A coastal festival celebrating welsh & english culture & music.
Our story
SAIN.WAVES takes its name from two words that sit naturally side by side here on the island: Sain, the Welsh word for “sound” and Waves, reflecting both our coastal home and the movement of creativity outward through community. The title was developed in conversation with local Welsh speakers and celebrates the bilingual cultural space of Rhosneigr, where Welsh and English are equally valued, heard, and woven together through music.
Co-founded by The Inscape studios and The Rhosneigr Gin Company
...who also funded the project as part of a commitment to reinvesting back into the village, in its first year the festival was held together by a small team of three women in the village of Rhosneigr, Michelle Harris, Helen Sanderson and Kirsty Ashburner. Today our team has grown and with the help of local volunteers, university students and sponsors the festival is proudly embarking on its second year of existance.
Driven by COmmunity
The festival would not exist without the contributions of local sponsors, volunteers and founders funding.
The first SAIN.WAVES Festival took place in July 2025, unfolding across the village of Rhosneigr as a trail-style coastal music weekend. Independent artists from across North Wales performed in venues throughout the village, from Llanfaelog Church to Starvation Bar, Blue Olive, Y Morfa, Sandy Mount House and Wills Bar, inviting audiences to walk, listen, and experience the village through music. Even the cocktails were collaborative, with a different Rhosneigr Gin festival serve at each venue.
The weekend itself opened with a collaboration with Think! Rhosneigr, welcoming respected Welsh artists Elin Fflur and Tudur Owen to speak about creative life in North Wales. Across Saturday, original artists including Gorwel Owen and Fiona Owen, Meinir Gwilym, Dafydd Hedd, Tequila Slammers and Florés brought the village alive with music spanning generations and genres.
Behind the scenes, around ten volunteers helped the festival move smoothly across venues, while generous support from Simon Wareham of Anglesey Music, Fire Dog, local venues, and The Rhosneigr Gin Company ensured professional production and fair pay for every artist.
At the heart of SAIN.WAVES is a simple belief: local artists deserve to be valued properly. That means fair pay, professional production, and genuine respect for their craft. Independent art cannot survive on exposure alone. By ensuring every artist on our lineup is paid and supported, we invest directly back into the creative ecology of North Wales. When local musicians are treated professionally in their own communities, it strengthens confidence, sustainability, and cultural pride, and allows creativity to remain rooted here, rather than feeling it must leave to thrive.
