WHO WE ARE. WHAT WE DO. OUR AMBITION.

Clwb Ifor Bach is an independent live music venue in Cardiff, Wales.

We’ve been at the forefront of Welsh culture for over 40 years, and we’re proud to be Wales’s leading grassroots music venue and promoter. Clwb brings its crowds the absolute best music from Wales and beyond, providing opportunities for thousands of upcoming artists to develop their craft.

We don’t just promote live music, but our work now goes beyond to include; audience, artist, skills and community development. In 2019 we took the natural step to becoming a Registered Charity after decades of offering a stepping stone into the creative industry for many – both on and off stage. 

We are committed to providing a space where everyone can learn, grow, and access music and culture. In August 2023, we submitted a planning application to rebuild our home on Womanby Street to expand our cultural offering and create more opportunities for people in Wales. This redevelopment will allow us to hold larger-scale performances and events, and provide more opportunities for training and workshops that will expand the reach and impact of Clwb’s charity objectives. Read more about our work here.

HISTORY

Clwb Ifor Bach was founded forty years ago as a member’s club for Welsh language speakers in Cardiff. It soon became a hub for local musicians who would later go on to form Catatonia, Super Furry Animals and other Welsh acts who broke through in the mid nighties, establishing the venue on the UK touring circuit. Clwb now plays a key role in hosting all kinds of new music from Wales and beyond, and our commitment to supporting the growth of the Welsh language continues across our work.

Huge artists have walked through our doors at the start of their careers to hone their craft and develop their audience. Before headlining festivals and embarking on sell-out global tours, Clwb has provided the stage as a springboard for emerging artists. We’ve seen artists such as Self Esteem, Biffy Clyro, The Killers, Rag’n’Bone Man, Elbow, Kaiser Chiefs, Mark Ronson and George Ezra perform at Clwb Ifor Bach, and today, the opportunity to perform here remains an aspirational milestone for new artists and bands as they embark on their creative journey.

Other artists who’ve also played our stages include:

Coldplay, Super Furry Animals, LCD Soundsystem, Kasabian, Metronomy, The Manic Street Preachers, Don Broco, Floating Points, Skrillex, Enter Shikari, Cate Le Bon, Akala, DJ Shadow, Declan McKenna, Young Fathers, Joy Orbison, Four Tet, Foals, Hot Chip, Bombay Bicycle Club, John Peel, Stereophonics, The Strokes, Pavement, Alex G, Bloc Party, Funeral For A Friend, Bullet For My Valentine, Roni Size, Ben Howard, High Contrast, Wolf Alice, Catfish & The Bottlemen, Nubya Garcia, Broadcast, Caribou, Idles, Muna, Viagra Boys, Amyl and the Sniffers, John Newman, James Bay, Frank Turner, Jockstrap, Black Country New Road, Bob Vylan, Yard Act, Sports Team, Georgia, Peggy Gou, Gruff Rhys, Gwenno, Panic Shack, The Bug Club, Mace The Great, Boy Azooga, Buzzard Buzzard Buzzard, Adwaith & more.

PRESENT DAY

We provide opportunities to engage with the music sector – both off and on the stage.

Since gaining charity status we have formed incredible partnerships with Cardiff Council, Welsh Government, National Eisteddfod, Tafwyl, Showcase Cymru and others to stage events and provide training, industry support and more – both at the venue and elsewhere in Wales.

In 2018 we took over responsibility for Sŵn Festival; a multi venue music festival held annually in Cardiff since 2007 that focuses on new music, merging artists and homegrown acts.

Since 2022 we have also developed an in-house training programme for aspiring technical and event management staff to address the current shortfall within the sector; partnering with other organisations, including University of South Wales and the Forte Project’s Resonant programme,  to increase access to these pathways into the industry.

We promote artists in other venues too. We’ve helped great artists like Mogwai, Courtney Barnett, John Grant, Alex G, Ólafur Arnolds, Self Esteem, Metronomy, Jose Gonzales, Yussef Dayes, The Cribs, Confidence Man, Low, The Hot 8 Brass Band, Kae tempest, Caribou, Yard Act, Richard Dawson, Nova Amor, Squid, Shame, Gwenno, Boy Azooga, Cate Le Bon, Gruff Rhys, Gilles Peterson and Kate Nash to bring their music to Welsh audiences in venues across Wales.