With St David’s Day fast approaching and a SXSW showcase on the horizon, FOCUS Wales has unveiled an additional 72 music acts for its highly anticipated 15th edition, set to take place in Wrexham, North Wales, 8–10 May 2025.
Among the newly announced acts are The Wytches, known for their raw energy and dark, evocative themes. Over a decade since their explosive debut, Annabel Dream Reader, they continue to push creative boundaries. Their fourth album, Our Guest Can’t Be Named, released via Alcopop! Records, highlights both their evolution and enduring presence.
Fresh from a critically acclaimed ESNS performance, The Family Battenberg joins the lineup, bringing a distinctive blend of 70s rock-infused guitar riffs, driving Motorik rhythms and playful lyrical storytelling. Another ESNS standout, Lisbon’s MAQUINA, has built a formidable reputation in Portugal’s underground scene with their all-organic, improvisation-driven sound, known for blistering live shows packed with pounding rhythms, gritty basslines and searing guitar.
Sydney-based artist Jess Holt, known as total tommy, made a bold entrance into the UK music scene with her 2024 debut album Bruises, delivering a dynamic indie grunge sound reminiscent of early Garbage and Courtney Barnett. Meanwhile, Bronx-born artist and BMI songwriter JoethePoet brings deeply personal storytelling to the stage, weaving raw, heartfelt hip-hop narratives that reflect his journey of resilience, faith and self-discovery.
The announcement also highlights an array of exciting Welsh talent. FOCUS Wales alumna Eädyth returns with her bilingual electro-soul sound, blending ethereal vocals with elements of electronica, drum and bass and atmospheric production that has earned her regular airplay on BBC Wales and BBC Radio Cymru. Also returning to Wrexham is Bethan Lloyd set to enchant audiences with her forthcoming LP, showcasing trance-inducing vocals layered over sublime strings and harmonic textures. Fusing her classical training with Berlin’s experimental music scene and pagan teachings, her performances promise a unique improvisational experience.
Another remarkable Welsh artist is Martha O’Brien, a Cardiff-based singer-songwriter, writer and researcher whose hauntingly beautiful voice and evocative lyricism leave a lasting impression. Co-founder of nawr magazine, which showcases Welsh and Wales-based creatives, she released her debut EP Caution, Horses! last year.
True to its roots, FOCUS Wales remains deeply connected to its local community and committed to fostering grassroots creativity. This year’s lineup proudly features a collection of community choirs, each highlighting the transformative power of participatory arts — especially for marginalised and vulnerable groups. These choirs embody the festival’s ethos of inclusivity and the belief that music can be a force for connection and healing.
The Wrexham One Love Choir is a positive initiative that supports homeless people in the area through music. The Signing Sensations BSL Choir provides a space for children with support needs, facilitated by the Dynamic Wrexham organisation. Choirs for Good Wrexham is part of a Wales-wide initiative developed to rebuild confidence and mental health in the wake of the pandemic. Cor DAW offers Welsh learners a chance to celebrate language and culture through song.
Meanwhile, the Delta Ladies Choir, an extension of the Delta Academy Performing Arts organisation, provides women with a safe, encouraging space to explore music and build connections. Wrexham All Voices is an inclusive community choir that celebrates unity through songs of peace, old favourites, and music from diverse cultures in both English and Welsh.
As FOCUS Wales celebrates its 15th edition, the festival continues to serve as a vibrant platform for both established and emerging artists, amplifying voices from across Wales and around the world. With a diverse lineup spanning genres and generations, and a heartfelt commitment to community and creativity, this year’s festival promises to be an unforgettable celebration of music’s power to unite and inspire.
FOCUS Wales is supported by the Arts Council of Wales, Welsh Government and PRS Foundation’s Talent Development Network.
