the newest venues, Hangar 18 is one of the top-rated live music venues in Swansea. All the reviews comment on the great atmosphere, friendly staff and reasonable prices. It’s the place to be if you love rock music, and if you love Swansea equally as much, you’ll be pleased to hear that they are also home to the ‘Swansea Til I Die Fest’ taking place in December 2021. 

Matt and Sara are hoping to re-open later on this summer, you can check out their website here for more information. 

The post Venue Guide: Hangar 18 appeared first on Ticket247 Backstage.

We’ve got a selection of festivals from the upcoming months, with a range of genres and locations, to give you a place to start.

Icons Festival (26th June, Kingston-Upon-Thames)

Icons is a tribute festival. Boasting a line up of six of Europe’s best tribute bands, why miss out on a chance to see an iconic performance of one of music’s great legends? The line-up this year is made up of artists who, for whatever reason, no longer perform so it will be a great chance to see the next best thing.

It’s a day festival; the whole thing takes place over 12 hours. There are camping tickets available if you want to experience it all and not have to drive home after but if that’s not your thing, a day ticket means no sleeping bags or tent disasters.

Out East (6th – 7th August, Edinburgh)

Out East Festival in Edinburgh describe themselves as, “a glorious blend of 5 open air stages with culture, wellbeing, incredible food and dancing”. There is plenty to see and do such as music, yoga and wellness sessions and comics, as well as a family area with acts to keep the kids entertained.

Set in the grounds of Gosford House in East Lothian, and surrounded by 5,000 acres of woodland, Out East festival is set against a scenic backdrop. There is on-site camping, as well as a number of hotels and B&B’s in the surrounding areas. If you want the best of both worlds, that is being right in the centre of the action without all the joys of camping in Scottish weather, there are glamping tents available, which come with beds, bunting and fairy lights to make it cosy.

Summer Love Festival (4th September, Redhill)

Summer Love Festival is a one day event, labelling itself as a ‘boutique festival’. With a range of house music across four different stages, there should be something for everyone. The music ranges from retro house to deep house, to old school electro and US Garage; the idea is to give a sense of being transported to the beginnings of rave culture while spanning genres and showcasing the new generations.

The East Blysse Showground has plenty of room for each of the stages, which are all kitted out with great sound systems and décor to really bring the place to life.

Gravity Festival UK (15th – 17th October, Cannock)

Gravity Festival is a hard rock music festival taking place over three days at The Station in Cannock, Staffordshire. The Station are a dedicated live music venue and alternative nightclub – the perfect backdrop for the chance to rock out this autumn.

The line-up is packed with some of the best melodic rock in the UK with Midnite City, The Treatment, Praying Mantis and Hell’s Addiction headlining.

If you want to be extra prepared and book for a festival this time next year, we have a couple to pick from, both happening in our HQ’s city: Swansea!

Soundbay Festival (25th – 27th March 2022)

The Soundbay Festival will be showcasing twenty-two fantastic rock bands over the course of three days in the beautiful, Grade II listed, Patti Pavillion, on Mumbles Road, Swansea. There’s only about a capacity of 1000 so be sure to grab your tickets quick!

There will also be a variety of food vendors and merch stalls so you can represent your favourite acts. Also, as the festival takes place over a weekend, it’s a great opportunity to stay local and use any spare time to explore Swansea’s city centre. 

Station 18 Festival (April 29th – May 1st 2022)

Station 18 Festival is taking place over three days; plenty of time to showcase sixteen of the best New Wave of Classic Rock bands in the country. Taking place in Hangar 18, a grassroots venue right in the centre, this festival is sure to be action packed. No need to worry about transport as Hangar 18 is close to the bus station; alternatively, you could stay in the centre and remain close to the action. 

Current headliners are Hollowstar and The Dirty Youth, with more to be announced – the organisers have teased that all acts will be unmissable, so be sure to follow updates!

Tickets are available for all events here via ticket247

These were just a small selection of the upcoming festivals we have available on ticket247. Go to our website to see our wide category of events and festivals, and plan your next post-covid adventure.

The post Our Favourite Upcoming Festivals appeared first on Ticket247 Backstage.