An exhibition curated by Cardiff Music History
Sponsored by Anthony Slaughter MS
Dates: 12 September to 5 November 2026
Location: Pierhead Futures Gallery
Resonant Places revisits our music history through the lens of its lost music venues. For many a night out in Cardiff could mean finding a seat in the grandeur of the Capitol, where decades of dust sat on surfaces and audiences waited for the collective rush to the front of the stage. For some, the real energy belonged to found spaces - old industrial buildings, churches converted into dance floors, and tight, sweaty rooms tucked above city streets.
Stepping inside meant leaving the high street behind, to enter an intense other world. From a cold pavement to a packed room heavy with cigarette smoke, dark shadows, and a bassline that you could feel in your gut, making old buildings creak and strain with the vibrations.
Some were raw, gritty and independent. Some became community hubs where different worlds crossed paths, where anyone could walk up a rickety staircase alone on a Saturday night and immediately find their people.
Resonant Places brings these vanished spaces back to life through first-hand stories and photos, alongside original posters, artwork, and items from the venues.
The exhibition is supported by the National Library of Wales and Cardiff Music City.
