Festival Review: Swn Festival 2025
Cardiff’s multi-venue festival once again proved its weight in gold, uniting rising stars and established favourites across an eclectic weekend that celebrated discovery, diversity, and the enduring power of live music.
In the heart of Cardiff, music would take precedent over three days filled with talented acts that span an array of genres, offering the opportunity of musical discovery in every corner. From anxiety rockers Squid to the forever cool and danceable Babymorocco, every musical need was catered for amongst a diverse range of venues across the city. The chance for unearthing new talent and nurturing fanfare became an endless experience, with the festival previously showcasing acts such as Micachu and The Shapes, Little Comets and Cate Le Bon, new stars following their footsteps made their way to centre stage across a weekend that boasted a new British canon of musical stars.
Bedroom pop artist Angharad found herself transported to a live setting in the shape of Boho Club. She flaunted off her vocal capabilities in a set standing out for her layered vocals in particular, showing off her chops whilst bringing forth an ethereal vigour to her set. New tracks introduced during the set that take a more transgressive, faster pace as well as complex rhythms is a promising sign for this Welsh singer who is already progressing within her well curated electronic pop to open her scope to new sonic possibilities as genres.
The Northampton rockers Thistle carry a multitude of influences that compile of their rock sound, built from shoegaze guitars, sultry vocals, and fast paced drums. A standout performance amongst a festival plentiful with grunge rock from the likes of Ain’t and Green Star, the band made sure to deliver a memorable show with the drummer acting as the ultimate lynchpin of their amalgamated sound.
Amongst the wave of Shoegaze revivalists sits Whitelands, garnering appreciation through forefathers such as Slowdive. A late night slot at Clwb Ifor Bach offered new tracks that will surely be featured on their forthcoming 2026 release, as well as beloved favourites from their sophomore effort like ‘Born In Understanding’. A much enthused crowd who seemed familiar with the band’s output, with those coming in blindly leaving the set as new fans of the shoegaze outfit.
Saturday would welcome Pollyfromthedirt, arriving on the Tiny Rebel stage as a masked mystery, offering humorous quips between songs and a wealth of introspection within them. With his forthcoming debut arriving before the end of the year, this set was the perfect peak behind the curtain to the sonic landscapes that will be present within the project. Tackling side by side with live electronics and even gracing the audience with an acoustic guitar, closing out on ‘There’s no such thing as England’, a broken folk track that laments on disillusion in the face of love. This is an artist that is at the helm of something special and completely his.
Slate would go on to perform an acoustic version of their set at St John Church, varying from the loud shrieks and cathartic energy brought on by their performance the preceding night, holding resonance over an observant crowd as the slower tempo, reinterpreted tracks proved of their range in sound and strength in vision. Taking the drums out of their track ‘St Agatha’ for a melancholic, enchanting, revised version charged by the vocals of Jack Shephard had the audience at their mercy. The Cardiff act stand at the forefront of the scene, bound for summer festival stages in the near future.
Naima Bock found herself placed at St Johns Church for her set, as God intended. Performing with long-time collaborator, the duo performed a set of songs spanning Naima’s discography, ranging from tracks like ‘Feed My Release’ from her recent album, to performing ‘Campervan’ from her debut album. A stripped back version of her live show set up still holds fortitude with two instruments and searing vocals bursting through the church. Tears were witnessed ahead from moved audience members at the sheer emotional force that Naima Bock’s discography offers. Folk music in a church; you can’t really go wrong, not when it’s in the hands of Naima Bock.
How does one go about creating a rock music that is both sweet and reverberating at the same time? This seems like Ladylike’s mission statement, and a successful one at that, in a set that was both loud and tender. The lead vocalist’s lyricism on the track ‘Horse’s Mouth’ should be enough to get you behind and into the world of the Brighton quartet, with a cathartic outro built to have you thrashing to.
An action packed weekend boasting of new talent and seasoned voices, what Huw Stephens has created alongside promoter Jon Rostron is a necessary outlet for showcasing musical acts in collaboration in housing them within small venues that carry the magic as well as sticky floors as all best small venues do. Eighteen years on, its legacy stands firmly strong.