Key Points
- Cardiff Animation Festival (CAF), Wales’ only global animation event, has announced its full 2026 programme, with tickets and festival passes now on sale.
- The ninth edition runs from 23–26 April 2026 at Chapter Arts Centre in Cardiff, featuring films, talks, workshops, special events, live performances, and industry sessions.
- Highlights include guest Julia Pott (LA-based British animator known for Adventure Time and Summer Camp Island), Japanese features The Last Blossom and 100 Metre in partnership with Kotatsu Festival.
- Biggest short film competition: 98 films selected from over 700 submissions across 61 countries, screened in eight themed strands: Play, Pause, Rewind, Mute, Home, Shuffle, Late Night, and Welsh Work; jury comprises Pip Williamson, Sarah Schmidt, and Nia Edwards-Behi.
- Games expansion with teams from BAFTA-winning Thank Goodness You’re Here and BAFTA-nominated The Midnight Walk, plus an exhibition of playable games and original puppets.
- Live events: Sketch Showdown (live drawing game show), Sand On Screen by BAFTA Cymru-winning Gerald Conn (with live animation and Sandimation app demo), Rainbow Road Rumble (Super Mario Kart multiplayer hosted by Jamie Fern Hensley-Davies).
- Industry Day (23 April): Keynote by Philippa Rice, career-starter with Copa Gaming, panels on commissioning, feature development, digital-first storytelling, freelancing.
- Collaboration with Abertoir Festival: Screening and Q&A on animation in horror cinema history, Ray Harryhausen’s work in The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms, led by Dr Stacey Abbott.
- Welsh collaboration: Live-scored performance by Casi Wyn, Efa Blosse-Mason, and Lleucu Non celebrating animation and music.
- Feature screening: Academy Award-nominated Little Amélie, or the Character of Rain.
- Workshops: Aardman model-making, flip-book animation with The Print Haus, dog life drawing, doodle-and-mural with Jamie Stockley, sand animation with Gerald Conn, session with Academy Award-nominee Joanna Quinn.
- Socials: Animated karaoke by Justin Drag, curated shorts night by Chicago’s Malt Adult.
- Closes with ‘Best of the Fest Awards’ on 26 April, hosted by BBC Radio 1’s Ali Plumb, with awards for Best Short, Best Student Short, Best Micro Short, Young Jury Award, Audience Award, plus animation-themed quiz.
- Passes: Early Bird Festival Pass £72/£48 (concessions), Regular £90/£60; Industry Day £25/£15; Online Early Bird £20; individual tickets £7-£9; use code DOTTY26 for concessions; booking via Chapter.org or Eventive.
- Supported by Welsh Government (Event Wales), Arts Council of Wales, National Lottery, Wales Arts International, Ffilm Cymru Wales, BFI NETWORK, Ymddiried (Owen Edwards Scholarship); sponsored by University of South Wales, Cloth Cat, Beryl Productions.
- Festival Director Lauren Orme: “Cardiff Animation Festival is all about bringing people together through animation, and this year’s programme is our most playful and packed yet. We’ve got beautiful films, brilliant guests, live performances, creative workshops and fun surprises. Whether you’re an animation fan, an industry professional, a budding animator, a film lover or just curious, we’d love you to join us at Chapter this April and experience the joy of animation.”
Cardiff (Cardiff Daily) March 10, 2026 – Cardiff Animation Festival (CAF) has unveiled its comprehensive 2026 programme, marking the ninth edition of Wales’ premier global animation event, with tickets and passes now available for the four-day extravaganza at Chapter Arts Centre from 23 to 26 April.
What Is the Cardiff Animation Festival 2026 Programme?
As reported in Skwigly Animation Magazine, the festival transforms Chapter Arts Centre into a hub for animation, hosting films, talks, workshops, and special events while championing imaginative work and diverse voices.
The line-up spotlights LA-based British animator Julia Pott, celebrated for her contributions to Adventure Time and Summer Camp Island, alongside a Japanese feature focus featuring The Last Blossom and 100 Metre, presented in partnership with Kotatsu Festival. CAF boasts its largest short film competition yet, selecting 98 films from over 700 submissions across 61 countries, organised into eight themed strands: Play, Pause, Rewind, Mute, Home, Shuffle, Late Night, and Welsh Work; the jury includes Pip Williamson, Sarah Schmidt, and Nia Edwards-Behi.
The programme expands games offerings with sessions from the teams behind BAFTA-winning Thank Goodness You’re Here! and BAFTA-nominated The Midnight Walk, complemented by an exhibition of playable titles and original puppets from the latter production.
Live events add vibrancy, such as Sketch Showdown, a fast-paced drawing game show where artists sketch from memory as audiences guess; Sand On Screen by BAFTA Cymru-winner Gerald Conn, blending screenings, live sand-on-glass animation, and a demo of his Sandimation app; and Rainbow Road Rumble, a large-scale Super Mario Kart multiplayer event hosted by multidisciplinary artist Jamie Fern Hensley-Davies.
Who Are the Key Guests and Collaborators?
A packed Industry Day on Thursday 23 April features a keynote from Philippa Rice, a career-starter session with Copa Gaming, and panels covering commissioning, feature development, digital-first storytelling, and freelancing.
As detailed by Skwigly Animation Magazine, a collaboration with Abertoir Festival brings a screening and Q&A exploring animation effects in horror cinema’s hidden history, including Ray Harryhausen’s animation in The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms, with insights from Dr Stacey Abbott on the genre’s century-long reliance on animation techniques.
Additional highlights include a live-scored performance by Welsh artists Casi Wyn, Efa Blosse-Mason, and Lleucu Non, celebrating collaboration in animation and music, and a screening of Academy Award Best Animated Feature nominee Little Amélie, or the Character of Rain.
Workshops cater to all ages, featuring Aardman model-making, The Print Haus animated flip-book sessions, dog life drawing, a doodle-and-mural workshop with Jamie Stockley, sand animation with Gerald Conn, and a special session with Academy Award-nominee Joanna Quinn. Social gatherings foster community, including animated karaoke hosted by Justin Drag and a curated shorts night from Chicago-based Malt Adult.
How Can You Attend CAF 2026?
Festival passes are on sale now via Chapter’s website, as outlined on the official Cardiff Animation site. Early Bird Festival Passes cost £72 (full) / £48 (concessions), with regular passes at £90 / £60, granting access to ticketed in-person events from 23-26 April (excluding Industry Day, which requires separate £25 / £15 passes). Passes must be linked to an email account, with only one per account; use promo code DOTTY26 for concessions, and individual event tickets range from £7 to £9, available from 4 March.
Pass holders book specific events to secure seats due to limited capacity, and unclaimed seats may release five minutes before start times. Group bookings of 10+ qualify for discounts—email festival@cardiffanimation.com. Online passes are £20 (Early Bird was £15, now sold out), hosted on Eventive with pay-what-you-can options; individual online tickets activate for seven days (five days to watch post-activation). For 16-30s, Chapter Clwb offers discounted tickets.
What Makes This Year’s Festival Special?
Cardiff Animation Festival Director Lauren Orme emphasised the event’s communal spirit, stating as quoted in Skwigly Animation Magazine:
“Cardiff Animation Festival is all about bringing people together through animation, and this year’s programme is our most playful and packed yet. We’ve got beautiful films, brilliant guests, live performances, creative workshops and fun surprises. Whether you’re an animation fan, an industry professional, a budding animator, a film lover or just curious, we’d love you to join us at Chapter this April and experience the joy of animation.”
The festival culminates on Sunday 26 April with the ‘Best of the Fest Awards’, hosted by BBC Radio 1 film critic Ali Plumb, featuring an interactive animation-themed quiz and prizes for Best Short, Best Student Short, Best Micro Short, Young Jury Award, and Audience Award.
Who Supports CAF 2026?
CAF 2026 receives backing from the Welsh Government through Event Wales, Arts Council of Wales with National Lottery funding, Wales Arts International, Ffilm Cymru Wales & BFI NETWORK, and Ymddiried via the Owen Edwards Scholarship Fund. Sponsors include University of South Wales, Cloth Cat, and Beryl Productions.
This edition upholds CAF’s reputation for inclusivity, bold storytelling, and platforming underrepresented voices, drawing record submissions and promising an unforgettable celebration of animation in Cardiff.
