03-06-2025
- Business
- South Wales Argus
Steps star Ian Watkins renames South Wales music festival
Watkins previously revealed he would be producing his first ever music festival - Cowchella in Cowbridge in August 2025.
However, the Vale of Glamorgan resident has now been forced to rename the event Moo-La-La Music Festival after complaints from Coachella.
Coachella forces Steps star to rename South Wales music festival
The social media accounts for Cowchella went down recently, and its Eventbrite tickets page had its name disappear amid a complaint, which Watkins said was from Coachella Ltd, the US festival in California.
On Sunday (June 1), new social media accounts were set up for the renamed Moo-La-La Festival, hosted by Watkins, actress Claire Sweeney and BBC Radio 2 presenter Owain Wyn Evans.
A post on the new accounts explained the reason behind the 'fab new name' and that tickets would remain valid for the inaugural event in August.
Watkins, who himself lives near Cowbridge, told the PA news agency that they thought at first the social media sites were 'hacked', before finding an email with an 'official complaint from Coachella'.
Ian "H" Watkins taking complaint as "massive compliment" for small Welsh festival
Watkins said: "I'm taking it as a massive compliment that they feel like that our little festival is a little bit of a threat to their ginormous, juggernaut of a machine."
'It's a little bit mindblowing… what we're doing is very, very different to what they do.
'We don't have Beyoncé performing. We have a Steps tribute act… and also, they don't have myself, Claire Sweeney and Owain Wyn Evans, hosting, which in my book, is much better than Beyonce.'
The 49-year-old Welsh singer added he was happy the small Welsh festival is a 'talking point' and "Coachella has put Cowbridge on the map'.
However, he admitted that 'luckily, it wasn't like, the week before because that would be the disaster'.
The Moo-La-La Music Festival is hosted by Ian "H" Watkins (pictured), Claire Sweeney and Owain Wyn Evans. (Image: Yui Mok/PA Wire) The change in name is set to leave Watkins thousands of pounds out of pocket, having to absorb 'marketing costs, posters and banners' himself.
He said: 'We've spent a lot of money on marketing and flyers and posters and banners that are all visible around the town.
'So yes, those will have to go in the bin… but let's just do that, rather than have any more people knocking on our door.'
Watkins said the complaint came as a surprise as "there's lots of festivals' that use a similar naming concept, including GlastonBarry, whose name is inspired by Glastonbury in Somerset.
When is the Moo-La-La Music Festival and what to expect
The date for the Moo-La-La Music Festival will remain the same, set to take place on Saturday, August 2, at Bear Field.
The idea of the festival, formerly known as Cowchella, was to 'make it accessible for families that can't afford to go to Cardiff or London', Watkins said.
'We wanted… to provide an amazing place where everybody could come have a great time, make it family friendly, accessible,' he added.
'Our town is so beautiful, but there's so much untapped potential there, which is why we keep creating events (such as Pride)."
Moo-La-La Music Festival lineup
The Moo-La-La Music Festival website reads: "Whether you grew up in the '70s, '80s , '90s or you're all about today's chart-toppers, there's something for everyone."
The lineup for the festival is:
12.30pm - 2pm: Doors Open & DJ
Doors Open & DJ 2pm: Wickedly Hariana (Ariana Grande & Wicked the Musical tribute)
Wickedly Hariana (Ariana Grande & Wicked the Musical tribute) 3pm: The Sabrina Tribute (Sabrina Carpenter tribute)
The Sabrina Tribute (Sabrina Carpenter tribute) 4pm: Total Boybands (Tribute to Take That, One Direction, Blue, Westlife, Robbie Williams & The Wanted)
Total Boybands (Tribute to Take That, One Direction, Blue, Westlife, Robbie Williams & The Wanted) 5pm: Got To Be Girl Power (Olivia Rodrigo, Spice Girls, Girls Aloud, Destiny's Child, Sugababes, Kylie & Atomic Kitten)
Got To Be Girl Power (Olivia Rodrigo, Spice Girls, Girls Aloud, Destiny's Child, Sugababes, Kylie & Atomic Kitten) 6pm: Harry Styled UK (Harry Styles tribute)
Harry Styled UK (Harry Styles tribute) 6.45pm: Got To Be Taylor Swift (Taylor Swift tribute)
Got To Be Taylor Swift (Taylor Swift tribute) 7.30pm: Got to Be Steps (Steps tribute)
Got to Be Steps (Steps tribute) 8.30pm: Got to be Mamma Mia (Abba tribute)
Got to be Mamma Mia (Abba tribute) 9.30pm: Got to be Venga (Vengaboys tribute)
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Are tickets still available for Moo-La-La Music Festival?
Tickets to Moo-La-La Music Festival are still available to purchase via the Eventbrite website.
Ticket prices for the event are as follows:
Toddler admission - £6.13 (plus £1.13 fee)
Child admission (ages 5 to 15) - £15.87 (plus £1.87 fee)
General admission (16+) - £19.12 (plus £2.12 fee)
Carer's concession (proof required) - £15.87 (plus £1.87 fee)
Moo-La-La Music Festival will take place on Saturday, August 2 at Bear Field in Cowbridge.
