What is Lleswyl?

Lleswyl 2026: making visible five years of ‘Spaces to Talk’ and ‘Spaces to Sing’

Around 1.2 million adults in Wales – almost half of the adult population – are living with illness, meaning nearly every family, street, workplace and community is touched by illness in some way, highlighting the urgent importance of emotional health support.

Lleswyl 2026, Daring to Dream’s free, inclusive festival event will stream live from 7pm on Friday 20 February 2026 – making visible five years of work and impact by the charity and reaching out to all those for whom going to live gigs is not going to happen anytime soon.

For the first time in its five-year history, Lleswyl will be a hybrid event. It will broadcast live from the Paget Rooms in Penarth with a studio audience, while again welcoming viewers from across Wales and beyond online via YouTube, and at no cost for online participation.

Hosted once again by Siân Lloyd, Jason Harrold and Tumi Williams, it will provide an evening of outstanding music with a diverse line-up of amazing artists as Lleswyl 2026 reprises acts from its festivals including Afro Cluster, the haunting Casi Wyn with Sinfonia Cymru, the sounds of New Orleans with Band pres Llareggub, co-founder of the new Black Welsh Music Awards Ify Iwobi, Caldicot’s very own Rusty Shackle, the amazing N’famady, cover band Soul Lotta Funk, folk from icons Ar Log, Dr and the Medics and many more.

The music is blended with inspiring conversations between the hosts and invited guests, including clinicians, patients, families and carers, who will all share uplifting stories about living with a health issue, illustrating the vital role of emotional health in recovery from illness and in living life to the full while dealing with chronic or life-limiting conditions.

Daring to Dream’s founder Barbara Chidgey said: “To live as well as possible with illness, people need not only clinical care but also emotional support and ‘spaces to talk’ about what it feels like to live with illness, its treatments and its impact on daily life.

“We really want the wider public to hear us, to hear our voices as we discuss what it feels like living with illness with live guests who will join us on the night – patients, their families, carers and clinicians. We also want everyone to enjoy so much joyous music, being together and realising they are not on their own with illness, because they are part of our community.”

Barbara added: “Lleswyl 2026 will be a celebration of the work we do and continue to do. It’s inclusive, accessible, free and offered in an environment that anyone can tune into. We’re delighted to showcase Lylia’s wonderful track, which she has written specifically as a charity single in support of Daring to Dream.”

YouTube – Lleswyl 2026