20+ family-friendly events and activities for the May bank holiday weekend

I’ve only just recovered from putting together the Easter school holiday listings and here we are again with another bank holiday weekend and plenty of family-friendly events to keep you entertained over the May Day long weekend. I’ve rounded up a brilliant selection of events, from theatre and historical reenactions to VE Day celebrations, princess events, Star Wars events and more.

All events are subject to change and cancellation so do check ahead with organisers to avoid disappointment.

Let me know anything I’ve missed in the comments.

If you’re looking for general days out such as coastal walks, woodlands, parks and so on, then check out my reels on the Cardiff Mummy Says Instagram, Facebook or TikTok pages for hundreds of ideas and make sure to follow to be kept up to date with what’s going on locally.

Thanks as always for all your support. Any likes, comments or shares on my posts help ensure my posts keep on showing up in people’s social media feeds so other families can see what’s going on locally.

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Bank holiday family fun events

Forest Feastival
Candleston Woods, Merthyr Mawr, Bridgend

Friday 2-Monday 5 and Friday 9-Sunday 11 May
Adults £9.50, children under 16 go free; suitable for families other than Friday adult-only sessions
An immersive street food festival featuring the best local food trucks and chefs from Wales and beyond, cooking up a global feast. Enjoy the Glamorgan heritage coastline and walk the Big Dipper, Wales’ biggest sand dune, while working up an appetite. Expect circus acts, music, marshmallow fire pits and more.

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Bank Holiday Events
Mountain View Ranch, Caerphilly Mountain

Saturday 3-Monday 5 May, 10.30am-4pm
Adults and children 3 and over £10, 2 and under free
The Daffodil Fairy and Pirate Pal will be making appearances alongside all the other Mountain View favourites, with 100 acres of freerange exploring including jumping pillows and tree swings, fairy forest and the Gruffalo Trail

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FREE Star Wars Day
The Red Dragon Centre, Cardiff Bay

Sunday 4 May, 12pm-5pm
May the Fourth be with you as The Red Dragon Centre celebrates Star Wars Day with costume appearances, merchandise and more. As well as the usual bowling, cinema and dining options, meet your favourite characters from a galaxy far, far away as the UK Garrison and Rebel Legion bring the Force to life, while The Vendiboyz will have an array of unique Star Wars merchandise perfect for fans of all ages. This event supports Make a Smile, a charity bringing joy to children in hospitals.

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Pedalo boat hire
Roath Park Lake, Cardiff

£10.30 for half an hour, £18.50 for an hour
Open daily from approx 12pm with last half hour bookings at 6.15pm, weather dependent
Hire a pedalo and explore the lake and its famous lighthouse like never before. Plus head to the playground, walk around the lake, buy an ice cream, see the flower gardens and more. Entry to the Conservatory, where you can see turtles, ducks, fish and plants costs £2.50 for adults, £1.25 for children, free for under 5s.

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Family swimming
Lido Ponty, YnysAngharad Park, Pontypridd

Open daily; sessions must be pre-booked
Adults £3.50, children free (access to water activities £3 per person)

Lido Ponty is open for the bank holiday weekend with timed slot available every day. The Lido features three pools – a main pool, an activity pool and a splash pool. For £3 per person, visitors can also enjoy everything a selection of fun inflatables and water activities. For smaller visitors, the splash pool is complete with an umbrella water fountain. Very limited availability remaining for this weekend – but you can also book now for the rest of May including half term.

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Princesses at the Castle
Fonmon Castle, Rhoose, Vale of Glamorgan

Saturday 3-Monday 5 May, 10am-4pm
Adults £12, children £10, under 3s free
A magical princess event from where dreams come to life with three enchanting princesses – the Ice Princess, Rose Princess, and Glass Slipper Princess. Experience the magic with daily princess shows, meet and greets, plus the Jurassic Wales dinosaur trail, story trail, axe throwing play area, woodland walks, and lots more.

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Welsh Encontro Festival
Memo Arts Barry, and Barry Island

Saturday 3-Monday 5 May
The Welsh Encontro Cymru 2025 will bring together the best of Brazilian beats, with live performances from top musicians, from across the country. The festival of dance and percussion will feature the infectious energy of bloco percussion, the soulful sounds of Afro-Brazilian rhythms, with a dazzling explosion of colour. Various free events at Barry Island and a showcase at Memo Arts Barry (£10 per ticket).

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May Day Carnival
Llandaff Rowing Club, Cardiff

Monday 5 May, 11am-7pm
Local charity Calon Hearts hosts its annual May Day Carnival event with fun fair rides, bouncy castle, face painting, entertainment, craft stalls, food stalls, licensed bar and more.

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Family activities
Celtic Manor Resort, Newport

A wide range of adventurous activities for families. Must be booked online in advance. Age and height restrictions apply.
Forest Nets – £20.00 per person (age 3+)
Low Ropes – £20 per person (minimum height 1.2m)
High ropes – £30 per person (minimum height 1.4m)
Laser Combat – £20 per person (age 6+)
All Bounced Out – £20 per person (6-15 years)
Archery – £20.00 per person (6+years)
Axe throwing – £20 per person (10+years)

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Treetop Adventure Golf
St David’s Dewi Sant shopping centre, Cardiff

Daily 11am-10pm
Adults £10.90, Children (5 and under) £5, Family of 4 £33
Treetop Adventure Golf is home to two 18-hole mini golf courses where the whole family can test out their putting skills. This weekend they’re celebrating 10 years of being in Cardiff.

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VE Day events

FREE VE Day Celebration Picnic

Cardiff Castle

Monday 5 May, 11am-5pm
Cardiff Castle will host a special celebration picnic to commemorate the 80th anniversary of VE Day later. The family-friendly picnic will feature a range of free entertainment, including music from the bandstand, walkabout entertainers including circus and puppet shows as well as children’s craft activities. No need to book.

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FREE VE Day and May Fayre
Bear Field, Cowbridge

Monday 5 May, 12.30pm-4.30pm
Celebrate the 80th Anniversary of VE Day with live music and entertainment, food and drink stalls, memorabilia and rides.

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Poppies and Doves
Margam Country Park, Port Talbot

Until September
Entry to the park is free, parking costs £8.50 per car
A a display to commemorate 80 years since VE Day, the Friends of Margam Park have created a striking installation of 3000+ poppies, each crafted from an upcycled pop bottle end, individually painted, and attached onto a garden cane.

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Theatre, exhibitions, museums, castles and other cultural events

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FREE Monumental Welsh Women Exhibition
The Senedd, Cardiff Bay

Until Wednesday 7 May
Until recently, there wasn’t a single statue of a real women anywhere in Wales. The Monumental Welsh Women campaign changed that by fundraising for and commissioning statues of five pioneering Weslsh women. Visitors can learn more about the inredible contributions to Welsh history of Betty Campbell, Elaine Morgan, Cranogwen, Lady Rhondda and Elizabeth Andrews, with new portraits by Ceredigion-based artist Meinir Mathias.

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Little Women
New Theatre, Cardiff

Until Saturday 3 May
£24-£45
A new adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s classic novel Little Women. Step into the world of sisterhood, courage, ambition, as the March sisters – tomboy Jo, beautiful Meg, sensitive Beth, and spoilt Amy – navigate the challenges of the Civil War era, forging unbreakable bonds of love and family. 

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Baby, Bird and Bee / Babi, Aderyn a’r Wenynen
The Dance House, Wales Millennium Centre

Saturday 3 May, 12.30pm Welsh Language preview, 3pm English Language preview
1 adult and 1 baby £10; additional adult or baby £5
Age restriction 6-18 months and their adults
A chance to see Theatr Iolo’s new show before it sets off on its tour of South Wales. Sit with your baby whilst the new gardener playfully goes about their work, planting and watering, in the beautiful garden. Together you will discover the sights and sounds of the garden, as your little one delights in the wonders around them. At the end of the show, there will be a chance for you and your baby to stay and play with some specially chosen objects. Please note these performances will be filmed and photographed.

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Chicago
Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff

Monday 5-Saturday 10 May
From £18, age guidance 12+, no admittance to under 2s
Set in the decadent 1920s, Chicago is the story of Roxie Hart, a housewife and nightclub dancer who murders her on-the-side lover after he threatens to walk out on her. Desperate to avoid conviction, she dupes the public, the media and her rival cellmate, Velma Kelly, by hiring Chicago’s slickest criminal lawyer to transform her malicious crime into a barrage of sensational headlines. Starring Strictly’s Janette Manrara as Roxie Hart and Loose Women/The X Factor’s Brenda Edwards as Matron ‘Mama’ Morton, the sassy score includes show-stopping musical theatre classics Razzle Dazzle, Cell Block Tango and All That Jazz. Selling fast – very limited availability.

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Newsies – Stardust Youth Theatre
St Peter’s Hall, Cardiff

Adults £14, children £10, family £42
Thursday 1-Saturday 3 May
Young people from Stardust theatre present the cult Broadway production Newsies, based on the New York City newsboys’ strike of 1899.

Cardiff Anime Con
Cardiff University Student Union

Saturday 3-Sunday 4 May
Saturday £20, Sunday £15, weekend £29, Under 8s free
Perfect for anime and comic fans, gamers, cosplayers and more – meet your favourite voice actors, special guests and performers, exhibitors and merchandise, video gaming, anime theatre, table top gaming, cosplay and stage events, and more.

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Flower and Eggs / We Are Aliens / Star Tours
Techniquest, Cardiff Bay

Saturday 3-Monday 5 May
£2.50 per person per show, plus usual admittance
More than 100 hands-on science exhibits for all ages, plus live science and Planetarium shows over the holidays.

We Are Aliens – 25-minute Planetarium show, ages 5+
Are we alone in the universe? Could there be life on other planets? Embark on an epic space adventure as we search for signs of extraterrestrial life!
Narrated by Harry Potter star Rupert Grint, this thrilling film delves into the question of whether humanity could one day join a galactic community.

Flower and Eggs – 30-minute live science show, ages 5+
Disover more about a whole range of fascinating creatures and their eggs: from the most obvious birds that lay your favourite breakfast-time treat, to some really rather special creatures you may not be as familiar with. Full of fascinating facts and dynamic demos, cracking open a golden opportunity to explore
Star Tours – 25-minute Planetarium show, ages 7+
Find out more about some familiar constellations, the planets, how stars are born and how they die as Techiqest’s digital planetarium takes you through space for a close-up look at some of nature’s most beautiful sights such as distant galaxies and exploded stars.

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Bank holiday weekend
South Wales Aviation Museum, St Athan

Saturday 3 and Sunday 4 May 10am-4pm, Monday 5 May, 10am-3pm
Adults £10.48, one fee child 14 and under free per adult entry, additional child £2.62 Wales’ largest independent and undercover aircraft museum, with interactive exhibits and hands-on activities. Experience the thrill of flying in a flight simulators, sit in the pilot seat of some exhibits, or take a guided tour.

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William Marshall Weekend
Chepstow Castle

Saturday 3-Monday 5 May, 10am-4pm
Adults £10, children £7, family £32 or free for Cadw members
Meet the great knight William Marshal as he returns to Chepstow Castle for the first time since 1219. Watch as he puts Bowlore medieval display group through their paces and tests their skills in a series of archery, weaponry and combat demonstrations. Interactive fun and entertainment for the whole family, with Have-A-Go Archery and Sword School for anyone who thinks they have what it takes to become the next William Marshal. Some activities will incur an additional charge.

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Resting at the Abbey during the Wars of the Roses 1471
Tintern Abbey

Saturday 3-Monday 5 May
Adults £9, children £6.30, family £28.20 or free for Cadw members
Step back to 1471 when a company of archers and their families have set up camp at the Abbey in order to pay their respects to William Herbert, Earl of Pembroke. Try your hand at medieval board games, watch the cooks prepare the company’s meal, question the arrow-smith and bowyer on their skills and kills, and learn more about their traditional skills.