Cardiff's Paradise Garden appeals for support to survive into 2026

Cardiff-based music venue Paradise Garden has appealed for support in order to ensure its survival beyond 2025. 

Founded by local musicians Esther Taylor and David Bull, the grassroots hi-fi venue has operated from City Road since 2022, platforming local DJs, queer parties, music workshops and panels.

In an Instagram post shared last month, the team behind Paradise Garden detailed that running a grassroots venue in the "current climate" had become a “constant juggling-act of cashflow and razor-thin margins"; they admitted that even a "just a couple of low turn out gigs could rock the boat." 

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"The financial margins with running a small space like ours is continually getting squeezed, and as a result we have to be really busy all through the week to make ends meet," David Bull tells Mixmag. 

"As any business will tell you, rising costs are happening in every possible area, from stock, staff, energy, rates - you name it," he continues. 

"Meanwhile people are also spending less whilst they are out now compared to when we first opened, which is completely understandable given the UK's cost of living crisis." 

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Paradise Garden is calling on customers to support the venue across the next few months, "come down for an early evening drink or a late evening boogie. Reserve a table or book our yurt. Swing by for a gig, or grab a ticket for one of our upcoming events.” 

Although Paradise Garden received support from Cardiff Council’s Grassroots Venues Fund in May, which enabled the venue to invest in its own equipment, the boost appears to have unfortunately fallen short amid rising costs.  

For more information on Paradise Garden's upcoming events, click here.

Annabel Craddock is a freelance journalist, follow her on Instagram.