Aberystwyth’s newest music festival returned last weekend celebrating the diverse talent of Wales.

Up and coming artists performed alongside established Welsh acts at Trawsnewid/Transform Festival at Aberystwyth Arts Centre for its second year on 21-22 February.

This year over 800 people attended to watch artists including Das Koolies, Gillie, Ffenest, Islet, Kizzy Crawford, Mace the Great, Mari Mathias, Mellt and Pys Melyn.

Afro Cluster got everyone off their seats during the second day of Trawsnewid/ Transform Music Festival
Afro Cluster got everyone off their seats during the second day of Trawsnewid/ Transform Music Festival (Aberystwyth Arts Centre)

Arts Centre Director David Wilson said: “It's really important for us to be able to give opportunities to showcase artists from across Wales, and to give them the very best performing experience we can.

“Working in partnership with FOCUS Wales has been such a positive experience, it was fantastic to see the venue full of people having such a great time.

“We're looking forward to 2026 and to seeing what's next for Trawsnewid/Transform.”

Spread across two stages and a screen, headliners CVC and FAT DOG’s infectious energy had attendees raving at the main stage.

Despite the main room being plagued with a poorly set up sound system making the singers sound like they were in the next room, FAT DOG’s mezmerising mix of klezmer brass, strings and dance beats created the first Saturday moshpit.

In the second room Afro Cluster from Cardiff wasn’t deterred by the sit-down setup - using not one or two, but four dancing brass players, a drumming duo and charismatic lead rapper to get the entire room off their seats.

Yaang from Manchester (a late addition to replace Melin Melyn) married their post-punk campness perfectly with their 80s TV game show visuals to bring energy in the main room after Red Telephone’s Morrisey-style darkwave and Eye’s experimental self-dubbed ‘electro-doom’.

Mwsog was the musical opener on the Saturday bringing celt-ey, cult-ey psychedelic Welsh language folk using dry ice, bare feet and multi-cultural folk tones to create a unique sound.

Adjua stole the breath of the audience later on in the second room with Welsh-Ghanaian alt-RnB.

She was one of few artists that day to stand alone on stage with a guitar, but she kept the attention of every audience member with her lilting tones reminiscent of Lianne La Havas.