Get ready for the Faenol Festival

Aug 21 2008 By Sarah Scott

DUST off your picnic chairs and bring out the wicker baskets – the countdown to the Faenol Festival has begun.

If opera or songs from the musicals are your thing, if you want to swoon over a hunky boy band or you would rather rock till you drop – there is something for everyone at the festival. Organiser Bryn Terfel has said that this, the ninth festival, will be the most memorable yet.

One of the great highlights will be tomorrow night’s Boyzone show.

Destined to be one of the live music events of the year, this performance will see all five original members of the band – Ronan Keating, Stephen Gately, Shane Lynch, Mikey Graham and Keith Duffy – come back together to perform some of their best-loved songs in their comeback tour.

The Opera Gala, on Saturday night will feature the young international rising star, soprano Diana Damrau, Bulgarian mezzo soprano Nadia Krasteva and the acclaimed South African tenor Johan Botha.

Joining them on stage again this year will be the world-renowned orchestra of Welsh National Opera under the baton of Gareth Jones.

A touch of showbiz razzmatazz will come to the Faenol estate on Sunday night with Music Under the Stars.

Torchwood star John Barrowman will be joined by Bryn Terfel, Daniel Boys, and the winner of Nancy in the BBC TV competition I’d Do Anything – Jodie Prenger.

The festival finale Tân y Ddraig is on Monday night.

The concert will feature 80s favourites Maffia Mr Hughes, former Catatonia singer Cerys Matthews, Ryland Teifi and Daniel Lloyd a Mr Pinc.

Festival-goers should note there are strict alcohol regulations for the Tân y Ddraig concert – under-21s will not be allowed to enter the arena in possession of alcohol and will not be allowed to buy alcohol from the bar in the arena, unless they produce identification to prove they are over 18. No cans or glass bottles will be allowed into the arena.