It started off as just a humble idea to bring people back together after so long apart during the coronavirus pandemic. Adam Gore and Mark Hopkins, together with Laura Myatt, Callum Daniels, Daisy Lucas, Katie Williams, Alex Chesterton-Matt, James Quirke, Lewis Disson, Courtney Bryant and Simon Delve, of Escape Records, wanted to create something special for Wales that would appeal to all generations of the same family.
But everyone involved in those early meetings could never have anticipated the success story their brainchild was to become. In It Together Festival was first launched in 2022, a music festival with an eclectic line-up of acts to cater for both young and old. It would have been an easier option, maybe, to host the event in one of Wales' bigger locations, like Cardiff or Swansea. But instead, a decision was made to bring it to Old Park Farm in Margam, Port Talbot, a community which welcomed the three-day event with open arms, as major music events had been few and far between in the area over the years.
And it wasn't to be a substandard festival. It was clear from the outset that those behind the event had huge ambitions to make the event one that people would want to flock to, through the announcement of its first headliners in 2022, Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds, Clean Bandit and Two Door Cinema Club. The biggest indicator of how well the event was received was the hunger for more once it ended. An announcement was made that it was coming back for 2023, and hundreds bought tickets that very day. Find out about the latest events in Wales by signing up to our What's On newsletter here.
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The second year, headlined by The Kooks, Anne-Marie and James, was an even bigger success. It saw 30,000 on the fields every single day, somewhat unprecedented for an event only in its second year. The festival will return for a third year from May 24 to May 26, and 90% of the tickets have already been sold. This year's line up will see Rag 'N' Bone Man, Sugababes and Dizzee Rascal take centre stage as the headliners.
Daisy Lucas, who is in charge of marketing for the event, explained: "It was borne out of Covid, it was a hard time for everyone. The company was put on pause, and everyone was kind of kept away from everyone - we just couldn't be together, and the idea was to create something where everyone could come together again - they could be with their families, grandkids could be with their grandparents, and it could be this big family occasion.
"I'm from Aberdare, and I was very much under the impression that these big events happened in Cardiff, and you always had to travel to Cardiff. It was about bringing something like that to an area that doesn't really get anything. I think before we brought In It Together to the area, the last big event they had was when Catatonia played 20 years prior. We thought, why travel to Cardiff, why not put something great in such an iconic location. Once you've stood on those fields, all you need to do is see the mountains behind you and the sea and you can't pick a better location in Port Talbot that encapsulates Port Talbot.
"It has really been welcomed into the community and without that, I don't think it would be where it is. The first year, we had Noel Gallagher, and we went through every season possible - I think we had 25 degrees one day, gale force winds the next day, and torrential rain the next day, but we were blown away on the Monday when we launched the 2023 event, and it just sold like crazy, everyone just wanted us to bring it back, and it was incredible to see.
"To be stood at the top of the hill, looking at Parc stage and just seeing everybody, it blows my mind. We all work very hard for 12 months to bring something special, and to see people experience it and love every moment of it - words can't describe how incredible it feels.
"My favourite moment is from the first year. Noel Gallagher was on, and we had the whole team to the side of the stage, my parents were there too, and we were swaying back and forth singing Wonderwall and Don't Look Back In Anger. We were looking around, and it was that feeling of: 'We did this'. From 12 months when it was just an idea - we worked so hard, and with him on stage singing songs that are 30 years old and so iconic - it was my favourite memory ever I think."
Daisy said the team were all "really passionate" about what they did, and explained how they were working hard to bring the festival back "bigger and better every year".
She said: "It doesn't matter what you're into, there will be something for you. We have more than 100 family activities, loads of things to keep kids occupied all weekend, we've got the Sugababes coming, Dizzee Rascal, Rag 'N' Bone Man, which is huge, and we've also got a mystery special guest coming, which will be fun to keep secret and see everybody react to that. The one good thing about it is, it doesn't matter what you're into, there's something there for you. It's called In It Together, we want people to come together.
"I couldn't have predicted the way it has grown over the last three years, so in the next three years, I think it's going to be an absolute monster of an amazing festival, putting on an amazing experience for everyone on that field, and long may it continue. Line up talks take up a lot of conversation when we're building it, and sometimes we keep it a secret, so only a few of us know, and then show it to everyone before we announce it, and everyone is like: 'Oh my God, this is incredible'.
"It builds this buzz of excitement in the office which I haven't experienced anywhere else I've worked. Jake Bugg played last year, and he said it was one of the best crowds he had ever played in front of. If he's come to a small town in Wales and said it is one of the best crowds he's ever played in front of, that speaks for itself."
Daisy added that as well as their office in Cardiff, the team spends a lot of time on the farm itself, and had built up a good relationship with the people who owned it. She said: "The people who own the farm love the event being there. One of them is 14, and she's like 'I've got a festival in my back garden!'.
"What's great about that is they are very much ingrained to the team. We all know them, we all get on with them. They are there during the festival and we're all hugging each other, and they're part of that. We've all bonded out of this thing and it's helped make it as special as it is. We'd like to say thank you to Port Talbot and the community of Port Talbot for letting us do this and come back year on year."
In It Together 2024 takes place from May 24 to May 26. Tickets are still available, and can be purchased by clicking here. Try WalesOnline Premium for FREE by clicking here for no ads, fun puzzles and brilliant new features.
