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

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Devon to headline Gloucester Guildhall in autumn milestone

FOREST of Dean musician Devon is set to headline Gloucester Guildhall for the first time this autumn, in one of his biggest headline shows to date.

The singer-songwriter will take to the Guildhall stage on Saturday, November 7, with support from China Bears, The Perfect Match and Flora Fiora.

The show will mark another milestone for Devon, who has previously appeared at the Gloucester venue supporting White Lies and Circa Waves.

He also headlined the Blackfriars stage as part of Gloucester’s Underground Festival earlier this year.

Devon began his musical journey playing pubs and open mic nights around the Forest of Dean and Gloucester before attracting attention further afield.

His breakthrough releases included indie-pop track I DON’T WANT 2 B UR FRIEND, while his music has since received national radio airplay, including on BBC Radio 1.

His career has also taken him onto much bigger stages, including stadium performances and touring support slots with acts including McFly and Anne-Marie.

Devon has previously spoken about growing up in the Forest and the challenges faced by young musicians trying to establish themselves in an area with relatively few opportunities to perform original material.

He recalled cutting his teeth at local open mic nights, where musicians often relied on covers rather than their own songs, while expressing hope that more young bands would emerge from the area.

The forthcoming Guildhall date will now see the Forest musician step up from previous support appearances at the venue to top the bill himself.

Gloucester Guildhall said the concert would be a celebration of the South West music scene and described it as one of Devon’s largest headline shows so far.

Doors will open at 6.15pm on Saturday, November 7, with tickets available through the Gloucester Guildhall website.

Paint-throwing event to bring chaos to the Forest of Dean

A wellness and pop-up events company is bringing a paint throwing experience to the Forest of Dean for one day only.

The Forest Collective is bringing ‘The Splatter Sessions’, which looks to provide a Jackson Pollock–style paint throwing experience.

It’s heading to Littledean Tap on Saturday, August 29 and invites guests to abandon rules entirely, by flinging, pouring and throwing paint at a canvas until something fabulous emerges.

Naomi Hands, Co-Founder of The Forest Collective said: “"If you're looking for something extraordinary to do over the bank holiday weekend, then join us and unleash your inner child.

"It's the only place where no rules apply, and you can throw paint Jackson Pollock-style on a canvas that becomes a piece of art for your wall at home."

There are four sessions across the day, at 11am, 1pm, 3pm and 5pm. Each runs for one hour, and every participant leaves with their own canvas: created, splattered and signed by them. Tickets are £35 per person and include all paint, materials and protective kit.

The format is deliberately unstructured. There is no tutor at the front of the room, no technique to master and no wrong way to do it. The appeal is the freedom, the mess, and the fact that nobody knows what they will end up with until it is done. That, and someone else does the clean up after.

The Splatter Sessions is the first in a planned series of pop-up events from The Forest Collective, bringing hands-on creative experiences to venues across the Forest of Dean.

All ages are welcome but under-16s must be supervised by an adult. Places are limited and organisers say they must be booked in advance. More details and booking can be found via www.forestcollective.studio.

Hay Castle prepares for circus fun

Farmyard Circus will bring a lively mix of circus, theatre and live music to Hay Castle on Sunday, August 30.

The family-friendly show, inspired by life on the farm, will feature group acrobatics and juggling using hay bales, wheelbarrows, a tractor tyre and even an old scarecrow.

The outdoor spectacle will be performed on the castle lawn at 11.30am and 2.30pm, with the nine-strong company combining circus skills with old-time tunes and lively rhythms.

Farmyard Circus began creating work together in 2019 and specialises in outdoor circus theatre inspired by farm life.

Tickets cost £12 for adults, £7 for under-16s and £30 for a family ticket.

Tickets are available through the Hay Castle website: www.haycastletrust.org

3,000 expected for Presteigne Festival weekend

Presteigne Festival is preparing to welcome more than 80 musicians, composers, writers and artists for five days of music and culture over the August Bank Holiday weekend.

The festival, which runs from August 27 to 31, is expecting audiences of more than 3,000, with events taking place in Presteigne as well as Bleddfa, Leominster and Shobdon. Presteigne’s principal performance venues will be St Andrew’s Church and the Assembly Rooms.

Across 14 concerts, audiences will hear 16 world or Welsh premieres of new musical works. Composer-in-residence Michael Zev Gordon will feature prominently, alongside a special focus on Dutch composer Mathilde Wantenaar.

The programme also includes established works by composers including Bach, Beethoven, Schumann, Elgar, Ravel, Bartók and Stravinsky.

Among the performers are the HearAndNow Collective, violinist Fenella Humphreys, pianists Clare Hammond and Jâms Coleman, tenor James Gilchrist, soprano Rowan Pierce and horn player Ben Goldscheider.

The Choir of King’s College, London, will appear under conductor Patrick Allies, while the Presteigne Festival Orchestra and Ensemble will be led by artistic director George Vass.

The festival’s programme extends beyond music, with a three-film retrospective of New Zealand director Jane Campion’s work, introduced by Jo Comino.

There will also be talks by Sioned Davies, Carwyn Graves, Stephen Johnson and Fiona Sampson, while poets Samantha Wynne Rhydderch, Michèle Roberts and Mari Ellis Dunning will appear in conversation with Nicholas Murray.

Exhibitions include the Sidney Nolan Art Prize Exhibition and Earth Photo 2026.

Presteigne Open Studios will also return, showcasing the work of more than 50 local artists and makers.

More than half of the available festival tickets have already been sold.

The box office is open daily from 10am to 1pm, extending to 5pm from August 24. Tickets can also be booked at presteignefestival.com or by calling 01544 267800.

Music hall magic returns to Llandrindod

A taste of Victorian music hall entertainment is coming to Llandrindod Wells as part of this year’s Victorian Festival.

“A Trip to the Music Hall” will take place at The Albert Hall at 7.30pm on Wednesday, August 26, with Andrew McKay and Carole Etherton bringing the sights and sounds of the Victorian stage to the town.

The costumed performance will feature familiar songs, less well-known numbers and plenty of audience participation, with a watchful chairman keeping proceedings in order.

McKay and Etherton have years of experience in stage vocals and will also bring the concertina, an instrument which became popular during the Victorian era, to the performance.

Audience members are encouraged to dress in Victorian-style clothing, although costumes are not essential.

The performance will last approximately two hours, including an interval. Under-16s must be accompanied by an adult aged 18 or over.

Tickets cost £12, with unreserved seating.

The event forms part of the 2026 Llandrindod Wells Victorian Festival, which runs from August 24 to 30.