The popular annual mountain top Steelhouse Festival in Ebbw Vale is taking place this weekend.
It is the festival’s 14th year, and the three-day event is expected to attract over 16,000 visitors.
The impact of last year’s event boosted the economy in the area by almost £1 million.
Most of the vendors, traders, infrastructure, and services at the festival are Welsh businesses and suppliers.
The Minister for Creative Industries, Jack Sargeant, said: “The Steelhouse Festival is a made-in-Ebbw-Vale success story with an exemplary focus on developing and training its committed volunteer workforce.
“What a fantastic model of how an entrepreneurial labour of love, assisted with funding support, can grow to benefit a whole community, and provide a huge return on investment for the Welsh economy."
What are the Steelhouse Festival 2024 dates?
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Friday July 26
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Saturday July 27
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Sunday July 28
What do you need to bring?
The festival's website recommends bringing the following:
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Waterproofs
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Wellies
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Sun cream
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Sunhat
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Torch
If you are camping:
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Tent
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Sleeping bag
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Toilet paper
If needed you can buy emergency toiletries at the festival.
Where is the festival & where can I park?
The outdoor event is being held at Hafod-Y-Dafal Farm, Ebbw Vale, UK, NP13 2ER.
If you don't have a car you can catch the Steelhouse Shuttle Bus to the festival from Ebbw Vale Parkway train station and back again.
Where can I buy tickets?
Tickets are still available to purchase here.
What is the line-up?
Friday July 26
King King / Elles Bailey / The Zac Schulze Gang / Oli Brown & The Dead Collective / Nev MacDonald / Jim Kirkpatrick
Saturday July 27
King King / Elles Bailey / The Zac Schulze Gang / Oli Brown & The Dead Collective / Nev MacDonald / Jim Kirkpatrick
Sunday
Jared James Nichols / The Last Internationale / Mr. Big / The Commoners
Who are the volunteers behind the event?
A team of over 100 volunteers support the event each year to make the festival possible.
Aeddan Ship, 21, has been coming to the festival with his family since he was eight years old.
He started helping his parents dress the arena and developed a passion for production after watching the professional crews rig, light and set up the stage.
He soon moved to helping the stage crew at Steelhouse to run changeovers during show time.
This real stage experience has inspired him to undertake a Sound, Lighting and Live Events Technology BSc at USW Atrium, Cardiff and he is now actively pursuing a career.
“It’s been a surreal experience volunteering at the festival. I see it now as a second home and the crew and volunteers as a second family and lifelong friends.
“The experience I’ve gained from setting up the arena to working on the stage has helped me find my career niche and help me grow as a person and gain confidence within myself,” he said.
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The history of the festival
The Steelhouse Rock Festival began in 2011 and since then has steadily grown from 1,200 to 16,000 visitors.
It was first founded by Max Rhead & Mikey Evans, both from Ebbw Vale where the festival takes place.
Having met at the age of 13 in Ebbw Vale Senior Comprehensive, they soon became bandmates, before going into the events business together in 2010.
That year Mikey moved back to Wales - a year later the local rock festival was born.
The Welsh government has helped fund the event since 2015, but the work of the volunteers is essential.
The festival offers various volunteer training programmes such as in hospitality, catering, stage management and IT.
After the pandemic, a new 3-year funding agreement was secured for the festival from Events Wales which will run until 2025.
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