50+ family friendly events in and around Cardiff for half term and the Jubilee bank holiday May/June 2022
Not only is it Whitsun half term next week, but the Queen celebrates her Platinum Jubilee. Her Majesty has been on the throne for 70 years. There’s no Bank Holiday Monday… instead we have the Spring Bank Holidays on Thursday 2 June, Platinum Jubilee Bank Holiday on Friday 2 June and the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebration on Sunday 5 June. and Friday, meaning the long weekend looks as follows.
As you can imagine, there’s loads going on to entertain families in Cardiff and the surrounding areas, including concerts, picnics, Jubilee fayres and more. Plus there’s lots of non-Jubilee events too, with highlights including The Great Brick Adventure at ICC Wales in Newport, Wildlife Photographer of the Year at National Museum Cardiff, Go Wild nature event at Parc Brynbach in Tredegar, and Street Food Circus in Roath.
I’ve rounded up everything I can find below.
Events are categorised as follows: Jubilee special events; other outdoor events; indoor events, exhibitions and other cultural events; theatre and live performance; historical events; science events, and cinema.
Some events may appear in more than one category, to make it easier for you when searching.
Clicking on the name of the event will take you to the relevant venue website for more information.
All events are subject to cancellation and may change at short notice.
I’ll be updating this post as more events are announced so do bookmark it for later.
Let me know anything I’ve missed in the comments below, or on the Cardiff Mummy Says Facebook page.
I also share lots of events on the Cardiff Mummy Says Facebook page, as well as Instagram Stories (see the Local Events highlight) and Twitter.
For more ideas of local days out, see the Cardiff section of Cardiff Mummy Says.
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Jubilee special events
Cantref Adventure Farm, Brecon
Saturday 28 May-Sunday 5 June, 10am-5pm
Royal celebrations include outdoor sports games, crown making, music as well as tractor and trailer rides to see some of the farm’s larger animals, meet the small animals in pet handling, plus lots of indoor and outdoor play.
Visit on Wednesday 1 and Thursday 2 June to meet characters, including Minnie and Mickey Mouse, Peppa Pig and selected Paw Patrol characters. See website for details.
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Royal Mint Experience, Llantrisant
Medal-Making workshop
30 May-1 June
£5 or free with a Royal Mint Experience tour ticket
Find your inner artist in this 30-minute medal-making workshop, with four workshops running each day. All designs will be entered into a competition to win a Platinum Jubile 50p Coin and Minty, the Royal Mint’s official piggy bank. Age guidance 4-12.
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Jubilee Chocolate-Making session,
Wednesday 1 June, 12pm, 1.45pm, 3pm
£15
Great creative in this Jubilee-themed chocolate-themed experience. Decorate a crown-shaped brownie with chocolate and sweet treats fit for royalty, make a chocolate lollipop with an edible Jubilee print, and design a Union Jack biscuit.
Children’s Jubilee Art Workshops
Sunday 5 June, 11.30am-1pm
£20 per child or £15 if purchased with a tour ticket
Local artist Beth Morris hosts this workshop where children aged 7-14 will learn how to create a mixed media image of Her Majesty The Queen.
Stuart Watkins Magician
Thursday 2 June
£5 for one child and one supervising adult, additional adults £1
Award-winning magician Stuart Watkins will be putting on special coin-related magic shows and wowing people with close-up magic, with two shows taking place.
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Visit of the HMS Severn
Britannia Quay, Cardiff
From Monday 30 May
HMS Severn, named after the River Severn, will be berthed at Britannia Quay for the Jubilee. During her visit to the Welsh capital the ship will open her gangway for members of the public to visit.
Details of how to book via Eventbrite will be released soon.
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Amelia Trust Farm, Barry
Monday 30 May-Wednesday 1st June
Wander through the woodland, play in the park, see the animals, and complete the special Jubilee trail with a prize for children taking part. There will also be face painting, tractor rides, lawn games, and a Craft Fair in the Sports Hall. Children are welcome to dress up as their favourite Prince or Princess to really get in the royal spirit.
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Fontygary Leisure Park
Wednesday 1-Saturday 4 June
Wednesday 1 June, 6pm-8.30pm – Family quiz and disco
Thursday 2 June 10am – 2pm – A visit from Vale Owls
Friday 3 June – 1pm-5pm – Flossies face paints (charges apply),
Saturday 4 June – outdoor event, fancy dress competition with prizes, live music, face painting, princess appearance (3pm-4pm)
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FREE Jubilee Crafts
Cardiff Museum, the Hayes, Cardiff (formerly Cardiff Story Museum)
Wednesday 1 June, 10am-3pm
FREE (suggested £1 donation per child)
Make your own royal crown and design your own bunting in this family-friendly art and craft event. Children are invited to get creative and design their own Jubilee themed decorations.
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Pierhead Building, Cardiff Bay
Thursday 2 June, 9.15pm-9.45pm
A Beacon outside the Pierhead Building in Cardiff Bay will be one of more than 2,000 beacons being lit simultaneously across the UK, as well as in all 54 Commonwealth capital cities in honour of the Jubilee. Ahead of the Beacon lighting there will be a programme of music from The Regimental Band and Corps of Drums of The Royal Welsh. The Beacon will be lit at 9.45pm, followed by a short firework display.
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Roald Dahl Plass, Cardiff Bay
Thursday 2nd June, 12pm-1.15pm
A Royal Gun Salute in Roald Dahl Plass will signal the start of Jubilee celebrations, followed by an hour of military music from the Regimental Band of the Royal Welsh.
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FREE Jubilee Crafts
The Red Dragon Centre, Cardiff
Thursday 2 June, 12pm-4pm
Choose from a fantastic range of puppets including queens, corgis, crowns, flags and castles. All materials will be supplied for you to make simply the best queen in town… then take home your creations and celebrate with Her Majesty.
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FREE ENTRY Summer Fete
Llanrumney Hall, Cardiff
Thursday 2 June, 11am-4pm
A day of community fun, including food stalls, live music performances from a range of artists, games and activities for the children, local businesses selling goods, an animal petting zoo, a bouncy castle, CCFC Foundation, a barbecue and more.
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Chepstow Castle
Thursday 2-Sunday 5 June, 10am-4pm
Adult £8.30, child 5-17 £5.80, under 5s free, family (2+up to 3) £27.40 or free for Cadw members
Visit Chepstow Castle over the Jubilee Bank Holiday Weekend and make your very own crown. Gold, silver, jewel-encrusted or minimalistic – the choice is yours. Children must be supervised during this activity.
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FREE Platinum Jubilee Celebrations
Llantwit Major, Vale of Glamorgan
Thursday 2-Sunday 5 June
Thursday 2 – Lighting of Beacon Ceremony at the Town Hall, from 8pm
Friday 3 June – Musical celebration St Illtud’s Church
Saturday 4 June – Town Trail
Sunday 6 June – The Big Jubilee Picnic, Seaview Park, from 1pm
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FREE Beacon Lighting
Penarth Cliff Top
Thursday 2 June, 9.45pm
Penarth joins more than 1,500 towns across the country in the lighting of the beacons to celebrate Her Majesty The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. The Cliff Top beacon, which overlooks the Bristol channel, will be lit and followed by a major fireworks display.
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Raglan Castle
Saturday 4-Sunday 5 June, 11am-4pm
Adult £8.30, child 5-17 £5.80, under 5s free, family (2+up to 3) £27.40 or free for Cadw members
To mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Raglan Castle is hosting a a garden party! Don your wellies and tiaras and come along for Pimms and Prosecco, and meet Welsh gardeners Huw Richards and Liz Zorab. There will be talks and demonstrations on gardening matters, bee keeping, herbal medicine, cookery. Family entertainment includes puppet shows and games.
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Cardiff Castle
Saturday 4 June, 3pm-10pm
Aled Jones, Mike Peters, Bonnie Tyler and John Owen Jones are among the stars who will be at Cardiff Castle for the city’s jubilee celebrations, alongside choirs , bands and a full piece orchestra. Hosted by Aled Jones and Shan Cothi the day starts at 3pm and the live Cardiff concert will finish by 7pm before heading to Buckingham Palace to watch the Concert from the Palace live on the big screens. Other confirmed stars include drumming weatherman Owain Wyn Evans, funnyman Mike Doyle, the Pendyrus Male Voice Choir, and the Welsh Pops Orchestra with more names to be announced. The concert will include a specially produced Singing in the Reign programme to celebrate the best Welsh hits to have coincided with the Queens 70 years on the throne so expect amazing arrangements of the hits of Tom Jones, Shirley Bassey, Shakin Stevens, and very special one off performances by Bonnie Tyler and Mike Peters.
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Bute Park, Cardiff
Sunday 5 June, 12pm-5pm
Bring a picnic and head to Bute Park where you will be able to watch the Platinum Jubilee Pageant live from London on a giant screen. You’ll also be able to enjoy the free music and walkabout entertainment on site, which includes everything from giant flamingos to wandering opera.
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Bishop’s Place, Llandaff
Sunday 5 June, 12pm-8pm
Calon Hearts host a free Jubilee Family Fun Day, including artisan craft stalls, burgers/hot dogs, street food, children’s rides, and a bar with music and entertainment throughout the day – including a Freddy Mercury (Queen) tribute band. There’s also a competition for the best Jubilee cake – bring yours to the main stage at 2pm for your chance to win a prize. Plus dress as your favourite prince or princess, with a prize for the best dressed.
Free event but register for tickets in advance
Organised by Calon Heart, the carnival is raising vital funds for heart screenings and life-saving defibrillators across Wales.
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FREE The Big Picnic
Gnoll Country Park, Neath
Bring a blanket and table cloth and enjoy the fun and games. Pin the crown on the queen, egg and spoon race, musical statues/thrones, best dressed royal, best decorated crown plus lots more games, surprise princesses plus lots of entertainment.
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Other outdoor events
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FREE The Dogs Trail Snoopy trail
Across Cardiff, Caerphilly and Porthcawl
Until Sunday 5 June
To celebrate Dogs Trust’s new rehoming centre coming to Cardiff, A Dog’s Trail is a spectacular, free public art trail pawing its way across the city. For eight weeks the streets and parks of Cardiff, Cardiff Bay, Caerphilly and Porthcawl are home to a series of intricately decorated Snoopy sculptures, each designed by local, regional and national artists, designers and illustrators – both well-known favourites and newly emerging talent.
Each sculpture is sponsored by a business or individual and has its own tale to tell, many showcasing South Wales’ wealth of artistic talent whilst celebrating the vibrance, culture and creativity that the region has to offer. There’s 40 large snoopy sculptures to spot plus 75 smaller ones designed by local schools and community groups.
Download the A Dog’s Trail With Snoopy app to see their locations.
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Roath Yard, Cardiff
Sunday 28 and Saturday 29 May; Thursday 2-Sunday 5 June, 11.30am-10pm
Free entry but you need to register for tickets in advance
A defunct milk float depot in Roath has been taken over by the acclaimed Street Food Circus to create a colourful street food court and night market. Some of the best independent local food trucks will be setving cuisine from around the world, with covered dining areas, NoBo cocktail bus, craft beer bar, busking bands and DJs playing.
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Gnoll Country Park, Neath
Saturday 28 May-Sunday 5 June
Saturday 28 May – Under The Sea, including Ariel, Ursula, Nemo and Dory.
Free event, parking £3.60 for the day
Sunday 29 May – Llys Nini Dog Show, free entry, £2 per dog to enter the show
Monday 30 May – Mr Tumble Tribute, free entry
Tuesday 31 May – Train the Dragon, free entry
Wednesday 1 June – Discover Baby Dinos, free entry
Thursday 2 June – Dinosaurs in the Park, parking £3.60 for the day
Friday 3 June – Battle of The Games, free entry
Sunday 5 June – The Big Picnic, free entry (Jubilee event; see above for details)
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Newport Wetlands
Saturday 28 May-Sunday 5 June
£2 per trail
Children can discover what super powers bees, dragonflies, butterflies and other pollinators all have to help them survive. Meet the ones who live at the reserve by seeing how many you can spot in the wildflowers along the way. The trail costs £2 and you will receive a ‘Pollinator Champion’ certificate on completing the trail. Ask a member of the team when you arrive at the visitor centre kiosk.
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ALSO AT NEWPORT WETLANDS
Yogi Duck and the Little Chick – storytelling event
Monday 30 May, 11am-12pm
£7 child and adult entry (or £5.70 for RSPB members) £2 for additional accompanying adults
This event celebrates a new story book written and illustrated especially for the Wetlands by local artist Isabel Benavides. Yogi Duck and the Little Chick shares the adventures of a little moorhen chick and will be brought to life in a storytelling event. As well as getting to know some fabulous characters, the story’s theme is one of mindfulness and calm… immersing ourselves in the wonderful nature around us.
Pond Dipping at Newport Wetlands
Tuesday 31 May and Friday 3 June, 11am-3pm
Child non-member £7, child member £5.30, additional adults £2
Discover the underwater life at Newport Wetlands. The Wetlands team will be on hand to help with identification and ensure you have a great pond dipping experience. You will have exclusive access to the pond dipping area and your own equipment and spotting sheets to help you identify the creatures you catch. Suitable for children of ages 4 and above who must accompanied by an adult.
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FREE Go Wild
Parc Brynbach, Tredegar
Saturday 28 May, 10am-4pm
South Wales’ biggest nature event will see a range of free family activities including craft activities, meet the owls, Louby Lou’s Storytelling, Wildlife Photography Workshop (pre-booking is essential, and lots more. Plus there’s lots for families to do at the park, including playground, mountain biking, nature trails, mini golf, climbing wall, go karts, caving in an artificial cave (some activities require payment).
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FREE Splash Park
Victoria Park, Cardiff
Open daily from Thursday 2 June, weekends and school holidays 10am-7pm; weekdays term time 12pm-7pm
The splash park reopens in time for the bank holiday weekend with, 33 water features for children of all ages.
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Greenmeadow Community Farm, Cwmbran
Saturday 28 May-Sunday 5 June
Adults £6.50, children £5.40, family £23.50
Half term activities include cuddle corner where you can meet some of the farm’s smaller animals; milking demonstrations, tractor and trailer rides, pig washing, meet the giant rabbits, animal teatime and more.
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Old Parks Farm, Margam
Friday 3-Sunday 5 June
Family camping plus festival entry £329.15. Day tickets plus non-camping entry only tickets also available. See website for full list of prices.
A new festival with musical hightlights including Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, Armand Van Helden, Craig Charles Funk & Soul Club, Gabrielle, Soul II Soul, plus loads more.
Junior Jungle will be providing a daily programme of family activities, plus there’s a designated family campsite.
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A Seaside Adventure – Mermaids, Whales and Nautical Tales
Margam Country Park, Port Talbot
Thursday 2 June, 10am-5pm
Adults £11, children £9, family £35
See a giant 50ft whale and hear her story, see the mermaid in her globe, sing along to a sea shanty, meet Victorian seaside jugglers; Pirate Captain Perilous Pete; Fiery Jacks Pirate Pack; have a hula with Yana; join in with the pirate and mermaid circus workshops plus see the giant lobster. Also includes Margam Kite Festival.
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Margam International Kite Festival
Margam Country Park, Port Talbot
Friday 3-Sunday 5 June
Parking must be pre-booked in advance
Bring your kite along and join in the fun! Kites of all shapes and sizes. (The Kite Festival also takes place on Thursday 2 June, but entry must be pre-booked as part of the Seaside Adventure event as above.
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Heath Park, Cardiff
Sunday 5 June, 1pm-5pm
£2.20 entry per person plus £2.20 per ride; under 3s free
Cardiff Model Engineering Society opens its doors for the public with miniature train rides – steam, diesel and electric – and tram rides available. See website for further dates for 2022.
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St Fagans National Museum of History, Cardiff
Saturday 28 May-Sunday 5 June
Cost from £1; suitability Age 2-11
Visit the traditional fairground and experience the magic of a bygone era. Plus visit more than 50 historical buildings from across Wales, and the museum galleries.
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Fonmon Castle, Rhoose
Open daily from 29 April
Adults £16.50, children £13, under 3s free; advance booking
Visit the dinosaur trail, learn about the pirates of Fonmon and more, wander through the medieval farm, explore the story telling trail and the Mad Hatter’s Garden, plus lots more.
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Mountain View Ranch, Caerphilly
Saturday 30 April-Sunday 2 May, book a timed session in advance
Adults and children over the age of 2 £8, under 2s free, disabled/carers £6
With Ranch map in hand, navigate around the 100 acre taking part in activities for all ages including two jumping pillows, soft archery, double zip wire, fairy forest, roly poly hill, tree houses, the vomit commit, the big big swing, Hobbit Hill, enchanted wood, adventure play area and the famous Gruffalo trail. Book online in advance.
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Ynys Angharad Park, Pontypridd
Open daily
£2 per adult, children under 16 free; activity tickets £2.50
The open air swimming pool is open daily over half term with swimming sessions bookable in advance online. The heated pools include an area for lane swimming and more relaxed swims, a splash pool for younger children and water activities available for an extra £2.50 per person, including fun inflatables, Aqua Scooterz, Aqua Peddlerz, and Water Walkerz.
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Treetop Adventure Golf
St David’s Shopping Centre, Cardiff
Open daily
Even the miniest of mini golfers can trek the trails, with family discounts available. No need to book; just turn up and tee off.
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Coedlan – Highropes at St Fagans
St Fagans National Museum of History, Cardiff
Friday 27 May-Sunday 5 June, 10.30am, 11.30am, 12.30pm, 2.15pm, 3.15pm, 4.15pm
£15; participants must be at least 110cm tall and aged over 6. Children 110-130cm must be accompaniaed by an individiaul over 130cm and aged over 12.
Climb, swing, balance and wobble your way through the trees, and see the sights of St Fagans from above before zipping back down to earth. Tackle CoedLan’s 18 different obstacles, including a balance beam, zig zag bridge, cargo net and a 50m zip wire.
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Indoor events, exhibitions, arts and crafts and other cultural events
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FREE Wales is…Yr Urdd
St Fagans National Museum of History
Until Sunday 26 June 2022
Discover iconic objects that tell the history of the Urdd in this new display to mark the centenary of the Welsh language youth organisation.
When Ifan ab Owen Edwards established the Urdd in 1922 his aim was to promote and protect the Welsh language.100 years later the Urdd is the largest organisation for children and young people in Wales.
Objects on display include items from the first Urdd Eisteddfod, the first Peace and Goodwill Message, and memorabilia including the first Mistar Urdd to travel into space.
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Wildlife Photographer of the Year
National Museum Cardiff
Friday 27 May-Monday 29 August
General admission £10, concessions £7, under 16s free
From shrimp to squid, and polar bears to insects – the Natural History Museum’s acclaimed Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition returns to National Museum Cardiff!
The exhibition will feature 100 stunning backlit images that ignite curiosity by showcasing Earth’s extraordinary diversity and the fragility of the natural world.
Wildlife Photographer of the Year is a global platform showcasing the natural world’s most astonishing and challenging sights. This year’s competition received over 49,000 entries from all over the world.
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Glanfa, Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff
Tuesday 31 May-Thursday 1 June, 11am-3pm
Families are invited to join in a creative workshop leading up to Wales Millennium Centre’s Windrush Community Banquet.
The workshop will include a combination of creative writing and craft inspired by the Windrush generation.
Creations from the workshop will then be used to decorate the Glanfa space for the Windrush Community Banquet taking place on Sunday, 5 June 2022.
The Great Brick Adventure presented by Brick Live
ICC Wales, Newport
Thursday 2-Sunday 5 June, 10am-6pm
Adults £16 when booked in advance (£18 on the do0or), children 3-13 £13.50 (£15), family (2+2) £49 (£58), children 2 and under free. VIP packages also available.
Bricklive Fantasy Kingdom is a touring toy brick show of sword and sorcery. A fantastical quest with dragons, castles and princesses all created with toy bricks. Help Princess Orra on her quest to save the Brick Kingdom and defeat the evil Baron.
Visitors can experience life-sized sculptures of key characters from the story: Princess Orra, Abbra the Wizard, Sir Studley the Knight, Chester the Jester and Torre the Huntswoman. Be amazed by Mythrog, the huge life-like dragon standing over 4m tall and 5m long with glowing eyes, realistic sound effects and dragon breath. Also on offer: inflatable Obstacle Course (£5 for 20 minute session, book at the venue); brick pits; Friends, Minecraft, Ninjago, and Wales Map Build Zones; Graffiti Wall, Live stage where visitors can test their skills and see who can build the strongest bridge or tallest tower; Galactic and Architecture adventure zones; Race Ramps; Xbox Gaming zone.
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Tredegar House, Newport
Crafts are free but normal entry fees apply adult £12.20, child £6.10, family £30.30 (Gift Aid prices)
Crafts
Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 May, 11am-3pm
Spark your creativity and create your own paper pollinators with self-led craft sessions in the orangery this weekend. Crafts are free but usual entry fees apply.
50 Things – Help A Plant Grow
Monday 30 May and Friday 3 June
Tick off another 50 things to do before you’re 11¾ bucket list by helping a plant grow. Join the team in the orangery to decorate your own plant pot before planting seeds in it to take home.
Jubilee Crafts
Saturday 4 and Sunday 5 June, 11am-3pm
Create your own jubilee themed creation in this self-led craft session.
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Flower Girl – Story time with Lucy Owen
Dyffryn Gardens, Vale of Glamorgan
Monday 30 May, 11am-12pm
Normal entry fees apply adult £12.20, child £6.10, family £30.30 (Gift Aid prices)
Join author Lucy Owen in Dyffryn’s theatre garden this half term for an interactive reading of her new children’s book, Flower Girl. Discover the story of Cherry, a young girl who is made by magic from the flowers of an enchanted blossom tree. With hair as pink as petals and a pet butterfly called Bud, she is a little bit different to everyone else!
Event is free although usual admission charges apply and spaces are limited, allocated on a first-come first served basis.
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Theatre and live performance
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Circus Big Top, near Cardiff City Stadium, Cardiff
Friday 13 May-Friday 3 June
Tickets from £9
Circus Extreme merge modern styles with classic clown escapades and jaw-dropping stunts never seen before in the UK. Witness the infamous Globe of Death, acrobats, dancers, FMX riders, aerial performers, contortionists and more.
Check out places such as Groupon and Wowcher for half price tickets or pick up discount flyers in many local shops and cafes across the city.
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Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff
Monday 30 May-Saturday 4 June
From £18.50
Age guidance 13+
Meet Jenna, a waitress and expert pie-maker who dreams of some happiness in her life. When a hot new doctor arrives in town, life gets complicated. With the support of her workmates Becky and Dawn, Jenna overcomes the challenges she faces and finds that laughter, love and friendship can provide the perfect recipe for happiness. Chelsea Halfpenny (9 to 5, BBC’s Casualty, ITV’s Emmerdale) stars as Jenna in the hit musical comedy Waitress, which is brought to life by a ground-breaking, female-led creative team.
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Riverfront Newport
Saturday 28 May, 11am-3pm
Adults £8, children £6
Following its success earlier in the year, Wonderland is back! Explore and discover this weird world where nothing is quite what it seems and everything seems like it shouldn’t… Go down the rabbit hole and crash the Mad Hatter’s tea party, navigate the underground woods, then watch yourself shrink and grow and walk on the ceiling and your world gets turned upside down and the impossible happens right before your eyes. Wonderland is an interactive and immersive experience that takes the weird and often dreamlike strangeness of Carroll’s work and runs with it.
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The Black Spider – Welsh National Opera Youth Opera
Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff
Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 May
£15
Following the enormous success of Brundibar (2019), WNO’s Youth Opera groups once again join forces for a full scale performance.
The Black Spider is a creepy, comic tale that takes us from the present day back to the Middle Ages. We revisit ancient Poland, where a mysterious green man offers to protect a village from their evil landlord in exchange for the beautiful Christina’s hand in marriage. When she breaks her promise and weds her true love instead, the village is cursed with a plague from a spider that crawls out of her hand.
Christina battles to save her people and eventually buries the spider outside the church to end the disaster. However, centuries later amid excavations at the church, archaeologists are hit by an unexplained virus…
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New Theatre, Cardiff
Monday 30 May-Saturday 4 June
£18-£42
Age guidance: 10+
Following two critically acclaimed tours and a West End run, Footloose is back and better than ever starring Jake Quickenden (Dancing on Ice winner, Hollyoaks) as loveable cowboy Willard and the legendary Darren Day.
City boy Ren thinks life is bad enough when he’s forced to move to a rural backwater in America. But his world comes to a standstill when he arrives at Bomont to find dancing and rock music are banned. Taking matters into his own hands, soon Ren has all hell breaking loose and the whole town on its feet.
Based on the 1980s screen sensation which took the world by storm, Footloose sizzles with spirit, fun and the best in UK musical talent. With cutting edge modern choreography, you’ll enjoy classic 80s hits including Holding Out for a Hero, Almost Paradise, Let’s Hear It For The Boy and of course the unforgettable title track Footloose.
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Pencoedtre High School, Barry
Monday 30 May-Wednesday 1 June
Adults £10, children £8
Barry’s amateur dramatic society present a specially adapted version of Matilda, the musical, based on Roald Dahl’s much-loved book, about a little girl with a love of reading who defeats evil school head mistress Miss Trunchbull.
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Blackwood Miners’ Institute
Monday 30 May, 2pm
£11/£9/£17.50
Age guidance: 2+
Molly and Bingo the puppy are having a birthday party and, best of all, you’re invited!
There’ll be a terrific treasure hunt, sensational sing-along songs and lots of fantastic games to play, including Molly’s favourite game, I Spy With My Little Eye!
So put on your party clothes and come join a magical day of fun and laughter. It’s going to be the best party ever! After the 60-minute show, there’s a chance for children to meet Bingo and the birthday girl.
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Historical Events
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Chepstow Castle
Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 May 10am-4pm
Adult £8.30, child 5-17 £5.80, under 5s free, family (2+up to 3) £27.40 or free for Cadw members
A chance to see variety of birds-of-prey and learn about their role in medieval falconry. There will also be opportunities for supervised handling and photos (an an extra cost).
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Tintern Abbey
Saturday 28 May-Sunday 5 June, 10am-5pm
Adults £6.60, children £4.60 family (2+3) £21.80 or free for Cadw members
An immersive musical experience around the grounds of Tintern Abbey will see a creative sound bath of seas, rivers and human history, created specifically for the festival and this amazing place. Inspired by the festival theme Human ⇋ Nature. Take a dream journey through the three realms of air, fresh water and the oceans. Experience the dawn chorus within the grounds of Tintern Abbey before being carried with the waters of Afon Gwy to the North Atlantic. Swim with dolphins and a hunting pod of Orca before being surrounded by the songs of humpback whales in the warm waters of the Silver Bank in Caribbean Sea.
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Various Cadw sites
Blaenavon Ironworks
Tuesday 31 May, 10am-4pm
Castell Coch
Thursday 2 June, 10am-4pm
Caerleon Roman Fortress and Baths
Saturday 4 June, 10am-4pm
Chepstow Castle
Sunday 5 June, 10am-4pm
See website for admission prices for individual Cadw sites
A celebration of Wales’ oral traditions, held across several Cadw sites.
Wales is renowned worldwide for its literature and poetry, and this summer you will be able to experience the best of Welsh tale spinning. In conjunction with Summer of Stories, Cadw invites you to join a storyteller at a site near you this May to celebrate Wales’s oral heritage.
Listen to stories based on historical characters, legends and myths from across Wales. Drop in to listen to a story based on Welsh culture and heritage.
Each story can last up to 30 minutes. Booking required at some sites; see website for details.
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Jubilee Crown Making
Chepstow Castle
Thursday 2-Sunday 5 June, 10am-4pm
Adult £8.30, child 5-17 £5.80, under 5s free, family (2+up to 3) £27.40 or free for Cadw members
Visit Chepstow Castle over the Jubilee Bank Holiday Weekend and make your very own crown. Gold, silver, jewel-encrusted or minimalistic – the choice is yours. Children must be supervised during this activity.
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Castell Coch
Saturday 4-Sunday 5 June, 11am-3pm
Must be booked in advance
Adult £8.30, child 5-17 £5.80, under 5s free, family (2+up to 3) £27.40 or free for Cadw members
Join Cadw’s Victorian characters, as they embark upon a day of family pastimes. Activities include Aesop’s fables told by Lady Bute in the adorned drawing room; skittles, spinning tops and toy soldiers in Lady Margaret’s bedroom; skipping ropes in the courtyard; Victorian paper crafts in the kitchen; storytelling in the drawing room; Punch and Judy Show.
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Raglan Castle
Saturday 4-Sunday 5 June, 11am-4pm
Adult £8.30, child 5-17 £5.80, under 5s free, family (2+up to 3) £27.40 or free for Cadw members
To mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Raglan Castle is hosting a a garden party! Don your wellies and tiaras and come along for Pimms and Prosecco, and meet Welsh gardeners Huw Richards and Liz Zorab. There will be talks and demonstrations on gardening matters, bee keeping, herbal medicine, cookery. Family entertainment includes puppet shows and games.
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Science Events
Techniquest, Cardiff
Saturday 28 May-Sunday 5 June
Adults 16+ £10.90; children 3-15 £9.05; under 3s free; family £38.18. Science show and Star Tours both £2 per person when booked in conjunction with general admission
Alongside more than 100 hands-on science exhibits, experience this live science show in Techniquest’s science theatre. Through a series of experiments, discover why skin becomes spotty, why noses get snotty and why we go to the potty in Yucky You. (Age guidance 5+)
In Star Tours, enter the Digital Planetarium and head to space for a close-up look at some of nature’s most beautiful sights such as distant galaxies and exploded stars. (Age guidance 7+)
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Cinema/Film
The focus here is on smaller independent cinemas and one-off events such as outdoor film screenings, plus cheaper family films at the big cinemas, these are often early-morning screenings of older releases.
Odeon Kids
Odeon Cinema, The Red Dragon Centre, Cardiff Bay
The 10am weekend and school holiday showings are £2.50 per person. Films to be announced; films are usually a few months old rather than new releases.
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Movies for Juniors
Cineworld, Mary Ann Street, Cardiff
The 10am weekend and school holiday Movies for Juniors showings are just £2.50 per person. Check online for schedule; films are usually a few months old rather than new releases.
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Mini Mornings
Vue Cinema, Millennium Plaza, Cardiff
The 10am weekend and school holiday Movies for Juniors showings are just £2.49 per person when booked online or £3.49 on the door. Check online for schedule; films are usually a few months old rather than new releases.
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Chapter Arts Centre, Canton, Cardiff
Latest release family films plus older films
£6/£4 booked in advance; see website for full listings.
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Margam Country Park, Port Talbot
West Side Story (12A)
Friday 27 May
Mamma Mia! (PG)
Saturday 28 May
Harry Potter and the Philospher’s Stone (PG)
Sunday 29 May
Gates open 8.15pm, films starts 9.45pm
£14.50/£9.50
Adventure Cinema bring three classic films to Margam Country Park, in front of the castle. Music to enjoy before the film, brig a blanket or camping chair and watch the films under the stars.
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Thanks for such a useful list! Fyi we went to Fonmon castle yesterday – it was a great day out and only 10.50pp (adults and over 3’s)