FOCUS Wales wraps 16th edition with 250 acts, fairer future panel and Sian Eleri keynote
Focus Wales concluded its 16th edition in Wrexham last month, hosting 250 acts from 26 countries and reinforcing the festival’s position as a discovery-focused showcase rather than a heritage booking.
Over three days, the event brought together 151 Welsh artists and 99 international acts, including 62 bilingual performers and 46 Welsh-language artists. Organisers reported 434 music industry delegates in attendance, with key international export offices including CNM France, M for Montreal, Iceland Airwaves and Waves Vienna taking part. The festival’s film strand, BAFTA Cymru-accredited, screened 91 works from 88 emerging filmmakers, 34 of whom are based in Wales.
Sarah Jones, director of Focus Wales, explains that the festival’s continued growth underlines its role as “an outward-looking national showcase for Wales, creating meaningful connections between Welsh artists and the international music community”. She adds: “What also continues to make Focus Wales so special is its role as a genuine discovery festival — not only for industry professionals, but for audiences too.”
This year’s programme operated under the theme A Fairer Future for Music, following 2025’s A Healthier Future for Music. The focus shifted to how artists, organisations and communities can build a more accessible, culturally diverse and socially equitable music ecosystem with Aakey panel, presented in partnership with IQ Magazine titled ‘IQ Presents: New Leaders, New Rules – Turning Fairness into Action’ examining structural change beyond representation. The conference closed with a keynote interview featuring broadcaster Sian Eleri, known for her work on BBC Radio 1, Radio Cymru and S4C.
The festival also reported representation milestones: 53 global majority artists (21% of the lineup) and a gender balance of 146 non-male identifying artists (58%).
The film programme included gala screenings of three feature films, including Effi o Blaenau and Madfabulous, with Q&As featuring directors and cast members.
Focus Wales has now run for 16 years, positioning Wrexham as a late-spring destination for industry delegates and fans looking for early-stage acts rather than arena-level bookings. The 2026 edition’s delegate numbers and country spread suggest the festival continues to hold ground as one of the larger showcase events in the European calendar outside the major capitals.
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