Cardiff Open Air Theatre Festival

Less than two months to go before the Cardiff Open Air Theatre Festival begins, and Cardiff Times readers have another chance to win free tickets - read on to find out how! And if you haven’t already heard about the return of Wales’ largest outdoor theatrical event for its Ruby Jubilee, we’ve got all the information you need.

Hosted by Everyman Theatre Cardiff, the Festival spans six weeks from 22 June to 29 July: a packed programme of comedies, musicals, Shakespeare, choirs, family shows, and much more! And with a 400-seat stand sheltering audiences from the elements and a swanky courtyard with a fully licensed bar, it’s a recipe for a perfect summer evening.

The Cardiff Open Air Theatre Festival has a forty-year-long history in the Welsh capital. What started with one show in 1983 - Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale at Dyffryn Gardens - paved the way for four decades of vibrant performances in Cardiff.

Every summer since 1983, the Festival has brought together people from all walks of life, a junction for professionals and amateurs alike, and today, audiences new and old find their way to the Festival year after year. The festival hosts over 14,000 visitors every summer, powered by hundreds of volunteers, some of whom have been with the Festival since the beginning.

Even the pandemic didn’t stop the show for good. Faced with new restrictions and a way of life none of us knew, Everyman Theatre’s innovative agility placed the Festival at the cutting edge of bringing live theatre back to Wales in 2021, touring sell-out shows to pop-up venues at both Insole Court in Cardiff and Tredegar House in Newport. A triumphant return home to Sophia Gardens followed in 2022, and this year the tickets are flying faster than ever.

The 40th anniversary year has a programme packed with shows for all tastes, including the cult hit musical The Addams Family, a heart-warming adaptation of the film Calendar Girls, popular Shakespeare favourite A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and the high-octane “revolting children” of Matilda Jr, plus much more besides - discover the full programme at www.cardiffopenairtheatrefestival.co.uk.

YOU could win a free evening at the Festival! Everyman has partnered with the Brewhouse & Kitchen in Sophia Gardens to offer Cardiff Times readers the chance to win an unforgettable evening, with a meal for two and a pair of tickets to any Festival performance of your choice!

Simply answer this question by 30 May for your chance to win:

In which English county is Calendar Girls set?

Send your answer to festivalcompetitions@everyman theatre.co.uk. The lucky winner will be contacted by email within 7 days of the closing date. Full T&Cs at www.cardiffopenairtheatrefestival.co.uk.