Westival is back from June 5 to 9 - with an eclectic array of live music and DJs – all set on the stunning Pembrokeshire coast at Manorbier.

This unique festival - across six stages - was dreamed up by Pembrokeshire’s own Joe Worley – who turned a 150-person party into one of Wales' most exciting independent festivals.

You can even travel to the festival by train, with Manorbier railway station just 200m from the site entrance.

Director and founder Joe spoke to ‘Visit Pembrokeshire’ to explain how it all began, and why the Pembrokeshire coastline is at the heart of it all.

“We have been running our annual Pembrokeshire festival for 7 years, where we aim to promote local DJs and music acts as well as welcoming some world-renowned artists,” said Joe.

“Previous Westival performers include Evelyn ‘Champagne’ King, O'flynn, Afriquoi, Crazy P, Marcellus Pittman, Pretty Girl, Shanti Celeste. This year sees Nubiyan Twist, Dele Sosimi and more performing against the stunning backdrop of Manorbier.

Joe explained why he wanted to start up such a music event in West Wales.

“I grew up in St Florence and then moved to Creselly before heading to University in Newcastle, graduating with a Masters in Chemical Engineering. I currently live in London, but Pembrokeshire will always be my home, and we are keen to move back permanently in the next few years,” he continued

“At Uni, I really got into DJ’ing and organising events, so it made perfect sense to combine the two and Westival was created.

“Westival started as a private party for about 150 friends, and over the last 7 years has grown from there. A lot of other festivals focus on just one type of music, but we wanted Westival to be inclusive for all tastes so between our two stages, the ‘Life is Good’ and ‘Love Stock’ stage, we showcase a range of music styles from Jazz and hip-hop to ska music.

“Westival isn’t just House and Disco and we try to offer ‘a stage for everyone’.

“Community spirit and showcasing Pembrokeshire talent is at the heart of Westival. I keep an eye on emerging Pembrokeshire bands and DJs on social media, and each year we are blessed to receive a number of applications from local artists wanting to perform. This year, around 80% of our artists are Welsh, with a lot of them being Pembrokeshire based.

Joe said that his favourite thing about this part of the world, is the Pembrokeshire coastline: “There’s nothing like it. From the festival site in Manorbier you can see out to Caldey island, and the setting is just magical, especially when the weather is good!

“As Westival has grown, we have worked year on year to become more sustainable and reducing our carbon offset. From reducing the number of generators on site through to making sure that our cups and bowls that are supplied by our traders are reusable, we are taking steps to care for the environment.”

To grab your tickets head to: https://www.westival.wales/