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The South Wales Magazine


Techniquest launches new annual pass to celebrate their 40th year
This year marks 40 years of discovery at Techniquest, the UK’s first purpose-built science discovery centre. To celebrate the occasion, they’re introducing a new Premium Pass giving you the freedom to visit all-year round, including during the school holidays! Techniquest founder Professor John Beetlestone demonstrates the Bernoulli Blower exhibit for television in the late 1980s. The exhibit helps to explain how aeroplanes fly and is still much-loved today! The best part? Th


Sunny Afternoon: The iconic sound of the ‘60s brought to life
Get ready to turn up the volume as Sunny Afternoon brings the sound, swagger and spirit of The Kinks roaring back to the stage. Credit Manuel Harlan A five-star show packed with iconic tunes, raw energy and pure nostalgia, Sunny Afternoon rolls into Wales Millennium Centre next month. This Olivier Award-winning musical was a smash hit in London and is coming to South Wales bigger, bolder and ready to get audiences on their feet. Telling the story of The Kinks, Sunny Afternoo


Waitress: A Slice of Musical Magic Comes to Cardiff
A feel-good favourite packed with heart, humour and unforgettable music, Waitress arrives at Wales Millennium Centre for one week only this June, starring the brilliant Carrie Hope Fletcher. Rehearsal photos from Waitress, credit Danny Kaan Based on the much-loved 2007 film by Adrienne Shelly, Waitress serves up an irresistible story of dreams, resilience and finding the courage to start again. With music and lyrics by Grammy award-winner Sara Bareilles, the show has captivat


Cardiff Animation Festival: Four days of pure imagination
Cardiff Animation Festival returns to Chapter Arts this April with its most ambitious programme yet, celebrating bold new voices, Welsh creativity and a vibrant mix of films, games and events. Lauren Orme, director of the Cardiff Animation Festival We caught up with Lauren Orme, director of the Cardiff Animation Festival, who tells us what to expect from this year’s event. For anyone who hasn’t been before, what is Cardiff Animation Festival and what makes it special? Cardiff


The best Easter days out in South Wales
Easter in South Wales is bursting with egg-cellent attractions the whole family will love. Folly Farm Go wild at Folly Farm Easter is the perfect excuse to dust off the picnic blanket, grab the kids and make some memories at Folly Farm in Pembrokeshire. Part farm, part zoo, part amusement park, it’s a one-stop adventure that keeps little (and big) ones entertained from morning to evening. Spring brings the farm to life, fluffy lambs, bouncing bunnies, and a host of animals th


Claire Sweeney’s Wickedly Fabulous Cardiff Takeover
Get ready Cardiff, stage and screen favourite Claire Sweeney is bringing her deliciously devious Miss Hannigan to the capital when ANNIE arrives at the WMC from 7 July for a limited two-week run. Claire Sweeney as Miss Hannigan. Beloved by generations, Annie is the ultimate feel-good family musical, and this new UK and Ireland tour promises all the sparkle, sass and heart that have made it a global sensation. Set against the backdrop of 1930s New York, the story follows brave


Don't miss Under Milk Wood at Sherman Theatre this spring
“To begin at the beginning…” Few opening lines are as instantly recognisable or as richly woven into Welsh cultural identity as those from Under Milk Wood. Under Milk Wood in the Sherman Theatre, Cardiff Theatr Clwyd brings Dylan Thomas’s lyrical masterpiece back to the stage in a bold new production at Sherman Theatre from 30 April to 9 May 2026, promising humour, heartbreak and a beautifully eccentric portrait of Welsh life. Directed by Kate Wasserberg, the production inv


Cardiff Speed Puzzle Championship: My First Attempt at Speed-Puzzling
There are hobbies you do to relax and then there are hobbies you suddenly attempt under pressure, surrounded by strangers, a ticking clock and the creeping realisation that two hours disappears far faster than you ever imagined. That’s how I found myself staring down at 500 scattered cardboard pieces at Cardiff’s first ever speed-puzzling championship. Competing in the UKJPA Speed Puzzle Championship Cardiff 2026 Hosted at Cardiff City House of Sport, the buzzing event brough


A New Era in Patient Care at St Joseph’s Hospital Newport
St Joseph’s Hospital has successfully performed its first robotic assisted surgical procedure, marking a significant milestone in its continued investment in advanced patient care. Robotic-Assisted Surgery from Mako SmartRobotics™ at St Joseph’s Hospital in Newport. Following a recent investment of over £1 million, independent private healthcare provider St Joseph’s Hospital in Newport is now able to offer all patients considering hip and knee replacement surgery even more ac


Restaurant Review: A vegan feast at Mowgli Cardiff
We were invited to try the brand-new vegan menu at Mowgli Cardiff, a fresh plant-based addition to the restaurant’s vibrant Indian street food offering. Mowgli Cardiff Tucked along the bustling stretch of Church Street, Nisha Katona’s much-loved Indian street food concept has built its reputation on bold flavours, playful interiors and a fresh take on home-style Indian cooking. Known for small plates designed to share rather than the traditional curry house format, Mowgli pro


Award‑winning joint care at Nuffield Health Cardiff and Vale Hospitals
Nuffield Health Cardiff and Vale Hospitals are celebrating national recognition for patient safety in orthopaedic surgery. Nuffield Health Cardiff and Vale Hospitals This year, Nuffield Health hospitals performing joint replacements across England and Wales have, (for the fifth consecutive year), achieved the National Joint Registry (NJR) Gold Quality Data Award, the registry’s highest mark for data quality and compliance. This reflects rigorous standards designed to improve


The spy novel that changed everything, now live on stage
Secrets, lies, moral compromise, John le Carré’s world of espionage finally steps out of the shadows and onto the stage in a gripping new production of The Spy Who Came In From The Cold. Ralf Little stars in The Spy Who Came In From The Cold, at Wales Millennium Centre For the first time ever, a novel by John le Carré, the undisputed master of the modern spy genre whose works include Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy and The Night Manager, is brought to life in a thrilling stage


Have a blast at Techniquest this February
Cardiff Bay's much-loved science discovery centre will be open 9am–6pm every day this February half-term so there's even more time for families to get blown away by science. Cardiff Bay's Techniquest As well as three floors packed with curious exhibits and creative activities, you can catch Bubbles and Blasts — a live science show with mega bubbles that float, glow in the dark, and even pack an explosive punch! Or you can get hands-on with a workshop in the lab, where you can


Lee Mead takes on the role of Barnum
More than 30 years ago, a teenage Lee Mead stood in a school hall in Southend-on-Sea, playing the Ringmaster in Barnum, quietly dreaming of the day he might lead the show himself. Now, at 44, that dream has come full circle as he steps into the spotlight as P.T. Barnum for a major new UK tour of the classic musical. Lee Mead plays the Ringmaster in Barnum at Wales Millennium Centre When Lee Mead was around 13 or 14 he appeared in a school production of Barnum in his home town


The Steps Musical Brings pure pop joy to Cardiff
If your idea of a perfect night out includes glittering harmonies, euphoric dance breaks and the irresistible pull of late-90s pop nostalgia, then Here & Now is about to become your new favourite musical. Here and Now Musical at Wales Millennium Centre Arriving at Wales Millennium Centre in February, this brand-new stage spectacular takes the iconic songs of Steps, one of Britain’s biggest pop phenomena, and transforms them into a vibrant, feel-good celebration of friendship,


PizzaExpress Brings a Free Christmas Concierge to Cardiff
Christmas in Cardiff just got a whole lot easier. PizzaExpress is launching a FREE Christmas Concierge service at Cardiff St David’s, giving city-centre shoppers their precious festive time back. (PizzaExpress Cardiff) Because let’s be honest, December in Cardiff is magical… but the festive admin? Not so much. New research shows Brits lose more than an entire day to Christmas chores, with 33% calling wrapping their biggest nightmare and 62% saying the season has become more s


Best Christmas Events in South Wales 2025 – Magical Days Out for All the Family
Discover the top festive events, Christmas days out, and family-friendly activities happening across South Wales this holiday season. Tower Grotto at Zip World in Aberdare 21 Nov - 24 Dec Tower Grotto Zip World, Aberdare Start with a mince pie and hot chocolate or mulled wine, then visit the grotto to meet Santa himself! Receive a special Welsh slate bauble to decorate, write a letter to Santa and take home a special gift, suitable for all ages. zipworld.co.uk 21 Nov - 4 Jan


5 Magical reasons to visit Cardiff This Christmas
With the festive season in full swing, we are all thinking about our favourite Christmas activities. To help you plan your Christmas and get in the festive spirit, Visit Cardiff have come up with the top 5 reasons to visit. Cardiff’s Winter Wonderland Ice Rink and Ice Walk 1. Ice-skating in the grounds of a Castle Cardiff’s Winter Wonderland Ice Rink and Ice Walk returns to the historic Castle. Located in the Public Square, it boasts the spectacular backdrop of the Norman Kee


Hannah McPake writes & directs Sherman Theatre’s 2025 festive show Alice: Return To Wonderland
Sherman Theatre has today confirmed the cast of its production of Alice: Return to Wonderland (28 Nov 2025-3 Jan 2026), a dreamlike and uplifting new show, written and directed by Hannah McPake and based on Lewis Carroll’s Through the Looking Glass. Alice: Return to Wonderland at The Sherman Theatre Sherman audiences will know Hannah as the lead actor in last year’s A Christmas Carol; the highest grossing show in the company’s history. One of the company’s best loved artists,


Sherman Theatre and Theatr Cymru to stage English & Welsh productions of The Frog Prince
Sherman Theatre and Theatr Cymru’s new Christmas co-productions for younger children, The Frog Prince - and the Welsh-language Biwti a Brogs - will tour venues across Wales November 2025-January 2026, including a six-week run at the Sherman in Cardiff. The Frog Prince at The Sherman Theatre These brand-new productions are written by Gwawr Loader and directed by Elin Phillips - both familiar to Sherman audiences as actors in countless past productions, including The Lion, the
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