MORE than 2,000 people descended on Cardigan Castle last weekend as the live season of events for summer 2019 kicked off in fine style.

‘Thank you for the music: A celebration of ABBA’ on Friday (July 12), and a sold-out KT Tunstall headlining on Saturday (July 13) drew the crowds into the town.

This is now the fifth year of the hugely successful partnership between Theatr Mwldan and Cardigan Castle.

Past years have seen artists such as Bellowhead, 9Bach, Tinariwen, From The Jam, Talisman, Dreadzone, Gwenno and Only Men Aloud all play the site of the first Eisteddfod.

KT Tunstall’s show night was the second time the venue has reached full capacity after Bellowhead played to a full house in 2015.

Cardigan Castle director Jac Davies said: “It’s a real coup for the whole town and it shows the ambition and appetite we have to make the castle central to attracting people to the area.”

Dilwyn Davies, CEO at Theatr Mwldan said: “Every year these events are gathering momentum. They clearly provoke quite an emotional response in those who attend.

“The obvious economic benefits to the town are one thing, but what’s also so tangible is the sense of pride and joy that is building in Cardigan, and seeing the community coming together like this to really enjoy themselves is just amazing.

“We’re truly thankful and overwhelmed at how supportive people have been of these events and we’re determined that we’ll build on this success well into the future’.

“The production set-up we have is phenomenal, and we are fast developing a reputation for a quality experience for artists to play, and of course the setting and the atmosphere is so special – the castle has its own magic.

“The arts and music scene locally is more vibrant than ever before. The streets are busy, the bars are busy, we’ve seen a number of new eateries and independent shops coming in to town and there is a real vibe about the place.

“Mwldan has been developing a reputation on the international music scene for over a decade with our external music productions and our record label ‘bendigedig’, run in partnership with ARC Music International Ltd.

“These are very exciting times for us, and for Cardigan as a town, and we will have another major announcement in the coming weeks. Cardigan is definitely on a roll!’

The next castle events include Billy Bragg on Wednesday (July 24), The Magic of Motown on Friday (July 26), and BBC Radio 1 and BBC 6 Music’s Huw Stephens presents Charlotte Church’s Pop Dungeon with support from Buzzard Buzzard Buzzard and Adwaith on Saturday, July 27.

Tickets are available from Theatr Mwldan’s box office on 01239 621 200 or online at www.mwldan.co.uk