Winter Wonderland set to return
Oct 17 – Winter Wonderland and a host of Christmas festivities are set to return as Newport approaches the season of goodwill in 2025.
Partners including the council, Newport Now BID, Friars Walk, Newport Live, Newport Market, Newport Bus and Kingsway have been working behind the scenes to bring together a vibrant mix of entertainment, activities and shopping for everyone to enjoy.
Highlights of this year’s glittering package include:
- The ever-popular Countdown to Christmas event with the light switch-on, music, special guests, fairground rides and a fantastic firework display.
- The return of winter wonderland with real ice rink, food stalls and fairground
- Santa’s workshops
- City centre Christmas market with gifts, food and drink, open seven days a week
- Riverfront pantomime Rapunzel, plus a celebration of 20 years of pantomime at the theatre
- Christmas events, markets and competitions in the Kingsway Centre
- Themed events at Newport Market including a Grinch tasting movie night
- Free festive arts, crafts, and music in Newport Museum and Art Gallery
- Celebration of small and independent businesses as part of Small Business Saturday
Councillor Emma Corten, cabinet member for culture and communications, said: “We’re super excited to kick off this year’s Festive Newport programme with next month’s spectacular Countdown to Christmas event.
“We’ve got loads planned right into the new year – we’re just finalising all the finer details, so keep an eye on our socials over the coming days and weeks for info on all these and more exciting events and activities!”
Excitement builds for Food Festival
Chef demonstrations will take place in the Market including from Matt Tebbutt and Cyrus Todiwala.
As well as the traditional food market on the High Street and the surrounding areas, there will also be street food stalls in John Frost Square where you can sit down, enjoy tasty food and listen to live music.
Whitson Zoo plays starring role in new series ‘The Guest’
Sep 2 – The gripping new BBC drama ‘The Guest’ started last night and promises to be another hit for BBC Wales drama. It stars Eve Myles and Gabrielle Creevy in an absorbing but slightly mad tale. However, a city landmark plays a key role in the drama – Whitson Zoo or Whitson Manor as it is now known.
Eve Myles explained to Wales Online “The house is in the area of Newport, it’s on the outskirts of Newport. It is the most exquisite house I have ever stepped foot into.
“They have done the most beautiful job on that house, there were peacocks in the garden and it’s just absolutely beautiful.
“A former zoo, apparently! It’s got an incredible history, the building, that’s the first time that location has been shot at, it’s just magnificent.”
For the story behind the building read here
Celebrity Chef Matt Tebbutt joins Newport Food Festival line-up
In major coup for Newport Food Festival top TV chef Matt Tebbutt will join the celebrity chef line up this year.
Visitors can watch Matt showcase his culinary skills and even get to taste his creations. Matt will also be joining food festival patron, Hywel Jones, as part of the judging panel for the final of the Teenchef competition which will kick off the chef programme at 10am.
Born in south Wales and educated in Newport, Matt owned and ran The Foxhunter restaurant in Nantyderry near Usk in South Wales for over 10 years. The restaurant won a number of awards including the AA Restaurant of the Year for Wales.
Matt gained a diploma at Leiths School of Food and Wine in London, before working for some of London’s most prestigious restaurants including Marco Pierre White at the Oak Room and Criterion, and Alastair Little who he cites as the greatest influence on his cuisine.
A regular face on our TV screens, Matt has also written three cookery books, featuring all of his favourite recipes and is a regular contributor to food and travel magazines.
To find out more about the festival lineup visit www.newportfoodfestival.co.uk.
Big Splash Weekend - July 19/20
Wales’ largest outdoor art festival returns to Newport this weekend. Details here
Music Trail back in 2026
Jul 2 – Newport Music Trail will return in 2026. This year’s event was the first of its kind and took over the city centre for 36 hours with live music, workshops, talks, and tours.
Hosted across 25 Newport locations and boasting more than 90 bands, acts, and artists across every genre, trail goers were able to hop between performances and activities festival style – all for free.
Councillor Emma Corten, cabinet member for communications and culture, said: “We’re super excited to confirm that the amazing Newport Music Trail will be returning in 2026 and we’re already planning a bigger and better event.
“Newport Music Trail gave us a chance to show off the huge amount of talent we have locally, as well as our city’s venues, unique spaces and independent retailers. It was a magical weekend and we saw footfall up by around 13,000 which is great news for every city centre business.
“Since the event we’ve also heard about the positive effect it’s had for local venues – with new people being introduced to our local gems and returning for gigs which make up our awesome music scene all year round.”
Newport Music Trail will take place on Friday 27 and Saturday 28 March 2026.
Newport Ship visiting season opens
Mar 27 – The Newport Ship visitor centre opens to the public tomorrow for its summer season. It will open every Friday and Saturday until November 1 between 10.30am and 4pm. The exhibition provides a complete background to the ship’s history, purpose and its discovery during the building of the Riverfront Theatre including new virtual reality and audio guides.
Newport Festival of Words
Mar 7 – An exciting new event is being launched later in March to celebrate Newport’s rich literary history and to highlight its current crop of talented and diverse writers. Newport Festival of Words will celebrate words in all their forms, from novels and poetry, to songs, nature writing, history and writing for children. A broad programme of events has already been drawn up, featuring readings, meet the author events, interviews and book signings as well as story sessions and children’s competitions. The festival is being launched by a small group of enthusiasts who came together to fill what thesaw as a gap in Newport’s cultural offering. Award-winning author Catherine Fisher is one of those taking part. “It’s wonderful for Newport to have its own literary festival and I’m delighted to be part of the first line-up. The programme will have something for everyone interested in books, words andliterature and I wish it every success.”
The idea is that the festival will become an annual event and will get bigger and better every year. The events will take place in several city centre venues from Thursday March 20 – Sunday March 23 2025. Renowned photographer David Hurn, who set up the city’s former school of documentary photography, and who has had a long career as a Magnum Photographer, will be in conversation following the launch of his latest book.
The organisers are delighted to announce that among the list of celebrated authors to appear at the festival are English crime and historical fiction author Barbara Nadel, award-winning author Andrew Hurley, Tom Bullough and Tim Lebbon, to name just some of those taking part. Newport Festival of Words is part funded by the UK Government through the Shared Prosperity Fund, Newport City Council and publishers the Three Impostors. Venues include Newport Rising Hub, the Corn Exchange , Gallery 57, Newport Central Library and Arcadia. The festival has partnered with Waterstones, which will act as book seller during the event.
Beyond Monet/Van Gogh
Mar 7 – According to online publicity the immersive exhibition dedicated to the works of Monet and Van Gogh is heading to an unspecified location in Newport (ICC Wales?) in the autumn as it tours the UK having visited London, Liverpool and Aberdeen.
Music trail coming to city at end of March
Mar 6 -The first ever Newport Music Trail will take place on 28 and 29 March and promises a free festival-like experience within the amazing music venues already established in Newport.
Newport City Council is pleased to be working with FOCUS Wales to deliver a first of its kind event for Newport. Newport Music Trail will feature a diverse line up and will promote as much Newport and Welsh music as possible. With performances in venues around the city centre, you’ll be able to hop between gigs, just like you would between stages at a festival.
The Newport Music Trail will bring live performances to The Corn Exchange, Le Pub, The Cab, and Rootys, with more venues being announced soon. The event is all about showcasing local and Welsh musical talent, offering everything from punk to grime, funk to hip-hop, rock to pop, emo to country, and more!
Le Pub safeguarded
Jan 15 – The future of Le Pub has been safeguarded following its purchase by ‘the National Trust of music venues.’
Le Pub, now located on High Street, has played host to hundreds of emerging and established artists such as Goldie Lookin Chain, Skindred and Adwaith, since opening its doors in 1992.
Music Venue Properties (MVP) aims to protect live music locations. This is their fifth purchase.
Many similar venues have closed in recent years, according to campaigners, who say that a levy on large music arenas would help fund and safeguard the future of smaller ones.
Food festival upcoming in October
Aug 11 -Following the success of the extended festival in 2023, this year’s festival will take place over the weekend of Friday 11 to Sunday 13 October.
Friday night will see the award-winning Mercure hotel host the food festival supper for the second year in a row. With a menu created by food festival patron and Michelin star holder Hywel Jones, executive chef at Lucknam Park Hotel and spa, it is sure to be an enjoyable evening for all!
The city centre will come alive on the Saturday for the popular food market where traders will line the streets, offering a variety of food and samples to whet your appetite. There will also be a Veggie Vegan Village in John Frost Square organised by Friars Walk.
Newport Market will once more host the chef demonstrations, kicking off with the Teen Chef competition from Newport Youth Academy. Some of the best local chefs will also be showcasing delicious dishes throughout the day and you can even get to taste their creations!
For the second year running, Sunday will continue the food and entertainment theme. Street food traders, live music and street entertainment will take over High Street bringing a splash of colour with a carnival vibe.
For the younger visitors to the festival, the Corn Exchange will be hosting a children’s disco.
Festival of Comedy
July 13 – Newport Festival of Comedy returns to Coronation Park next Saturday. The line up includes Joel Dommett, Hal Cruttenden, Kerry Godliman and Angela Barnes. Tickets are available for £36.
https://thegigglinggoat.co.uk
Big Splash
July 13 -The Riverfront Theatre and Arts Centre has announced the return of the Big Splash Festival on Saturday 20th and Sunday 21st July 2024, transforming Newport city centre into a vibrant hub of creativity and celebration.
The Big Splash festival is an annual event, drawing thousands to the city, and is recognised as the largest free outdoor arts festival in Wales, featuring live music, street theatre, dance performances, workshops, craft and activities for all the family.
Newport summer play and classes
July 13 – Newport City Council has unveiled its programme of summer schools.
Free transport via Newport Bus is also available. Details here.
Reggae and riddim festival
July 12 – The annual reggae festival takes place at Tredegar House from July 26 to July 28 at Tredegar House. Organised by Urban Circle, funded by the Arts Council of Wales, sponsored by USW it is described as a rich sharing of two days of artistic attraction presenting the cultural heritage of Jamaica and Wales through music, food, art, dance, fashion, wellness & sacred knowledge. Tickets are £44.25.
https://reggaeriddimfestival.com
National Armed Forces Day - June 24
June 5 – In less than three weeks, Newport will host Wales National Armed Forces Day – an event that pays tribute to our past and present service people.
Thousands of people are expected to flock to the city centre on Saturday 24 June for a packed programme which includes military activities; amazing aerial displays and commemorations for past heroes.
The day will start at 10am with a parade of members of the armed forces, veterans, Royal British Legion standard bearers and army and RAF cadets from High Street to John Frost Square led by the Regimental Band and Corps of Drums of the Royal Welsh.
The 3rd Battalion The Royal Welsh mascot Lance Corporal Shenkin IV and Corporal Jones, mascot from the 1st The Queen’s Dragoon Guards will accompany the parade.
Afterwards, the leader of the council, Councillor Jane Mudd, will reaffirm the council’s support of the Armed Forces Covenant.
At 11am, there will be a fly past by the Red Arrows while parachutists from the Tigers Army RAF Falcons display teams will be “dropping in”. All will be visible from the riverfront and are weather permitting.
People will stop to remember a second world war tragedy at 12.45pm when a service will be held near the riverfront, by the theatre and arts centre, to commemorate HMS Turbulent.
Eighty years ago, the Royal Navy submarine was sunk with the loss of its entire crew including its Newport-born commander John Wallace Linton, He was posthumously given the highest award for gallantry, the Victoria Cross.
There will be another reminder of the bravery of our service people in the second world war when a lone Spitfire undertakes a Battle of Britain Memorial fly past at around 1pm.
From 10am to 3pm, visitors can view military vehicles in the riverfront area while armed forces charities and organisations will have stalls in the Riverfront Theatre and Arts Centre.
Big Splash returns - July 22/23
May 11 -The official dates for Big Splash 2023 have been announced, with the free family festival to take place on Saturday, July 22, and Sunday, July 23. It is all centred on the Riverfront and City Centre. The city will once again be alive with street theatre, live music, workshops, and arts and crafts activities – suitable for all ages and free of charge.
Party in the Park - July 14
https://www.partyattheparknewport.co.uk/
Tredegar Park’s annual music festival returns with headline acts including Peter Andre, Heather Small, Five, East 17, Urban Cookie Collective and many more , follow developments via the link above. The first two ticket releases have sold out with the third release now available adult £36 , teens £17.50, return travel from Newport train station. £6.
Lego Festival - May 27
May 9 – A LEGO fan event dedicated to all things brick! A great day for families, collectors, adult builders and every other kind of LEGO fan. Lots to see and do including speed building competitions, large displays, activities, traders selling bricks, new LEGO sets, retired LEGO sets, minifigures & accessories plus a dedicated building area. Tickets £18. ICC Wales.
Magic of Motown - May 18
May 8 – May 19 is sold out but a new date has been added for this show.
Get ready for the biggest Motown party of the year. You will be going Loco down in Acapulco as we take you back down memory lane with all the Motown classics from artists such as, Marvin Gaye, Diana Ross, Stevie Wonder, The Temptations, The Supremes, The Four Tops, Martha Reeves, The Jackson 5, Smokey Robinson, and many, many more.
Celebrate the sound of a generation with one very special night of The Magic of Motown!
Riverfront 7.30pm Tickets £29.50.