Thousands of visitors attended the first event of 2026, The Big Welsh Festival, which took place on Saturday 28th February.
Families, couples and groups of friends of all ages turned out in force to enjoy a memorable event in the heart of the town. Visitors were treated to an impressive line-up of stalls hosted by local businesses and traders showcasing delicious food, handcrafted goods and valuable information, alongside a wide range of children’s activities including funfair rides, rodeo sheep and free craft workshops.
Welsh themed street theatre brought character to the day, with giant daffodils, rugby players, a traditional Welsh lady, a red dragon, Celtic fairy and even a farmer with his sheep interacting with the crowds. A host of lively entertainers added to the atmosphere, engaging visitors with plenty of fun throughout the event. Live music proved a major highlight, featuring a variety of performers, including tributes to Tom Jones and other Welsh icons, as well as much loved traditional Welsh songs that had audiences singing along.
The support from local businesses was exceptional, with many extending their presence onto the streets distributing information outside their premises. Shop windows were even proudly decorated with Welsh flags.
The key purpose of these events is to drive footfall into our town centres, which this event certainly achieved. Blackwood will next be host to its annual Beach Party on Saturday 18th July and the Christmas Market, Light Switch On & Music and Light Lantern Parade on Saturday 28th November – more key dates to add to your diary. These events are raising the profile of our towns and introducing visitors to the vast selection of local businesses on our high streets.
Blackwood Mayor Cllr George Etheridge, on behalf of Blackwood Town Council, said:
“The Big Welsh Festival was a fantastic event enjoyed by so many and the sun shone all day which is always a bonus! Traders gave positive feedback and posted some wonderful pictures on Facebook. We would like to thank Bargoed, Caerphilly, Risca and Ystrad Mynach Town Centre businesses for their support in advertising the festival in their town centres. It was so nice to see this community partnership. Blackwood Town Council are proud to support such events financially and are looking forward to working with CCBC events team by helping to fund and support future events in the town centre this year.”
The next event in the calendar is Bargoed Spring Fair on Saturday 21st March. Check out Visit Caerphilly via the website and socials and for full details.
Thank you to Blackwood Town Council and UKSPF for financially supporting the event, and Robert Price for sponsoring the event.
Hear what local traders and businesses thought of the event:
Bridgend based business Eleri’s Welsh Cakes – “The Big Welsh Festival in Blackwood was a recipe for success – sunshine, community spirit and plenty of Welshcakes! We were blown away by the support and are proud to say we sold out on the day. There’s nothing better than seeing people enjoying a taste of Wales together.”
Caerphilly Borough based business Karen’s Bookshop in Partnership with Usborne – “It was lovely seeing so many people making the most of the sunshine and supporting local businesses.”
Caerphilly Borough based business Banana Pudd – “We just wanted to say thank you so much for having PUDD at the big Welsh festival. It was an amazing day and brilliantly organised! Thank you for all the hard work CCBC events team put in to make it such a great day! It was the first ever event for our banana pudding business ‘PUDD’ and we sold out while the sun was shining!”
Baked in Blackwood – “We had a fantastic day and got to meet lots of new customers, it was lovely to see the town so busy and read all the positive feedback posted about the event. The Find the Sheep activity brought lots of children into our shop too and we gave them sweets as well for taking part.”
McKenzie’s Café Bar – “Huge congratulations to Caerphilly Borough County Council for putting on such a fantastic event! It was amazing to see the high street as busy as it was, and so lovely to see both new and familiar faces out enjoying the day. It was non-stop from start to finish, and a massive well done to the whole team for pulling through such a busy one and making it a real success.”
Performer, Russell Jones Jr. – “Had a magnificent time performing at The Big Welsh Festival in Blackwood for St David’s Day, it was an absolute honour to perform and celebrate everything wonderful about Wales. So lovely seeing some familiar faces, fans and sharing the stage with some fantastic talent.”
Entertainer, Katie & Friends – “Events like this remind us just how powerful connection, culture and kindness really are. Our Celtic Fairy loved sharing smiles, kind chats, and sprinkling a little nature magic along the way! Heartfelt thanks to Caerphilly County Borough Council (and Blackwood Town Council!) for bringing everyone together and creating such a fantastic celebration of Wales. Feeling very proud to have been part of it.”
Recent posts
