How FOCUS Wales supports musicians

FOCUS Wales – the international showcase festival held in Wrexham every year – celebrates its 15th year in 2025. Co-founded by Neal Thompson and Andy Jones, it showcases emerging artists from Wales, alongside global new music.

Every year, the event brings over 22,000 people to Wrexham over three days, showcasing more than 250 artists across 20 stages. Alongside the festival in Wrexham, FOCUS Wales also hosts various industry showcases and networking opportunities for artists worldwide, many of which which we’ve supported over the last four years. Notable past performers at these showcases include Mace The Great, Adwaith, Cate Le Bon, Kelly Lee Owens, and Gruff Rhys.

We spoke to Neal about the role FOCUS Wales plays in Welsh music, and its aim to help develop a self-sufficient Welsh music industry. He spoke about the need for infrastructure to support early-career artists, and shared some advice for emerging artists who may be thinking about applying to perform.

Andy Jones and Neal Thompson have been involved in the Welsh music industry for many years, and have both played at showcase festivals worldwide. This experience made them both realise that Wales needed its own showcase festival: a space to spotlight Welsh artists and build connections with other showcases from across the globe.  

Neal says that, at its core, FOCUS Wales is about uplifting and developing Welsh artists, whilst also opening doors to international industry and its markets. That’s why the international element of the festival, where they welcome acts from all around the world, has been central from the beginning.

"The festival in Wrexham allowed us to create a network for export. It enabled us to build connections, reach other markets, engage with international delegates, and create an interwoven global network." says Neal.

That means creating opportunities for Wales-based artists to play at showcase festivals worldwide. Events like Eurosonic in the Netherlands and SXSW in the USA offer Wales-based artists access to key international markets, audiences and industry networks.

"The missing piece of the puzzle that we fill at FOCUS Wales is quite important in the wider context", says Neal. "In Wales, we are very capable of producing musical talent to a world-class standard. We hope that by putting things in place to help develop a homegrown infrastructure, we can continue to do that at the highest level."

So, how do artists apply to play at FOCUS Wales in Wrexham, or at one of the international showcases? Firstly, there’s an open call to all artists, which Neal says is important.

"We work with lots of different partners and people, to make sure that the opportunity reaches as many artists as possible," says Neal. "We’re here to represent everything that’s happening in Wales, so any music that’s created in Wales by people living in Wales – across any genre and language."

For the Wrexham showcase alone, a vast team of experts and partners are involved in the selection process, from programmers working across different festivals and venues to community groups familiar with local talent.  

With over 5,000 applications every year for both Wrexham and the international showcases, there’s a lot of work needed to choose who’ll nab one of the 250 slots. "We listen to every single thing that’s presented to us," says Neal. ‘"t’s just a matter of whittling down who’s going to get the most out of the slots."

For international showcases, there are other teams of experts who select the acts. Of course, they talk to Neal and Andy and the rest of the team in order to reach the final selection.

Whether in Wrexham or at one of the international showcases, the team is always ready to facilitate the event, and make sure the artists get the most out of the experience. Alongside the musical performances, artists can also attend panels, seminars and discussions with experts from across the industry – all designed to help them network and plan their next move.

Neal explains, "We work closely with the artists to make sure they get the attention of the people they want to network with. We’re always trying to sow seeds, create opportunities and maximise these opportunities for artists."

What advice would Neal give artists applying for a slot? Tell them how you are going to use the music industry conference to further your career. "That’s what we want to hear," says Neal. "This isn’t just a festival where you show up and play, the whole point is how you’re going to use your showcase to create an opportunity for yourself."

"Explain what you would like to achieve by playing it and what the constraints are as well. We always want to hear that."

Understanding the barriers for Wales-based artists is crucial for FOCUS Wales. By gathering this information, the organisation hopes to build up a bigger picture of the challenges artists face in the Welsh music industry. Neal says, "On a zoomed-in scale, we can work one-to-one with people, but zooming out allows us to identify common challenges in the industry."

Over the years, Creative Wales has  provided funding support to FOCUS Wales to help them develop the Welsh music industry.  

"We align with Creative Wales on many principles. Together, we can start to look at the work we do over time to understand the needs within the industry and its infrastructure."

"There’s a lot more confidence in the music industry now. I like to think the small part that we play in trying to showcase everything that happens in Wales is important. We want to highlight what Wales-based musicians and artists are achieving and what they're capable of doing."

The 2024/2025 showcase programme includes:

• New Skool Rules, The Netherlands 
• Reeperbahn Festival, Germany
• Breakout West, Canada
• Zandari Festa, South Korea
• M for Montreal, Canada 
• Eurosonic, The Netherlands
• New Colossus, USA
• SXSW, USA

If you’re interested in hearing more about FOCUS Wales, visit their website. Or, to find out more about the music industry in Wales, head to our music section.