This week's entertainment roundup!

Here are some events coming up in Monmouthshire, Brecon and the Forest of Dean you don’t want to miss.

For more upcoming events, please email: [email protected]

Calon Hearts has announced more than 20 fundraising events across Wales and beyond, with supporters able to enjoy everything from live music and theatre to festive challenges while helping the heart charity’s lifesaving work.

The programme begins on September 23 with A Taste of Opera at Stefano’s Italian Restaurant in Cardiff, followed by Opera By The Sea in Penarth on October 1.

Other highlights of the programme include The Three Phantoms in Abergavenny on November 6, before shows in Aberystwyth on November 16 and Llandrindod Wells on December 9.

Christmas events include the Santa Trail Pen y Fan on November 29 and the Calon Hearts Santa Dash 5K at Cardiff Bay on December 6.

Other events include The Sound of Musicals at Llandaff Cathedral, a fashion show and Christmas shopping evening at De Courceys Manor, and a Christmas market coach trip to Bath. The Hilton Cardiff Baubles, Bubbles & Bublé event on December 12 has already sold out.

The Three Phantoms will also visit Hereford Cathedral on December 2 and Chester on December 15, with The Mistletoe Ball taking place in Penarth on December 19. The programme continues into 2027, for supporters across the region.

The charity uses funds raised to provide heart screenings, CPR training and defibrillators in communities.

Sharon Owen, founder and chief executive of Calon Hearts, said the programme was designed to give people the chance to support a cause while enjoying themselves.

“Every screening we can provide, every person we can teach CPR and every defibrillator we can help place in a community matters,” she said.

The programme continues with A Taste of Opera in Gwbert on January 25 and a charity ball, A Night at the Moulin Rouge, near Haverfordwest on February 13.

Full details and ticket information are available at: calonhearts.org/events

Sarah Price of Sarah Price Hiking has recently launched the Hay-on-Wye History Hunt, a self-guided digital treasure hunt that takes visitors on a 2.5km route around the town, solving clues and discovering some of Hay’s fascinating history, buildings, hidden corners and stories along the way.

“Hay is famous around the world as the Town of Books, but there is so much more to discover here,” Sarah told the Brecon & Radnor Express.

“I’ve often felt that visitors arrive, wander around the bookshops and streets, perhaps visit the castle, and can easily miss some of the history and fascinating details that are all around them.

“The History Hunt is designed to help with that.”

Visitors simply scan a QR code, purchase the Hunt and then use their phone to follow the clues.

There are 20 clues and locations to discover, with interesting facts revealed as they progress. It takes approximately 1.5-2 hours, depending on pace, and can be enjoyed by families, couples, friends and groups.

One purchase allows multiple people to play together on one phone, and there is also a team option for people who fancy a bit of friendly competition against friends.

The Hunt starts beside the large carved dragon at the top of Oxford Road Car Park, making it particularly easy for visitors to find.

It is particularly suitable for visitors who have a spare couple of hours and want to do something interactive rather than simply follow a conventional walking tour.

There is no booking time or meeting point to organise. People can start when it suits them and complete it at their own pace.

“I’m really hoping to make this something that becomes part of the wider Hay visitor experience, and I’d love local businesses to help spread the word,” said Sarah.

After a very successful trip to Brecon with Mark Hummel and Bob Hall, Dave Peabody returns to the town, this time as a solo artist.

Guitarist, vocalist and raconteur Dave Peabody began performing in the mid-’60s during the heyday of the great British blues boom and has now been a gigging musician for more than 60 years.

Peabody has been voted ‘Acoustic Blues Artist of the Year’ three times by the British Blues Connection and Blues In Britain magazine. As a solo acoustic artist, he is recognised as a specialist in early country blues.

During his 60-year performing career, Dave Peabody has been part of the Honest John Three, Pongo Flossy Goodtime Merger, Tight Like That, and Peabody & McNulty.

From 1996 to 2011, Dave fronted the electric King Earl Boogie Band as vocalist and guitarist. The five-piece band, whose other members included Mungo Jerry pianist Colin Earl and original Status Quo drummer John Coghlan, played numerous festivals, including Colne’s Great British R’n’B Festival and Havant’s Blues at The Fort.

He also began a long association with blues and boogie pianist Bob Hall and gigged with pianists Diz Watson and Colin Earl, guitarists Gypsy Dave Smith and Steve Williams, and harmonica players Rob Mason, Brendan Power and Alan Glen.

Dave’s performance in Brecon on Saturday, October 17, takes place at Kensington Church on Kensington Street. Doors to the show open at 7pm, with the gig running from 7:30pm until 10:30pm.

Dave Peabody will be joined by Aled Clifford from Henry’s Funeral Shoe.

The concert is presented by Mid Wales Rhythm and Blues Club and Brecon Folk Club and more.

Tickets for the show are £20 per person and can be bought online by visiting the Mid Wales Rhythm and Blues Club website: midwalesrandb.club

The Mabon festival, a celebration of Welsh food, fire and folklore, has unveiled its full programme ahead of its return to Caldicot Castle for the autumn equinox weekend from 25 to 27 September. Inspired by traditional harvest-time gatherings around fire, the festival was created by Sam Evans and Shauna Guinn of Hang Fire BBQ in partnership with Street Food Circus, and aims to combine live-fire cooking, storytelling, local produce and Welsh cultural heritage into a unique seasonal event.

The festival opens with the Hang Fire Feast, a four-course banquet cooked entirely over fire by acclaimed live-fire chef Samantha Evans. Set within the grounds of the castle, the feast is designed to showcase the best local ingredients while creating an atmospheric dining experience accompanied by fireside storytelling.

A major attraction of the festival is the collection of eight Fire Kitchens, where chefs, producers and fire-cooking specialists from across Wales and beyond will prepare food using open flames and traditional outdoor cooking techniques. Participants include Cai Ap Bryn’s Game & Flames, Smokey Rebel, Hang Fire BBQ, Feast Pembrokeshire, The Jolly Allotment, chef James Peck in partnership with Leviathan Pits, The Dough Thrower, Reclaimed Fire and Drizzle Desserts. Together they represent a broad range of barbecue traditions and cooking styles, from American-inspired slow smoking and South American asado to artisan pizza making and innovative desserts.

The festival’s Smoke & Fire Demo Stage will provide visitors with opportunities to learn from leading figures in the barbecue and live-fire cooking world. Hosted by comedian Jayde Adams and Mabon co-founder Shauna Guinn, demonstrations and discussions will feature chefs and food experts including Anthony “Murph” Murphy of Beefy Boys, Adam Purnell, Russ Jacques, Steve Guy, Matty O’Brien, Owen Morgan, Jonathan Woolway, Polly Baldwin and Nathan Ritchie. These sessions are intended to share techniques, recipes and expertise across a variety of cuisines and outdoor cooking disciplines.

Alongside the food programme, the New Wave Producers Market will showcase independent food, drink and craft producers, offering visitors the chance to meet makers and sample local products. Exhibitors include Welsh speciality coffee roasters, distillers, charcuterie producers, artisan woodworkers, mead producers, barbecue suppliers and outdoor lifestyle brands. The market aims to highlight innovative businesses that are helping redefine local food and drink culture.

Entertainment and cultural activities also play a significant role in the festival. Welsh-Iranian DJ Luna Amani will provide music throughout the event, while the Fireside Chats programme will explore themes such as food, travel, folklore and rural traditions. Hosted by Jayde Adams and Shauna Guinn, speakers include representatives from BBQ Travel Club and Welsh food writer and broadcaster Nerys Howell.

Festival organisers say Mabon was created to become Wales’ flagship celebration of fire-cooking and barbecue culture, while also promoting Welsh folklore, seasonal produce and independent food businesses. They describe this year’s programme as a distinctive mix of kitchens, talks, demonstrations and artisan producers that reflects themes of fire, folklore and seasonal abundance. As with other Street Food Circus events, admission is free for children under 16, dogs are welcome, and tickets are now on sale