The Magic of Meltdown - 40th Anniversary Gig

Six Sided Men + Paul Rosser + Sian Donovan + Rob Nichols + Ade Roper & Mike Slee + The Mermerings + Dave Id

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0	CARDIFF: Tiny Rebel
P	Wednesday 11th March, 2026
N	7:30pm

Event information

It's 40 years since the South Wales music and performance scenes were revolutionised by a small non profit cooperative of unpaid enthusiasts, CARDIFF MELTDOWN  who experimented with using a folk club format but blowing open its content to all forms of music and performance. There followed a quarter century of Meltdowns, including well over 1000 gigs, where the melting down of barriers rippled out into the South Wales folk, jazz, indie, rap, comedy, and circus scenes, got written into the DNA of Cardiff Summer Festivals, and helped spark the emergence of Cool Cymru.

Come and celebrate with the SIX SIDED MEN, PAUL ROSSER (of the Watermelons), SIAN DONOVAN, ROB NICHOLS (Sun Kings & Junior Bill), DAVE ID (co-founder No Fit State Circus), ADE ROPER & MIKE SLEE, the MERMERINGS - debut Meltdown for Molly & friends compelling acoustica., compere DEBBIE MANLEY (tbc) and more. Doors 7.30pm. Music ends 10.30pm. The venue has bars open til 1am.

Tonight is both a celebration of Meltdown's legacy, a reunion for many who sustained, supported, and performed at Meltdowns, and a 'proof of concept' in 2026 of how 'meltdowns' still create community, spark creativity and seed collaboration. It will help us mark 2026 with further events, help us share our Meltdown digital archive, and encourage others to learn the art of melting down! NB The photo above is of the 20th Meltdown Birthday Party - shared with No Fit State ircus - at the Point in Cardiff Bay.