Craft Festival Wales returns to Cardigan Castle

Posted by Rachel Westall on 2 June 2026

Following the overwhelming success of Craft Festival Wales 2025, which welcomed more than 4,000 visitors from across Wales, the UK and overseas, Craft Festival Wales will return to Cardigan Castle from 11th to 13th September 2026. Craft Festival has quickly become a major cultural highlight for Ceredigion, celebrating world-class craft, creativity and community in one of Wales’s most iconic heritage locations.

man in baseball cap at art festival Sarah James MBE, Founder and Director says... 'I am so thrilled that Craft Festival Wales is returning to Cardigan Castle in September. It represents a year of planning, working across a wide range of organisations to benefit as many people as possible. The people of Cardigan has welcomed Craft Festival with open arms and I cannot wait'.

New for 2026 is an exhibition, Aur/Gold, in partnership with the National Eisteddfod, celebrating past Gold Medal winners from Y Lle Celf. Hosted at Canfas Gallery, opening on August 1st, timed to coincide with the National Eisteddfod taking place just outside Cardigan.

Craft Festival Wales 2026 will once again showcase over 100 exceptional makers, carefully selected by an independent panel for the quality, originality and making of their work. Visitors can explore textiles, ceramics, glass, wood, metal, jewellery and more, all sustainably handmade and deeply rooted in skill, tradition and innovation.

four bright ceramic vases Across Cardigan Castle, Craft Festival will feature workshops, demonstrations, The Capital of Craft talks, live music, new commissions, theatre and free children's activities in partnership with local cultural organisations. Building on 2025's success, the Craft Town Trail will return, expanding to more venues and featuring work displayed in windows across Cardigan, deepening links between heritage, place and creativity.

Craft Festival Wales continues to be a catalyst for economic and cultural growth, attracting tourists, supporting small creative businesses and providing a platform for emerging makers through awards, commissions, training and professional development including Preparing to Sell workshops and partnerships with Futureworks, Novus and QEST supporting young people and prison learners.

'The festival plays a significant role in fostering connections within the craft community while also enabling artists to reach new customers and markets, opening doors for future opportunities. The diversity of work on display, from ceramics and textiles to metalwork and woodcraft, demonstrates the rich tapestry of artistic talent we have in Wales, and it's through events like this that such talent is nurtured and celebrated'. Ben Lake MP/AS, Ceredigion Preseli.

house tapestry Craft Festival Wales is proudly supported by Event Wales (Welsh Government) and local publicly and privately funded business partners. With its focus on quality, community engagement and Welsh culture, it is now firmly established as an annual flagship event.

Craft Festival Wales
Cardigan Castle
Friday 11 – Sunday 13 September 2026
https://craftfestival.co.uk/cardigan-wales-festival/

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