Noah Kahan Is The First Artist To Headline At The Newly Established ‘Blackweir Live’
The opening event of the newly formed Blackweir Live was nothing short of spectacular, with none other than folk-pop singer-songwriter Noah Kahan’s voice echoing through the streets of Cardiff.
Thankfully, the weather held out and remained dry until later that night, after the show had ended. The turnout was a success, with up to 35,000 people attending the mini-festival in Blackweir Fields. Before Noah took the stage, attendees were treated to performances by two other artists: DJO (Joe Keery of Stranger Things) and Sebastian Schub.
Unfortunately, I got stuck in traffic caused by both rush hour traffic and people heading to the event, so I missed the support acts—something I was genuinely disappointed about. As I walked through Cardiff towards Blackweir Fields, I could hear DJO’s set from outside the main admission area. While I didn’t catch his performance up close, I did manage to walk past DJO backstage after photographing the start of Noah’s performance—regretfully missing the chance to ask for a photo. I’ll definitely make a point to catch Joe on his own UK tour in the future.
The festival seemed well-organised, especially for a first-time event. It catered to a wide range of individuals and needs. Multiple food and drink stands lined the site’s perimeter, along with numerous toilet facilities, lockers, a sensory tent, and accessible areas. The site was divided into two sections near the stage, separated by a walkway. On the left was an area called “The Garden,” featuring its own bar and food vendors; the right side appeared to be a VIP section. Behind these was the main general admission area.
People even gathered on the grassy areas outside the event boundary, catching glimpses of the show and enjoying the sound from a distance—despite not having tickets. This was my first time photographing Noah live. I’d first seen him as a support act for Dermot Kennedy in 2023 in Birmingham, and again during his own headline tour a year later. In just a few short years, Noah has gone from performing in smaller venues to headlining massive arena shows and now performing for 35,000 fans in the UK—an impressive achievement for an American artist oversees.
From start to finish, Noah had the crowd in the palm of his hand. He often paused his singing to let the massive audience chant his lyrics back at him. He was joined by the same talented band I saw during his 2024 Stick Season tour: Noah Levine (guitar and banjo), Alex Bachari (bass), Marco Valles (drums), Dylan Jones (keyboard), and Nina de Vitry (multi-instrumentalist). Each musician brought their own energy and skill to the performance, elevating the live sound of Noah’s music.
Midway through the evening, Noah left the main stage and walked down a central walkway between the VIP and Garden sections, performing on a smaller stage directly in front of the general admission crowd. He interacted with fans—reaching out and high-fiving hands—before returning to the main stage to finish the show.
People of all ages and backgrounds came together for this event, and it was clear that everyone had a terrific night. It was a strong and promising start for Blackweir Live, and I hope its success continues. I’d absolutely attend again and would recommend it to others.
There are still three major shows lined up at the same location in July: Alanis Morissette (July 2), Slayer (July 3), and Stevie Wonder (July 9). It’s great to see such variety in the lineup—they’re clearly catering to all musical tastes rather than sticking to one genre.
