New month, same madness — pint in one hand, horns in the other, butt 🤘🍻
March has rolled in like a double-kick drum to the chest 💥
The weather’s still doing its usual “four seasons in one day” routine 🌧️🌤️🌪️ — but inside the venues? It’s all sweat, riffs, and absolute scenes.
Wales is once again serving up a month of proper loud, no-nonsense rock and metal chaos, and we’ve picked out the gigs you NEED to be at 👇
🤘 CARDIFF – BIG RIFF ENERGY
🎤 Enter Shikari – Utilita Arena Cardiff
📅 6 March 2026 | 💰 ~£42
This is gonna be absolute carnage 😤🔥
Enter Shikari don’t do normal gigs — they do full-blown sonic riots.
Lights, chaos, synths, breakdowns… and a crowd that never stops moving.
If you leave this one without sweating through your clothes, you’ve done it wrong.
🎸 Himalayas – Clwb Ifor Bach
📅 14 March 2026 | 💰 ~£16
Back in Clwb where things get tight, loud, and slightly dangerous 😈
Huge riffs, indie swagger, and a crowd pressed so close you’ll make new best mates whether you like it or not. Proper Cardiff chaos.
🔥 Dream State – The Globe
📅 22 March 2026 | 💰 ~£18
Big эмо, big energy, big vocals 🎶
This one’s gonna hit you right in the feelings before throwing you straight into a pit.
Expect singalongs, goosebumps, and maybe a tear in your pint.
🌊 SWANSEA – LOUDER BY THE MINUTE
⚡ Venom Prison – Sin City
📅 8 March 2026 | 💰 ~£20
Brace yourself. This is the heavy one 💀
Venom Prison bring riffs that feel like a concrete block to the face and energy that doesn’t let up for a second.
Neck braces optional… but recommended.
💀 Ingested – Hangar 18
📅 21 March 2026 | 💰 ~£15
Filthy, brutal, and absolutely relentless 😈
Breakdowns that hit like a lorry and a pit that’ll chew you up and spit you out.
This is not one for the faint-hearted, mun.
🏔️ VALLEYS – PURE HEART & HAVOC
🖤 Those Damn Crows – The Patriot, Crumlin
📅 15 March 2026 | 💰 ~£24
Back in the valleys where it always feels a bit more special ❤️🔥
Big choruses, proper crowd connection, and that magic moment where everyone sings together like it’s a religion.
Goosebumps guaranteed.
🎶 Florence Black – The Factory, Porth
📅 29 March 2026 | 💰 ~£15
Dirty riffs. Big hooks. Proper Friday-night chaos 🍻
Perfect way to round off the month — loud, sweaty, and slightly blurry by the end of it.
🍺 FINAL WORD – RIFFS OVER EVERYTHING
March in Wales isn’t about sunshine or spring flowers…
It’s about:
- 🎸 Riffs that hit like thunder
- 🔥 Pits that don’t stop moving
- 🍻 Nights you barely remember (but never forget)
Support your local venues. Support Welsh bands. And most importantly…
GET. IN. THE. PIT.
🤘 RIFF REPORT VERDICT
- 🔥 Gig of the Month: Enter Shikari – full chaos mode
- 💀 Heaviest Night: Venom Prison – no survivors
- 🎶 Most Emotional: Dream State
- ❤️ Best Atmosphere: Those Damn Crows
- 🍻 Best Night Out: Florence Black
See you down the front, butt.
Loud, proud, and probably missing a shoe. 🤘🔥
Michael is the founder, editor, and chief riff wrangler behind The Riff Report, an independent Welsh rock and metal publication built by fans, for fans. With a lifelong passion for loud guitars, unforgettable live shows, and the incredible community that surrounds rock and metal, he created The Riff Report to celebrate everything that makes the scene special—from legendary headline acts and grassroots venues to rising bands that deserve to be heard.
A familiar face at festivals across the UK, Michael spends much of the year covering events including Download Festival, Bloodstock Open Air, Steelhouse Festival, Firevolt, Plumpton Revival, and many more. Whether he’s battling the Welsh weather on a mountainside, surviving a weekend in a muddy campsite, or squeezed against the front barrier with thousands of fellow fans, he’s always searching for the next great story to share.
As editor of The Riff Report, Michael writes festival guides, breaking news, album reviews, gig reviews, interviews, opinion pieces, nostalgia features, and behind-the-scenes stories from across the rock and metal world. His writing combines honest opinions, humour, and a genuine love for live music, bringing readers closer to the bands, festivals, venues, and people that keep the scene alive.
Michael is particularly passionate about supporting independent artists, local venues, charities, and the wider UK rock and metal community. He believes every band deserves a chance to be discovered and every festival has a story worth telling. Through The Riff Report, he aims to shine a spotlight on both the biggest names in rock and the future stars waiting to break through.
When he’s not writing or interviewing artists, you’ll probably find him exploring festival campsites, photographing live shows, chatting with fellow fans over a pint, or planning the next road trip in search of more riffs, bigger crowds, and unforgettable moments.
Above all, Michael believes rock and metal are about more than music—they’re about community, friendship, and creating memories that last a lifetime. That’s exactly what The Riff Report exists to celebrate.
Proudly Welsh. Proudly Loud. Always chasing the next great riff. 🤘
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