Kasabian drummer launches BogFest festival in Llanwrtyd
BogFest is officially launching this August bank holiday weekend in Llanwrtyd Wells, running in conjunction with the World Bog Snorkelling Championships.
The music festival is being organised by Chapel, a project set up by local businessman Irfon Watkins and Kasabian drummer Mathews, who is a long-time friend.
Chapel is also the main sponsor of the World Bog Snorkelling Championships this year, which is taking place on Sunday, August 24. The music festival takes place over the weekend of August 23-24.
'Come to my festival,' Matthews implores.
'Yes, BogFest is kicking off in August in deepest Wales. It's fun, it's free and it's to celebrate this eccentric sport of bog snorkelling.
'Hell, why not get involved with this unique and growing sport, don the mask and dive in. What more would you want? We have it all, Blues, beers and muddy bogs.'
'Hosted by Chapel in partnership with the World Bog Snorkelling Championships, this free festival brings live music to the heart of the town, with three stages, including one right at the bog site,' said a post on the Chapel Facebook page.
'Expect free live music over the two days, a chance to cheer on the legendary bog snorkellers, Ian Matthews will be hosting the weekend and handing out prizes.'
Local tech entrepreneur Watkins and Matthews have taken on the restoration of the historic Welsh Methodist chapel in Llanwrtyd in recent years, aiming to create a venue where established and upcoming artists alike can perform live to both local audiences and a worldwide audience through new technologies.
And it is through this project that BogFest was born. 'BogFest was created to bring live music to the heart of Wales,' said organisers.
'It will be an annual event that will grow with community at the centre while being in partnership with the World Bog Snorkelling Championships.
'Ian Matthews is also hosting the festival all weekend and handing out prizes at the bog snorkelling.'
The World Bog Snorkelling Championships in Llanwrtyd is one of the UK's quirkiest sporting events.
Armed with snorkels and flippers, competitors race through a muddy trench cut into a peat bog – no swimming strokes allowed.
'It's wet, wild and wonderfully weird, a must-see highlight in the smallest town in Britain,' added organisers.
The festival will be held across three stages: the Bog Stage, plus the Stonecroft and Neuadd Arms pubs.
Spaces are limited in the venues, arrive early to grab a spot and keep an eye out for more information.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
3 hours ago
- BBC News
Bid to save Cwm Rhondda chapel raises enough money to buy it
A campaign to save the chapel where the hymn Cwm Rhondda was first sung has raised enough money to buy the known and Bread of Heaven, the hymn was first sung at Capel Rhondda in Hopkinstown, Rhondda Cynon Taf, just before Christmas final service, amid declining numbers at services, was in December 2024 and the Grade II listed chapel was put up for sale by the Welsh Baptist Union with a price tag of £47, - fearing it could be bought by a property developer - wanted to save it as a community space and campaigner Rhian Hopkins, who grew up in the village, said: "It's amazing." Ms Hopkins started the campaign less than two weeks ago and it has raised about £55,000 after the original target of the asking price was raised to £60,000 to cover legal and other costs."I keep thinking 'am I just having a vivid dream which I'll wake up from'," she said."This isn't just any chapel, this is the home of Cwm Rhondda, the home of Bread of Heaven. "This is a really important part of not just local heritage but Welsh heritage and potentially worldwide heritage from the response we've had." Ms Hopkins put a post on Facebook while her my sons were on holiday in France with their dad and said her campaign "snowballed"."It's been so exciting and I have worked ridiculously hard, doing 12-plus hour days on the campaign," she said."Michael Sheen retweeted the post this week but the biggest difference to the campaign was after BBC Radio 4 Today programme featured the story."I watched the crowdfunding page and it was like someone winning the jackpot on a fruit machine and the coins keep on coming out because the figures just kept on going up." With the money now raised to buy the chapel, Ms Hopkins hopes it can one day become a museum with a visitor centre. "A lot of money will also need to be spent on the chapel. There was a quote of £50,000 just to restore the vestry floor."There's also knotweed in the graveyard, it's going to take a lot of money and work." Singer and broadcaster Beverley Humphreys, who is from nearby Pontypridd, said: "This hymn, Cwm Rhondda is in our DNA as Welsh people... it's been in my heart ever since I can remember."There is so much history embedded in this wonderful hymn and it's not just about preserving something special from our past but what Rhian and the team will do is preserve something beautiful for the present and for the future."
BBC News
2 days ago
- BBC News
In Pictures: First day of Truck Festival 2025 in Oxfordshire
Thousands of people have already kicked off this year's Truck Part brought the first night to a close with their performance at Hill Farm in Steventon, Oxfordshire, on four-day event is expected to attract more than 25,000 people for the county's biggest music headliners expected over the weekend include Kasabian, The Courteeners and Nothing But Thieves. Unwritten singer Natasha Bedingfield will also play a special guest set during the festival and the Women's Euros 2025 final between England and Spain will be shown at the site on Sunday. You can follow BBC Oxfordshire on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
BBC News
2 days ago
- BBC News
Tramlines 2025: Fans set for three-day Sheffield festival
Music fans are descending on Sheffield ahead of the 16th Tramlines music festival which is due to get under way band Pulp are headlining the first night of the three-day event at Hillsborough Park, with Rotherham band The Reytons headlining on Saturday and Leicester rockers Kasabian closing the event on notable acts performing across the weekend will be Franz Ferdinand, Rizzle Kicks, Scouting For Girls and Jake well as live music, the event also includes comedy shows and a free fringe event at venues dotted around the city. Festival dates & times Gates are due to open at 12:00 BST on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, with the last entry at 19: will finish at 22:15 on Friday and Saturday, and at 21:15 on Sunday, with the festival remaining open for an additional 30 minutes is not permitted. Festival line-up FridayMain StageHeadliner: PulpSpiritualizedBaxter DuryOracle SistersFemurSpanish HorsesT'Other StageHot ChipJohn GrantI MonsterJohn Cooper ClarkeThe Leadmill Presents: Abba PartyJohn ShuttleworthNina GilliganDanny McLoughlinSaturdayMain StageHeadliner: The ReytonsFranz FerdinandJake BuggNatasha BedingfieldThe K'sEverly Pregnant BrothersThe Leadmill Studio OrchestraT'Other StageRizzle KicksHeather SmallChloe SlaterK DotDanny MellinSundayHeadliner: KasabianThe Last Dinner PartyThe LathumsThe SherlocksScouting for GirlsSundressT'Other Stage:SigridRed Rum ClubCMATLuvcatHannah RoweComedians performing at the festival include Lucy Beaumont, Russell Howard and John full line-up for all stages can be found here. Travel advice Hillsborough Park is three miles north west of the city centre, with festival-goers advised to use the city's public transport and avoid arriving by are two gates to enter and exit: the Penistone Road entrance or the Middlewood Road is no on-site parking and no parking on surrounding residential roads but some parking options can be booked through the festival are advised to catch the yellow route tram service to the Hillsborough Park or Leppings Lane stops, or the blue route service to the Hillsborough stop, which is a five-minute walk to the will run every six minutes from Sheffield city centre to Hillsborough those travelling by bus, alight at the Hillsborough Park bus is expected due to road closures after the event finishes. Weather report According to BBC Weather, Friday will see highs of 23°C, with sunny intervals and a gentle is expected to remain dry throughout the light rain may come in on Sunday morning, however the afternoon and evening currently look set to be dry. Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North
