Food and drink lovers, rejoice! People living in Swansea Bay are set to enjoy some great cuisine from all over the world on their own doorstep as festivals celebrating different styles of alcohol and food are set to be held in the area.
Singleton Park, Margam Park and Brangwyn Hall will all be putting on events in August and September, giving you the chance to enjoy different types of street food, beer, gin and rum. Some of these events will be returning after a long absence, whilst others will be held in the city for the very first time.
Here, we've put together a quick at a glance guide to all the big events coming up for you to mark down in your social calendars in the months to come. You can get the biggest Swansea news stories straight to your inbox with our newsletter.
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Swansea Food Fest
Where? Singleton Park When? August 26 and 27
A brand new food and music festival is coming to Swansea's Singleton Park on the August bank holiday weekend and it is set to be the largest scale festival in the city.
Run by Revel Festivals, Swansea Food Fest will not only feature a large handful of food stalls - the organisers are hoping for around 60, over double that of the recent street food festival - in the stunning park, but will also put on masterclasses and talks from a variety of chefs as well as workshops and demonstrations.
Music lovers will also get their fix as the festival is set to host a myriad of live musical acts on its stage, from local talent to well known artists. Alongside food and music, the two-day event, created by Revel, will host a number of businesses which will be showcasing their goods, from fashion to arts and crafts to beers, wines and more. While it's sure to be entertaining in itself, the festival is going even further by having a VIP area, an inflatable assault course, face painting, glitter tattoos as well as 'superheroes' present too.
The Swansea Food Fest event manager Hannah O'Neill said of the new festival: "We are thrilled to present Swansea Food Fest as a celebration of the local food scene, music, and community. It's an event that brings people together, highlighting the talent and creativity within our city. We invite everyone to join us in this epic weekend of food, music and family fun on the bank holiday weekend, as we aim to create lasting memories." For tickets, click here.
Great British Food Festival
Where? Margam Park When? September 2 and 3
Margam Park will be host to the Great British Food Festival in September. It will have something for everyone, from food, to live music, kids' activities and even something for the dogs. There will be an Artisan Market selling everything from chocolate to chutney and cheese to chilli sauce and street food, selling a mix of tacos, pastas, burgers, hot dogs or curries. Gluten-free, nut-free, vegetarian and vegan options will also be available for all.
The event will feature Men v Food competitions throughout the day. This will feature men v treat, where teams of two will take on a dessert-based challenge at 11.30am, men v cheese, which will be a cheddar eating competition at noon, men v meat, which will challenge competitors to eat as much sausage as they can in six minutes and six seconds at 12.30pm, men v heat, where you'll work your way from jalapenos to the world's hottest chillis at 2.30pm, and men v gin at 3.30pm, which will see who can conquer the most gins.
There will be a 'cake off' where 800 cakes will be judged and tasted in a cake-baking competition, and once the judging is over, the entries will be available for sample to those in attendance, whilst chef demonstrations will also be taking place through the day.
There will be a BBQ stage to teach you tips on how to master the barbecue, and there will also be a bake stage, where baking professionals Sandy Docherty and Phil Thorne will be in attendance showing off all of their fabulous recipes and top baking tips. There will also be bars on site featuring a selection of beers, lagers, ciders, ales, wines, whiskeys cocktails, gins and more, together with non-alcoholic options.
A kids' cookery stage will also be set up where little ones can learn how to cook some new recipes at the kids cookery. For 30-40 minutes, kids can cook up some Rocky Road Truffles or Peppermint & Orange Pebbles which they can take home and eat.
Live music will entertain the crowds from 10am to 5pm with a wide range of musicians lined up to perform, and there will also be kids' activities including the Party Workshops Family Circus where you can try juggling, plate-spinning, unicycling, acrobatics and more. Kids can also embark on a treasure hunt throughout the event, and will be encouraged to keep their eyes peeled and unscramble the code to win some treasure. There will also be a bouncy castle, fairground rides and trampolines.
A mini zoo will be on hand, as Bryan Paterson's Wildlife Displays will be heading to the Great British Food Festival, bringing his animals with him and giving youngsters the opportunity to interact with the many amazing animals including meerkats, hedgehogs, micro-pigs, pygmy goats, rabbits, guinea pigs, snakes, spiders, insects and a range of birds of prey.
You can take part in foraging walks, embarking on a guided walk from the site and go on a forage for a variety of plants that are edible, medicinal or which can even be used for cosmetic purposes. The path is an easy stroll and is pushchair and wheelchair friendly. The walks last around 45 minutes to an hour and start at 10am, 11.15am, 12.30pm, 2pm and 3.15pm each day.
The Creative Crafts Association will be trading their many arts and crafts, and you can get your hands on a wide range of textiles, ceramics, handmade cards, soft toys, collectables, handmade candles, bath bombs and soaps, photographic art, confectionery, hand painted glass, jewellery, ladies clothes, paintings, wood crafts, fashion accessories and lots, lots more. Book tickets by clicking here.
Swansea Bay Beer and Cider Festival
Where? Brangwyn Hall When? August 31 to September 2
The last time we saw Swansea Bay Beer and Cider Festival was back in 2019, but now its organisers have announced it will return to the Brangwyn Hall on August 31.
The festival will run for three days until September 2, and there will be more than 100 beers and more than 50 ciders to try. These will include a large selection of Welsh beers, including bitters, golden and blonde ales, pale ales, milds, porters and stouts, along with speciality beers.
All those who attend will get to take a commemorative half-pint glass home with them, and they will be able to speak to knowledgeable volunteers to tell them all about their chosen tipples. There will also be on-stage entertainment across all three days.
Admission is £7 for non CAMRA members and £5 for CAMRA members. Tickets can be bought in advance for each of the three days online by clicking here, as well as at the door. The price of admission includes a programme and a souvenir half pint glass. The first £5 worth of tokens will also be sold with the admission tickets at the door, so people attending are advised to have £12 or £10 ready if they intend on paying cash.
The opening times are as follows: Thursday, August 31 - 5pm until 11pm, Friday, September 1 - noon until 11pm, Saturday, September 2 - noon until 11pm. The last admission is 10pm. Card and cash will be accepted on the door and at the tokens desk. The event is for those aged 18 and over only.
Co-organiser Aaron Todd, 29, said: “It’s been a long time since our last festival, with three years away, but we’re delighted to be back up and running once again for 2023. Everything you remember and love from previous festivals will be there, a commemorative half pint glass, a huge variety of beers and ciders, and our knowledgeable volunteers to guide you to your chosen tipple. We’ve got some great sponsors of the event too, including headline sponsors Gower Brewery and Mumbles Brewery. We can’t wait to see you there.”
Fellow co-organiser Chris Freestone, 28, added: “If that wasn’t enough, entertainment is also included as part of the ticket price with live music in the afternoons and evenings. There will be beers from all over the UK with as well as a large selection of Welsh beers, meaning you can taste the best from around the nation, including bitters, strong bitters and barley wines, golden and blond ales, pale ales, milds, porters and stouts, and speciality beers including lagers, wheat beers, fruit beers, gingers beers and sours. There really will be something for everyone – whatever your taste in beer or cider."
Gin and Rum Festival
Where? Brangwyn Hall When? September 16
The UK's largest touring 'Gin & Rum Festival' is coming to Swansea later this year. The festival, which first launched in 2018, is set to visit some of the largest cities in the UK on its route including London, Glasgow, Birmingham and Manchester, and will be coming to Swansea's Brangwyn Hall on Saturday, September 16.
The festival will be serving more than 120 different types of gin and rum, with plenty of samples and tasters for guests to enjoy. There will also be a tequila and cocktail bar and live music and a DJ performing throughout the event.
Organisers of the festival are focusing on 'value for money' amid the cost of living crisis and offering every customer a free drink and snack included in the ticket price. Tickets for the Swansea date start at just £10 each (plus booking fee) for a pre-sale ticket available until January 31. After that, 'early bird' tickets cost £12.50 until they run out, and 'final release' tickets will then be available at £15 each.
Announcing the event, a spokesperson for The Gin and Rum Festival said: "The UK’s largest touring Gin & Rum festival will be making an appearance at the incredible Brangwyn Hall on Saturday, September 16, and it isn't one to be missed! They have big ambition for 2023, which includes incorporating some new destinations into their plan of action, but doesn't include rising their ticket prices! With the huge impact of Covid on the events industry, this small midlands-based drinks festival has fought through some turbulent times and it most likely won’t be the last difficulty they face.
"You’ll be spoilt for choice with over 120 different gins and rums to choose from. Chose your new favourite tipple, while having a boogie along to some live entertainment and their award-winning DJ. You’ll even get the chance to rub shoulders with some of their hand-selected distillers and enjoy their samples. If you feel like it, why not purchase a bottle to take home?"
The festival added: "Though we've been touring since 2018, a couple of those years were tainted by Covid. Now we're back on track with booking new dates instead of rescheduling them. We've had time to reflect and start to develop the festival even more, focusing on value for money and customer experience. The first thing we did was look at how we could give more to our customer and one thing stood out. A free drink. So we're doing it!"
In Swansea the festival has been split into two sessions. When booking their tickets, guests can choose either the 12.30pm to 5pm session or the 6.30pm to 10.30pm session, with both offering the same drink stalls and bars.
The Gin and Rum Festival is a strictly 18-plus event and people who look under 25 will be asked to present valid photo ID. Children, including babies in prams, will not be permitted entry.
