Cardiff will mark St David’s Day with a free bilingual Welsh Tales Trail on Sunday, March 1, giving families a simple way to explore the city centre through Welsh storytelling. The event, organised by FOR Cardiff, runs from 11:30am to 3:30pm and connects five stops across the city through stories inspired by Welsh folklore.
The trail is part of FOR Cardiff’s Little Things campaign, a city-centre programme designed to celebrate Welsh culture through language, food, music, literature and family activity. For families, the format is straightforward: collect a free sticker booklet, follow the route, gather each story and finish at National Museum Cardiff.
The event is designed to be easy to join without needing tickets or a fixed booking slot. It gives visitors a structured St David’s Day activity while encouraging them to spend time in Cardiff’s shops, bookshops, cultural venues and public spaces.
Welsh Tales Trail key details
Date: Sunday, March 1
Trail time: 11:30am to 3:30pm
Starting point: Guest Services, Upper Level, St David’s Cardiff
Family play area: 11:00am to 4:00pm at Guest Services, Upper Level, St David’s Cardiff
How the Cardiff St David’s Day trail works
Families start at Guest Services inside St David’s Cardiff, where they can collect a free sticker book and the first story. From there, the route moves through the city centre, with each stop linked to a different Welsh tale.
The stories are presented in both Welsh and English, making the trail accessible for visitors while keeping Welsh language and heritage at the heart of the day.
The official route and event details are available through FOR Cardiff’s Welsh Tales Trail guide.
Welsh Tales Trail stops
- St David’s Cardiff — The Tale of Pwyll, Prince of Dyfed
- Oxfam Bookshop — The Tale of Culhwch and Olwen
- Waterstones — The Tale of Branwen
- Castle Welsh Crafts — The Dream of Macsen Wledig
- National Museum Cardiff — The Wise Old Woman and Peredur
Prize draw for families who complete the route
Anyone who completes the full trail can enter a prize draw for a ÂŁ50 Waterstones voucher. The prize gives children an extra reason to finish the route, while the trail itself remains focused on storytelling, movement and discovery.
The route also spreads activity across several city-centre locations instead of keeping the whole event in one place. That makes it easier for families to pause, browse, take breaks and move at their own pace.
Important timing: Families who reach National Museum Cardiff by 2:30pm can attend a St David’s Day performance in Gallery 4.
National Museum Cardiff performance
The final stop at National Museum Cardiff includes a live performance from The Gentle Good, a Welsh Music Prize-winning musician. The performance gives the trail a clear ending and adds a live cultural element to the afternoon.
By placing the performance at the final stop, the programme turns the trail into more than a short walk. It becomes a half-day St David’s Day plan that combines folklore, city exploration and music.
Free family activities at St David’s Cardiff
Alongside the trail, FOR Cardiff is running a bilingual family activity area at Guest Services inside St David’s Cardiff from 11:00am to 4:00pm.
The space includes free activities such as arts and crafts, face painting, story time and Welsh language sessions for adults. Families can use it before starting the trail, during a break or after finishing the route.
Part of the Little Things campaign
The Welsh Tales Trail sits within FOR Cardiff’s wider Little Things campaign, which highlights Welsh culture across the city centre in the build-up to St David’s Day.
Earlier in February, the campaign included St David’s Favourites, a public vote focused on Welsh-inspired food and drink from independent venues. Voting ran from February 6 to February 26, with the winner due to be announced on March 1.
Transport for Wales is also supporting the programme by promoting its Family Ticket, which allows up to two children under 16 to travel free with each fare-paying adult on its network. The partnership places rail travel as a practical option for families heading into Cardiff for the day.
Families planning more cultural trips this year can also check this guide on how to get Bayeux Tapestry tickets, which explains booking options and visitor information for one of Europe’s best-known historic attractions.
Why the event matters for Cardiff
The trail gives Cardiff a St David’s Day activity that is free, walkable and rooted in Welsh identity. It also supports city-centre footfall by connecting major venues with smaller stops such as bookshops and craft locations.
For families, the biggest appeal is the simplicity. There is a clear starting point, a short list of stops, a sticker-book format, a prize draw and a live performance at the end. That structure makes the day feel organised without making it feel rigid.
The bilingual approach is also important. By presenting the stories in Welsh and English, the trail keeps the celebration inclusive while giving Welsh language and folklore a visible role in the city’s St David’s Day programme.
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