Swansea Summer Events Guide 🌞

Summer's in full swing and we’re crossing fingers for lots more sunny days yet!

This week, we've put together a hand-pick the best things to do to across Swansea this summer - from secret swimming spots to Gruffalo trails, beer festivals to outdoor cinema.

Loads of it's completely free, some of it you might not have heard of, and all of it will remind you why Swansea's pretty brilliant when you get out there and explore.

Consider it a passport to your best Swansea summer yet.

Catch you on Sunday!

🌿 Outdoors & Adventures

🚌 Free Weekend Buses: Worth mentioning this one first, I reckon. Leave the car at home and explore the city on Swansea Council's free weekend buses running throughout the holidays. Perfect for spontaneous adventures and discovering parts of the city you'd normally drive past.

🌻 Rhossili Sunflower Fields: Mid‑July to August, wander through thousands of vibrant sunflowers set against the dramatic backdrop of Worm’s Head Rhossili Bay. Perfect for family photos or a romantic stroll. Open daily from around 10 AM–7 PM (extended on clear evenings).

🪨 Beach Sculpture Festival: Join free drop-in workshops at beaches across Swansea and Gower all week from July 22th to 27th, creating giant marine-inspired sand sculptures with artists. Just bring a bucket, spade, and sun cream! All ages welcome.

🏔️ Explore Mumbles Hill: Not just amazing for kite flying, but also home to WWII artillery bunkers and lookouts that history buffs will love. The views over Swansea Bay and across to Mumbles Lighthouse are spectacular - worth the climb for adults and kids alike.

📱 Self-Guided History Walks: Tawe Trails is a free mobile app that acts as your personal guide to Swansea's rich history through six GPS-triggered walking trails including Hafod Morfa Copperworks, Clydach Canal, and Lower Swansea Valley. It features interactive maps and audio guides, plus a 47-point heritage audio trail.

🥾 Explore Penllergare Valley Woods: This 'forgotten' Victorian paradise offers over 12km of woodland walks just off the M4, with lakes, waterfalls, and exotic trees. Choose the gentle Gardener's Stroll for valley views, or follow Henry Hawk's Woodland Concert Trail - 15 etching posts telling a magical story via the Trail Stories app - perfect for kids.

🌊 Take a Dip at Blue Pool: This hidden gem on Gower is a stunning natural rock pool surrounded by the cliffs - perfect for a summer dip. It’s only accessible for two hours either side of low tide via a scramble from Broughton Bay, making it feel like a proper adventure.

🦀 Hunt for Sealife Bracelet Bay: One of Swansea’s most accessible rock pooling spots, perfect for kids and adults who never grew out of poking around in tide pools. Best visited at low tide with a bucket and net.

🥾 Climb Kilvey Hill: Head to the summit for spectacular panoramic views over Swansea, the coast, and surrounding valleys - one of the city's best viewpoints. On your way up, hunt for the Green Man, an impressive wire frame figure stuffed with moss - protector of the hill.

🌺 Singleton Park Botanical Gardens: Often overlooked by locals, these gardens are a peaceful escape with stunning seasonal displays (scan QR codes in each bed to learn about the plants). Kids will love exploring the winding path, the impressive tree carvings, and climbing the wooden animals.

🏔️ Arthur's Stone & Cefn Bryn: Park up for a short walk to this 25-ton Neolithic burial chamber dating from 2500 BC, with incredible views across the Loughor Estuary. Legend says King Arthur threw a pebble from his boot that landed here and grew into this massive stone. Afterwards, reward yourself with a food and drink at the King Arthur Hotel in Reynoldston - recently named The Times 'Top cosy pub in the UK'.

🚶‍♀️ Gower Walking Festival: Over 30 guided walks from September 6th - September 14th, with themes ranging from bays to bats, flora to fauna, and dawn chorus to jazz. Perfect for discovering hidden gems around Gower with expert local guides.

🍴 Food & Drink Highlights

🍴 Swansea Food & Drink Festival: Head to the city center on August 9th-10th for street food, local produce, craft drinks and live entertainment with a friendly, laid-back vibe the whole family will love. Entry is free - just turn up and explore Oxford Street, Princess Way, and Portland Street.

🐄 The Gower Show: A proper agricultural show on August 3rd at the Penrice Estate, featuring livestock competitions, equine displays, local food producers, countryside exhibitions, and craft stalls. Plus, watch exciting ring displays throughout the day.

🍻 CAMRA Beer & Cider Festival: Try 80+ beers and ciders from Wales and beyond at the Brangwyn Hall between August 21st and 23rd, as this festival returns for its 35th year. Expect live music, bar games, and more.

🍺 GlastonBrewery at Gower Brewery: Enjoy live bands, DJs, street food and beer as fresh as it gets as the Gower Brewery Taproom transforms into a festival for one night only - Friday August 15th.

🎭 Arts & Culture Picks

🎤 Amplitude: Enjoy two full days of indie, jazz, folk and local music at the ampiteathre outside the LC Swansea. Featuring Who’s Molly, Kizzy Crawford, Disco Panther and more. Free entry and family friendly.

🎭 Outdoor Theatre at Oystermouth Castle: Illyria Theatre brings Pride and Prejudice and The Wind in the Willows to Mumbles on August 13th and 14th. There's something magical about watching theatre with the castle ruins as your backdrop!

🛶 Mumbles Raft Race: Watch a fleet of homemade rafts brave the water from Mumbles shore to Knab Rock on August 16th. Expect laughs, splashes, and a few sinking vessels - all in aid of the RNLI.

🎬 Movies Under the Stars: Swansea Council's outdoor cinema returns to Singleton Park's Lacrosse Field with Dirty Dancing on Saturday, July 26th and a 50th anniversary screening of Jaws on Sunday, July 27th. Pack a picnic, bring a blanket, and cosy up for some classics on the big screen.

🎵 Swansea International Jazz Festival: The city will buzz with cool jazz sounds from September 4th - 7th, featuring local and international artists performing across various venues, both free and ticketed.

👨‍👩‍👦‍👦 Family Fun

🎪 Mumbles Pier Summer Family Fun Days: Enjoy free family entertainment every Sunday throughout the school holidays, featuring rock painting, scavenger hunts, and sand castle competitions. Something different every week!

🎉 National Play Day: Head to the National Waterfront Museum on August 6th for this annual celebration with circus skills, arts and crafts, den building, sports, and games. All free!

🐄 Swansea Community Farm: A proper working farm in Fforestfach (and the only city farm in Wales!). Look out for its Summer Playscheme every Friday throughout the holidays, with adventure play, crafts, and a chance to meet the animals. And only £2 suggested donation per child!

👑 Prince and Princesses Day: Head down to Oystermouth Castle on Monday, August 25th for its most popular event of the year, featuring entertainment, games, stories and photo opportunities with royalty! Normal castle admission charges apply.

🐻 Gruffalo Trail: Head to Crwys Community Woodland in Three Crosses to check out the small, but impressive Gruffalo Trail and boardwalk - an ideal little loop for smaller children. Reward yourself with food and drink at the nearby Poundfalld Inn.

🚂 Derwen Fawr Miniature Railway: The Swansea Society of Model Engineers opens its doors again for two days of Bank Holiday fun, featuring rides on its miniature railway, engine tinkering, and lots of tea, coffee, and refreshments.

🏊‍♀️ Blackpill Lido: Swansea's very own free outdoor waterpark featuring a superb paddling pool with water features, children's play area, climbing rock and picnic facilities. Open daily Saturday May 3rd to Sunday September 28th 2025, with deckchairs available for £2.75 per day hire.

🍓 Gower Pick Your Own: Fill your baskets with juicy strawberries and raspberries while enjoying stunning countryside views. Perfect for families with undercover picking areas and an onsite café serving homemade treats. Plus new additions like mini crazy golf, locally-made crafts, and climbing wall

Giant’s Grave: Near Parc Le Breos on Gower is a real-life “Giant’s Grave” — a Neolithic tomb built over 5,000 years ago! Follow it with a visit to The Gower Heritage Centre.

🎨 Animal Art at Ravenhill Park: Follow the trail of colourful animals painted on the trees dotted around the park. Great for families but also a peaceful spot for a morning coffee and a wander.

Willow Sculptures at Crymlyn Bog: Wander along the wooden boardwalk at Swansea’s wildest wetland and look out for willow creatures hiding in the reeds.

🚂 Swansea Bay Rider Land Train: Hop aboard the 72-seater land train for a spectacular journey along Swansea's promenade from Blackpill to Mumbles. Hop-on-hop-off at stops including West Cross, Norton and Oystermouth.

⚽ Swansea Footgolf: Wales' first dedicated 18-hole footgolf course at Ashleigh Road combines football and golf for all ages and abilities. A round takes about 90 minutes.

🌧️ Rainy Day Winners

🧗‍♀️ FlashPoint: This bouldering wall and Crazy Climb experience at Parc Tawe is designed for all abilities from age 5+ with around 200 different climbing challenges. Lovely coffee and surprisingly good pizza, too!

🏛️ Swansea Museum: Perfect for rainy days, with regular "Unnatural Creatures" workshops and Summer Games for kids - fascinating exhibitions for the grown-ups, including Swansea’s experience of World War 2 and VE Day.

🏊‍♀️ Leisure Centre Fun: Freedom Leisure venues across Swansea are offering lots of fun pay and play sessions throughout the summer holidays, including bounce and play and the inflatables in the pool.

🎨 Family Gallery Tour: Join a free guided tour every Tuesday afternoon at the Glynn Vivian Art Gallery throughout the school holidays, encouraging kids to draw while adults gain expert insights into the collections and exhibitions. Lots of great workshops on throughout the holidays, too!

⛵ Unique Local Adventures

⛵ Ride on the Copper Jack: Enjoy a 90-minute pleasure cruise up the River Tawe with guided commentary about Swansea's industrial heritage as "Copperopolis." Book onto one of its special jazz and folk music events for a truly unique night out.

✈️ Plane Spotting at Swansea Airport: Head to the Whirlybird Cafe at Swansea Airport for great food with an incredible runway view - you can watch planes take off and land while enjoying coffee and lunch on their outdoor benches. Weekends often feature skydivers!

What are you most looking forward to this summer in Swansea? Reply to let me know, and I’ll catch you on Sunday!