FOCUS Wales has this week revealed the second wave of artists to play this year’s May festival. 104 new acts are unveiled to join the already announced Gruff Rhys, LEMFRECK, Ynys, Das Koolies, AS Fanning. The Wrexham-based annual gathering showcases talent from around the world and emerging homegrown talent from across Wales.
Welsh artists joining the fun include Papa Jupe’s T.C. who deliver darkly humorous critiques on depravity, toxic masculinity and drinking culture through surf-rock and post-punk, and Triskel Award winners WRKHOUSE, one of BBC Cymru’s top 5 artists to watch continue to rise with debut EP Out of the Blue.
Otto Aday whose video for the Dave Stewart-produced ‘Dancing Round The Morning Sun’ last year won the Focus’s BAFTA-accredited “Best Welsh Music Video” returns with his highly melodic, heart on crushed velvet sleeve classy pop songs. Horizon Launchpad 2025 award recipients SHALE continue their upward trajectory, and the atmospheric Red Telephone expand their fusion of melodic psych and darkwave with cinematic influences.
Harmony and melody merchants Campfire Social released They Sound The Same Under Water album last summer; Eve Goodman, a bilingual singer-songwriter from North Wales, weaves folk storytelling with a profound connection to nature, drawing inspiration from her experiences in both Wales and Cornwall. Over in South Wales, Danielle Lewis evokes Welsh mysticism through ethereal dream pop, while Jessika Kay mesmerises with her soulful blend of RnB and neo-soul. English/Welsh duo Body Water introduce a haunting horror-rock edge, while Colwyn Bay’s M. Yesekaon is making waves in the Welsh hip-hop scene. South Wales-based MORN capture attention with intricate post-punk instrumentation and emotive vocals.
Supported by the Arts Council of Wales, Welsh Government, and PRS Foundation’s Talent Development Network, FOCUS Wales connects artists with audiences and fosters creative growth.
FOCUS Wales 2025 takes place in various venues across Wrexham, 8 -10 May 2025.
The artists on the line-up shared this week are:
Alright (Okay) | ASKO | Baby Schillaci | Ballsy | Bau Cat | better joy | Bloodworm | Bobbie-Jo & The Band | Body Water | Bruna Garcia | Buddug | Campfire Social | Charlie J | CHEMBOMUSIC | CJ Wiley | Cocaine Yoga | Courtney Scotto | Cushla | Danielle Lewis | Dazo | DEAFDEAFDEAF | debdepan | Delta Ladies Choir | Denuo | Diary | Dump Babes | eat-girls | Elinborg | Ellen Froese | em koko | Eve Goodman | Eye | FIGO | Full Cab | Georgian | Half Happy | Heartpiece | Hjalte Ross | Holysseus Fly | Hunzz | Hypnosis Therapy | Iona Fyfe | Jessika Kay | Joana Dark | Jodie Nicholson | Jordyn With a Why | Kahpun | Kaptin’s Rap Open Mic | Kenny Cadence of Hate Being Sober | Korrupted | Last Train | Leanne Hoffman | Lloyds House | Low Girl | Luca Fogale | Lucy Kruger & The Lost Boys | MĀ | Manilla Times | Marvin’s Revenge | MDMAR | Mellt | Meltheads | Merry | Miesha and The Spanks | Mirage | Mohi | Monet | Morgan Elwy | MORN | Muddy Elephant | M.Yesekaon | Nap Eyes | Olive Grinter | Olive Jones | Ona Mafalda | Otto Aday | Papaya Noon | Papa Jupe’s T.C. | Parisa Fouladi | Patche | Pau Walters | Public Order | Razkid | Red Telephone | Rich Aucoin | Roscoe | SHALE | Sister Envy | Sleeping Together | Stella Bridie | Sustinere | Swathes | Tender Claws | Teon Gibbs | The Family Men | The Gilberts | Toria Wooff | Truck Violence | TUKAN | Two Tonne Machette | We Hate You Please Die | Whitney Lyman | WRKHOUSE | Yellow Belly
