TOGETHER WITH
Good morning, Swansea! This is the Swansea Scoop, the newsletter that’s like turningthe big light off and the side lamp on 😊
I hope you’ve been enjoying the sunshine this week - we enjoyed a Saturday visiting the new coffee stop at Yunara coffee in Three Crosses, followed by a bite to eat at the Big Food Festival in town - quite a crowd down there, and safe to say we didn’t go hungry 😄
This week, Queen’s Roger Taylor is at the arena and there’s a harvest party on Gower with music, dancing, pizza and curry. There’s also live comedy, chocolate tasting, autumn fungi walks, dinosaur pebble painting and loads more.
Whatever you’re up to, have a good one and I’ll catch you on Wednesday!
Andrew.
P.S. Over 12,000 Swansea locals read the Scoop! Know someone who’d enjoy it? Forward this email to them and ask them to subscribe for free.
Sponsored by Digital Empower CIC
🤖 Know you should be using AI for business but don’t know where to start?
AI can help with everything from writing customer emails and social posts to researching competitors, creating marketing ideas and cutting down repetitive admin - but only if you know how to use it properly.
This free three-hour workshop is aimed at small business owners, freelancers, self-employed people and start-ups who want to make AI genuinely useful in their day-to-day work.
It’ll cover practical things like creating content and images, improving emails and business documents, researching customers and competitors, writing better prompts and using AI to save time on repetitive tasks.
The session is led by Hani Haidar, a PhD researcher in Artificial Intelligence at Swansea University, with hands-on demonstrations so you can try the tools for yourself. No previous AI experience is needed.
The workshop takes place at The Environment Centre in Swansea on Tuesday, October 6th, from 5 PM–8 PM.
THE DIGEST 📰
The Swansea stories worth knowing about this week, in 30 seconds.
🐮 Cattle on Fairwood Common are far less likely to end up in a road accident these days, thanks to a bit of GPS technology.
🔬 Oriel Science is turning 10 this year, and celebrating with a month of throwback workshops this October.
🛹 Skaters in Swansea took on a full 24 hours of skating in May, raising over £10,000 for the community venue - and New Balance has surprised them with new shoes for their effort.
⚽ Swansea City's new covered fan zone could be open by December, the club has revealed.
🍦 Verdi's could be welcoming customers back in Mumbles as early as next Easter, its owners have revealed.
🦋 A permanent memorial marking Swansea's experience of the Covid-19 pandemic has now been officially unveiled overlooking the bay.
☕️ Plans have been revealed for a new two-storey coffee shop in Swansea’s Picton Arcade.
🍏 Surplus supermarket food is being turned into free meals and shared with anyone who needs it at Swansea’s Dyfatty Junction.
🏢 The steel frame is going up for Swansea University’s new National Institute for Sport and Health at Sketty Lane, giving the clearest look yet at the scale of the four-storey building.
@SWANSEA.SCOOP 📱
We’ve been blessed with some early autumn sunshine recently, so last Sunday I took a stroll around town to capture a peaceful Sunday afternoon in Swansea. The footage accidentally made one Facebook commenter homesick - oops!
SWANSEA PROPERTY 🏡
This 4-bedroom detached house in Caswell has four reception rooms, parking for three vehicles, and is a short distance from Caswell Bay and Mumbles. £550,000 via Astleys.
FOOD & DRINK 🍽️
Thanks to everyone who’s booked for the next Swansea Scoop Dinner Club so far! We’ll be at Flynn’s Deli on Thursday, October 22nd for a three-course Welsh dinner where you can meet new people in a friendly and relaxed setting - come solo, with a friend or as a couple!
☕ Yanura Coffee is now serving small-batch coffee from its solar-powered roastery in Three Crosses every Saturday from 9 AM - 1 PM.
🌎 Chef Raj Chowdhury, owner of Raj Kitchen on Castle Street, is launching a world street food venue just a few doors away - it opens this Thursday.
🍺 Oktoberfest Celebration: Hoogah is hosting an Oktoberfest celebration with Munich Lager, soft pretzels, live music, 2-pint steins, and food specials from Thursday, October 1st - Saturday, October 3rd.
🏨 The team behind Mai Thai in Gorseinon has revealed that it is preparing to bring the long-closed Rhyddings Hotel in Brynmill back to life.🏨 The team behind Mai Thai in Gorseinon has revealed that it is preparing to bring the long-closed Rhyddings Hotel in Brynmill back to life.
SWANSEA SHOUT-OUTS 📅
🏉 Welsh Coast Radio is giving away 48 tickets to see Swansea RFC take on Ebbw Vale and Cardiff, with two pairs up for grabs every day from September 28th to October 9th.
🚐 The Salvation Army Donation Centre in Gorseinon is looking for volunteer van driver’s mates to help with furniture collections.
shared.image.missing_image
WHAT’S ON 📅
The best events in Swansea this week, at a glance:
Monday, September 28th
👴 Ageing Well Activities for 50+: Enjoy activities across Swansea, including movie and soup specials, coffee mornings, bowling and social walks.
Various times | Free
Tuesday, September 29th
🏔️ Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour 2026: A brand-new collection of short films filled with extreme journeys and untamed characters, screened at Taliesin Arts Centre.
7.30 PM | £19.50 (Under 26s £17.50), 12+
🥁 Roger Taylor: Violence Insane in a Beautiful World: Queen's drummer brings his new solo tour to Swansea Building Society Arena.
7.30 PM | From £47.64
🍄 The Magic of Medicinal Mushrooms: A talk mixing stories, science and traditional wisdom on medicinal fungi, hosted by MYCOBIO at Problematic Pub Comedy Club.
7 PM | £20 (+£0.50 service fee)
🎤 Opera Boys: The Farewell Tour: The classical-crossover group's final tour, joined by Britain's Got Talent's first-ever winner Paul Potts, at Swansea Grand Theatre.
7.30 PM | £39
Wednesday, September 30th
🍂 Wednesday Wildlife Walk: A relaxed mid-week stroll through Penllergare Valley Woods with Conservation Officer Chris, spotting woodland birds, butterflies, fungi and autumn colour.
10.30 AM - 12 PM | £1
🔪 Murderous Minds with Emma Kenny: The ITV crime commentator and YouTuber explores the psyche of real-life killers, at Swansea Grand Theatre.
7 PM | £33 (16+)
🎥 Unfinished Business: A MIOE Creative Productions film exploring equality and the journey to progress through the stories of inspiring women.
7 PM | Free for students/low incomes, £5 suggested donation
🎨 Urban Arts 50+ Creative Focus Art Class: Friendly, relaxed visual arts session for over-50s at Urban HQ, with a creative warm-up exercise followed by a guided activity.
1.30 PM | Free
🎭 It'll All Be Over by Christmas: Theatr na nÓg's touring drama about a girl evacuated from Liverpool to Swansea in WWII, at Dylan Thomas Theatre (schools also present at this matinee, limited public capacity).
1 PM | £15 - £25 (pay what you can)
🌿 Waterfront Wildings: Outdoor fun for preschoolers at the National Waterfront Museum with seasonal activities like cooking, crafts, and storytime in a tech-free environment.
10.30 AM - 12 PM | £1 minimum per child, pay what you can
Together with Welsh Coast Radio
📻 Listen live at welshcoastradio.com, on your smart speaker, on the app, or on 106.5 FM across North and East Swansea.
Thursday, October 1st
🎤 Rogues' Gallery Comedy Club: Sooz Kempner + Paul Dennis: October's comedy night features Sooz Kempner's Rogues' debut and Paul Dennis performing cheekily dark musical comedy.
7 PM | £10
✍️ Elysium Scribes: Open weekly creative writing workshop to read and discuss each other's projects, at Elysium Gallery.
1 PM - 2 PM | Free
🎤 Harry Baker: Tender: World Poetry Slam Champion Harry Baker brings poems from the first hundred days of new parenthood to Taliesin Arts Centre.
7.30 PM | £19 (Under 26s/Students £16), 11+
🖼️ You Are Here: New exhibition celebrating Swansea's neighbourhoods and the Gower coastline, drawn from Swansea University's Art Collection, opens at Taliesin Create and runs until December 18th.
Access times vary | Free
🎸 The Bootleg Beatles in Concert: The tribute act perform The Beatles' top five best-selling albums, from Rubber Soul to Abbey Road, at Swansea Grand Theatre.
7 PM | £34.50 - £42.50
🎭 The Shape of Things to Come - Tocyn Iaith: Rufus Mufasa presents a bilingual show exploring language, power, and belonging set in a future Wales.
6 PM | Free - £12
Friday, October 2nd
🍄 Friday Fungi Foray: Join Conservation Chris for a 1.5-hour walk exploring autumn fungi in Penllergare Valley Woods, identifying mushroom species and their role in the ecosystem.
1 PM | £1
👑 The Best of Queen: Majesty, the UK's biggest Queen tribute band, perform the band's greatest hits at Swansea Grand Theatre.
7 PM | £35
🖼️ Tracy Harris: More Than the Land Remembers: New exhibition of photography and Super 8 film examining female presence in Welsh industrial landscapes, opening at Elysium Gallery's Coffee Shop Gallery and running until October 31st.
Free
📷 Ffoto Cymru 2026: Paula Pedrosa – The Living Nature of the Stone-dead: New photography exhibition exploring geological time and extinct life against the contemporary landscape, opening at Elysium Gallery.
Free
Saturday, October 3rd
🎉 Harvest Party: Celebrate the end of summer harvest at Gower Heritage Centre with music, dancing, and food like freshly made pizza and curry.
5.30 PM - Late | £5 entry (children free)
🕺 Michael Starring Ben: Ben Bowman's Michael Jackson tribute show, with a live band and the King of Pop's greatest hits, at Swansea Grand Theatre.
7 PM | £23 - £33
😂 Celya AB: We Must Stop Meeting Like This: Saturday Night Live UK writer and Edinburgh Fringe stand-up Celya AB brings her new show to Swansea Grand Theatre's Arts Wing.
7.30 PM | £19 (16+)
🎻 Mumbles Folk Festival - Twmpath: Enjoy a lively folk night with Twmpath vibes, great music, and dancing in Mumbles, Swansea.
7 PM - 10 PM | £6.13
🍫 Deli 101: Chocolate Tasting: Guided small-bite chocolate tasting session at Flynn's Delicatessen.
3 PM | £12
🛍️ Pontarddulais Market: Local outdoor food & crafts market featuring high-quality food, sweet treats, homewares, and handmade crafts.
10 AM - 2 PM
🎻 BBC NOW - Fantastique: BBC National Orchestra of Wales trace a journey from spring light to vivid musical imagination, at Brangwyn Hall.
7.30 PM | £12 - £22
🎱 Bingo Lingo - Oktoberfest Special: Themed adult bingo night with prizes at Patti Pavilion.
6.30 PM - 11 PM (18+)
🌱 Vegan Mini Market: Brontosaurus Vegan Lifestyle Store and friends create a vegan haven in the middle of Swansea Indoor Market.
10 AM - 3 PM
🦕 Saturday Family Workshops: Dinosaur Pebble Painting: Paint a hatching egg, fossil or sleeping dinosaur onto a pebble to take home, with artists Dale Sinoia and Lucy Donald at Elysium Gallery.
11 AM | Free
Sunday, October 4th
🐾 Vicky Park Market: Monthly pop-up market at Victoria Park, featuring an annual dog Halloween costume competition. Get ready for a fun Sunday outing!
10 AM - 2 PM
🎤 Paul Foot: The Future: Edinburgh Comedy Award-winning alt-comedian brings his new show on nostalgia for the future to Problematic Pub Comedy Club.
8 PM | £17 (+£0.43 service fee)
🌍 Exploring Solutions: A screening of the Emergency Briefing followed by a community discussion on climate action, with food included, at Riverside Park, Pontardawe.
2 PM - 6 PM | £6 / £3
📅 Hosting an event in Swansea?
Submit it here to our events calendar for our audience to find and we’ll pick the highlights to feature in our newsletter and on social media!
EXTRA SCOOPS* 🏷️
💻 Slow laptop or broken computer? Swan CD in Tycoch has been fixing Swansea's tech since 1997 – covering everything from PC, Mac and laptop repairs to upgrades, phone fixes, and the supply and setup of new machines for homes and businesses. Pop into 38-40 Carnglas Road, call 01792 521158, or visit swancd.co.uk.
Want to get your business in front of 12,000+ Swansea locals for £50? It takes under 5 minutes. Pick your date, write your ad, pay online, and you’re done! Click here.
*The above is sponsored content
LIVE MUSIC 🎸
Monday, September 28th
Uplands Tavern | Open Mic Night | 9 PM
Tuesday, September 29th
Bay View | Open Mic Night
Wednesday, September 30th
Club Kova | KØR Swansea: Freshers Special | 9 PM
The Swigg | Swansea Jazz Club: Dick Hamer Big Band | 8 PM
Down By Here | The Down By Here Open Mic | 7.30 PM
Thursday, October 1st
The Bunkhouse | Gig Gym Gym 2026 | 7 PM
Friday, October 2nd
Patti Pavilion | A Night of Queen with The Bohemians | Doors 7 PM
Hippos | TR X HIPPOS: Janaway B2B Cheff the Boy | 6 PM
The Bunkhouse | Cowboy Hunters (support: Bambees) | Doors 6 PM
Saturday, October 3rd
Tŷ Tawe | Ryland Teifi | 7 PM
Down By Here | White Leather + Waterpistol + Rainyday Rainbow + A-Topic | 7 PM
The Bunkhouse | Desert Storm (Buried Under the Weight of Reason tour, support: Suns Of Thunder, Heavy On The Ride, MOULD) | Doors 6 PM
Peppermint | Swansea Freshers: KOJO FUNDS Live | 10 PM
Sunday, October 4th
Plough & Harrow, Brynhyfryd | Open Mic Night
Down By Here | The Foehn Effect | 7 PM
Langland's Brasserie | Swansea Jazz Club: Georgia Furlong with Dave Cottle Trio | 7 PM
WEDNESDAY'S SCOOP (ICYMI) 🦢
When the Luftwaffe destroyed Swansea Market during World War II, defiant traders were back selling within the year - first on a bus garage floor, then out in the open air. It would be almost twenty years before they had a roof over their heads again.
This week, we look at the market's slow journey from bombed-out ruin to the building we shop in today - and the entirely different, wildly ambitious market Swansea nearly built instead.
Support the Scoop 💌
Enjoy the Swansea Scoop landing in your inbox every week?
Help us keep the Scoop independent, local, and free to read with a monthly contribution of just £2 or a one-off tip via Buy Me a Coffee (no sign-up required).
A big thank you to our 117 supporters so far, including some of our latest supporters: Merryl, Ellie, and Swansea Group of the Wildlife Trust of South & West Wales!
THANKS 😊
Thanks for reading the Swansea Scoop. If you enjoyed it, share it with a friend who would find it useful.
Catch you on Wednesday!
Andrew.
What did you think of today's email?
✅ Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up
📧 Want to advertise your business to our audience of 12,000+ newsletter subscribers and 95,000+ on social media? Reply to this email or contact [email protected]
👉 Sometimes things change or we make a mistake, so please check event and activity details directly with the organiser to avoid disappointment.
Swansea Scoop is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.co.uk.