Is Cardiff’s underground music scene dying?
Prior to moving here, we heard a lot from our peers about Cardiff's rave scene, such as the infamous Hippo Club and Splotts' warehouse, so expectations were high. However, upon arrival post-pandemic, there was an element of dissatisfaction. While the scene is certainly more vibrant than back home, one cannot help but feel that it is not reaching its full potential. This raises the question: Is the underground music scene in Cardiff dying?
At first glance, this appears to be the case. Far fewer events are being held, music diversity is lacking, and many influential venues that provided Cardiff its character are closing. A good argument could be made that the electronic music scene is losing its footing in the Welsh capital. However, this is not due to the lack of punters or brands hosting parties; instead, it is due to the constant uphill battle smaller venues face in light of the rising costs since the pandemic.
The onset of the pandemic exacerbated challenges for live music venues. Restrictions on gatherings, prolonged lockdowns, and financial strains led to further closures. In 2020, the Music Venue Trust reported that grassroots music venues faced unprecedented challenges, with many at risk of permanent closure without additional support. Read more - Nation Cymru
In the time we've been here, multiple grassroots venues, such as Buffalo and the Moon, have closed due to the uphill battle they faced. Furthermore, since the pandemic, heavyweight underground venues such as Vaults have been throwing fewer parties, leaving room for more corporate venues and brands to mop up and capitalise on the gap in the market. These closures are part of a broader trend, with Cardiff losing nearly 10% of its licensed premises between March 2020 and December 2023. ITV
Cardiff's music venues face challenges that reflect a national crisis. In 2023, 125 grassroots music venues, accounting for 16% of such venues, closed in the UK, marking the worst year for closures in a decade.
Grassroots venues are integral to the music scene. They allow smaller up-and-coming artists to present their talents to the world and play more risky, unique sounds, which is how all your favourite DJs started out. Across the country, it is becoming increasingly difficult for these smaller independent venues to remain viable as they face increased rental prices and business rates. This, paired with soaring electricity prices, stricter licenses and heavier regulations, presents tremendous pressure on our beloved clubs. Moreover, many grassroots clubs are located in city-centre locations, which are facing redevelopment into luxury apartments, office spaces or retail hubs. This makes it unattainable for venues to run, as noise complaints from new residents often lead to imposed restrictions or forced closures. Unlike countries such as Germany (where Berlin's club scene is protected as 'cultural institutions'), the UK government provides little funding or support for grassroots nightlife, which propels their struggle.
We spoke to Dan Gren, co-founder of the Cardiff-based label Pashion, about the current situation of the Cardiff music scene. Dan has been involved in the scene long enough to witness its transformation and shared a valuable insight into its struggles and potential future.
Dan noted that the scene is in a "mixed state." On the one hand, there are still plenty of events happening, and there's clearly demand for nightlife and live music. However, rising costs and venue closures (many of which stem from the impact of lockdowns) have severely affected grassroots spaces, historically the backbone of Cardiff's scene. These smaller venues provide a space for emerging artists and niche sounds, and their decline has made it harder for fresh talent to break through. While there are still dedicated promoters pushing quality music, many are struggling to stay afloat due to rising costs and dwindling numbers. "It feels like there's a push and pull between maintaining underground culture and catering to mainstream appeal," Dan explained.
Comparing the current scene to pre-COVID, Dan observed a stark contrast. "Pre-COVID, nightlife was much more vibrant. More small and mid-sized venues were operating, meaning greater diversity in the types of events on offer." He pointed out that dance floors were more consistent and engaging, making it easier for up-and-coming DJs and promoters to find their footing. Post-COVID, many of those spaces have disappeared, and the rising costs of running events have made it harder for independent promoters to take risks. As a result, Cardiff's scene now feels more risk-averse, with fewer experimental nights and a general sense of stagnation.
Dan described the scene's future as depending on how well grassroots culture can be preserved despite the financial and cultural changes. "If independent promoters, local labels, and smaller venues can weather the storm, Cardiff could maintain a strong underground presence." However, if trends continue where larger commercial events dominate, the scene could become more homogenised, prioritising safe, crowd-pleasing bookings over diversity and innovation. Nonetheless, there is a potential for a resurgence if people continue supporting smaller, more intimate events.
"With enough energy and movement behind it, we could see a shift back towards a more community-driven, musically adventurous scene."
Dan emphasised the need for more experimentation when asked what he would like to see change. "There's been a shift towards playing it safe," he said. "Whether that's sticking to familiar sounds, booking only established names, or catering too much to social media trends." Albeit, he understands why promoters do this; they struggle to attract support and feel pressured to book artists who will bring in a crowd. But this has created a cycle that stifles innovation. "It would be great to see that spirit of exploration and risk-taking return to the scene," Dan added.
To propel this change, Dan suggests a few key courses of action. First, he advocates for the support of local, smaller, and more intimate event companies and labels. "These are the spaces where fresh ideas and risk-taking happen." He also calls for a cultural shift from prioritising spectacle over the music itself. "Dance music has increasingly become a trend, and with that comes a disregard for the deeper culture and history behind it."
Finally, Dan believes that everyone involved—promoters, venues, and dancers—needs to foster a scene where experimentation is encouraged rather than sidelined. This could include booking lesser-known but forward-thinking artists, creating safer spaces for people to dance freely, or building a stronger community ethos around the music rather than the spectacle.
While this all sounds rather bleak and that much is to be done to restore the scene to what it was pre-pandemic, we spoke to Alfie Scotting, aka Still Def, who provided a valuable alternate perspective. He suggested that while the scene was shaken dramatically by COVID, it has settled. Many bases are being covered by corporate clubs like District, which are giving us larger-scale Girls Don't Sync / Sammy Virji-type experiences and smaller capacity independent venues like Paradise Garden, Bar 105 and BunkHouse taking on more niche parts of the scene, allowing for greater experimentation and a place for the next generation of DJs to present themselves to the world.
Ultimately, music scenes evolve through time and though Cardiff's may look different post-pandemic, the underground spirit is not dead. While it has faced significant challenges—from venue closures and rising costs to commercialisation making it challenging for smaller-scale names to break through—the passion and demand for the scene remain strong. The balance and cohesion between grassroots culture and commercialisation will determine the scene's future. If smaller venues and independent promoters continue to receive the support they need, and if the community continues to champion experimentation over predictability, there is hope for the continued growth of the underground.
