Church of Noise brings DIY culture to Cardiff Arthole 2026

Key Points

• Church of Noise was a five-day program of gigs, talks, screenings and exhibitions, taking place in ArtHole in Canton, Cardiff, from Monday 12 to Friday 16 October 2026.
• Church of Noise was produced by artist S Mark Gubb who is based in Cardiff and was part of the Cardiff Music City Festival 2026.
• It was all about DIY culture, independent music scenes, grassroot creativity and community surrounding them.
• Events at the programme included Punk House Poets, noise-performance night, curated by Violet Green, hardcore bill curated by the Cardiff collective, Undod, and The NaNaz performance as well as an exhibition opening for Julia Gorton – US punk photographer.
• Among free films there were Lo Sound Desert, Noise and Resistance and In Bed with Chris Needham.
• The exhibits comprised materials from the Cardiff Music History archive and The 309 Punk Project.
• Address of ArtHole is Unit 3 Alexandra House, 307–315 Cowbridge Road East, Canton, Cardiff.
• Cardiff Music City Festival 2026 took place over 100 events and over 20 venues, with DIY punk culture in the spotlight at Arthole.
• Ben Woolhead of Buzz Magazine visited Arthole during a number of Church of Noise events and reviewed the project in his piece “DIY punk,

Cardiff (Wales Times) October 25, 2026 – S Mark Gubb’s Church of Noise has turned ArtHole into a five-day meeting point for DIY punk, experimental music, poetry, film and grassroots art as part of uk/local/cardiff/">Cardiff Music City Festival 2026.

What was Church of Noise in Cardiff?

Church of Noise was a programme of gigs, talks, screenings and exhibitions celebrating DIY culture, scenes and creativity. It ran from 12 to 16 October 2026 at ArtHole, a creative community hub in Canton, and was presented as part of Cardiff Music City Festival 2026.

As reported by Ben Woolhead of Buzz Magazine, the project brought together multiple events under one umbrella at the Cardiff space Arthole. Woolhead described his feature as an account of several visits to the venue during the Church of Noise programme.

The programme was created by local artist S Mark Gubb. In material published by Cardiff Council’s Visit Cardiff service, Gubb said: “Church of Noise is about creating a space where people can come together through music, art and shared experiences.”

Why did Church of Noise focus on DIY culture?

The programme was built around independent and community-led cultural activity rather than a conventional commercial festival format. Cardiff Music City described Church of Noise as a celebration of “DIY culture, scenes, and creativity”, with gigs, talks and screenings at ArtHole in Canton.

According to Visit Cardiff, the week brought together musicians, poets, photographers and grassroots cultural projects for five days of live music, talks and screenings focused on grassroots creativity and the communities that grow around independent music scenes.

That approach was reflected in the venue and programming. ArtHole hosted performances, discussions, exhibitions and free afternoon film screenings, while several events were either free or offered “NOTAFLOF” — no one turned away for lack of funds — pricing.

Which musicians performed at Church of Noise?

The live programme included a range of punk, noise and hardcore acts. On Monday 12 October, the week opened with Punk House Poets, a free evening curated by Patrick Jones, which also invited audience members to sign up and perform.

On Tuesday 13 October, Noise in the Capital. Noise from the Capitol presented a night of noise performances and collaborations curated by Violet Green. The event was scheduled from 7pm to 10pm, with advance tickets priced at £5 and £10 on the door; it was listed as all-ages and NOTAFLOF.

On Thursday 15 October, Cardiff hardcore collective Undod curated a four-band bill featuring Perp Walk, Raw Nerve, Circumvent and Cursed Body. The event ran from 7pm to 10pm, with £5 advance tickets, £8 on the door, and was also listed as all-ages and NOTAFLOF.

The band The NaNaz also performed as part of an exhibition launch for US punk photographer Julia Gorton. Cardiff Music City listed the performance as one of the programme’s central gigs.

What art and photography featured at ArtHole?

Church of Noise included visual art alongside its music programme. Julia Gorton’s Portrait Studio project came to Cardiff for the first time, according to Visit Cardiff.

Gorton’s exhibition launch was connected to The NaNaz’s performance, linking live music directly to punk photography and visual culture. Cardiff Music City identified the exhibition launch and performance as part of the Church of Noise schedule.

Visitors could also see exhibits from the Cardiff Music History archive and The 309 Punk Project. Visit Cardiff reported that both collections were displayed at ArtHole during the week.

Which films were screened during the week?

Three free afternoon film screenings formed part of the programme. Cardiff Music City listed Lo Sound Desert, directed by Joerg Steineck; Noise and Resistance, by Julia Ostertag and Francesca Araiza Andrade; and In Bed with Chris Needham.

Lo Sound Desert examined the desert rock scene that emerged in California and became associated with bands including Kyuss and Queens of the Stone Age.

Noise and Resistance portrayed a globally connected and political music scene built on autonomy and solidarity.

In Bed with Chris Needham, described by Cardiff Music City as a cult classic, followed a young student in Loughborough as they tried to get a heavy metal band off the ground. The screening was listed for 15 October at 2pm at ArtHole.

What was discussed at the DIY utopia event?

On Wednesday 14 October, Church of Noise hosted Build Your Own DIY Utopia: In Conversation with The 309 Punk Project and Rockaway Park. The free event ran from 6pm to 8pm at ArtHole.

According to S Mark Gubb’s studio blog, the conversation brought together Scott Satterwhite and Valerie George of The 309 Punk Project in Pensacola, Florida, with Mark Wilson, founding member of The Mob and Rockaway Park in Somerset. Gubb, the Church of Noise organiser, led the discussion.

The 309 Punk Project was described in the same source as a non-profit organisation based in the oldest surviving punk house in the southern United States. Rockaway Park was described as a creative environment in a disused quarry in rural Somerset, offering community gardens, cafés, galleries, accommodation and events.

How did Church of Noise fit into Cardiff Music City Festival?

Church of Noise was one part of a wider city-wide festival. Cardiff Music City Festival 2026 hosted more than 100 events, including gigs, talks, installations and pop-up experiences, at more than 20 venues.

Other venues named by Visit Cardiff included Canopi, Tramshed, Paradise Garden, District, Porter’s, the Globe, Acapela, CULTVR, Clwb Ifor Bach and Wales Millennium Centre.

The festival concluded on 19 October, with Visit Cardiff reporting that it had brought thousands of music fans to the capital. Its roundup specifically noted that “DIY punk culture took centre stage at Arthole”, crediting Punk House Poets and NaNaz as Church of Noise events photographed by Jamie Chapman and David Hardacre respectively.

Cardiff Council’s Cabinet Member for Culture, Parks and Events, Cllr Jennifer Burke, said: “Music is Cardiff’s beating heart.” Her comments were published in Visit Cardiff’s festival roundup.

Where was Church of Noise held?

Church of Noise took place at ArtHole, Unit 3 Alexandra House, 307–315 Cowbridge Road East, Canton, Cardiff, CF5 1JD.

ArtHole was used as the hub for the programme’s gigs, talks, screenings and exhibitions. Cardiff Music City described the venue as the location for the Church of Noise programme throughout the festival.

Background of the development

Church of Noise emerged from Cardiff’s independent cultural network and was positioned within Cardiff Music City Festival 2026. Its stated purpose was to create space for people to come together through music, art and shared experiences, according to creator S Mark Gubb.

The programme drew on both local and international DIY networks. It connected Cardiff audiences with The 309 Punk Project in Pensacola, Florida, and Rockaway Park in Somerset, while also presenting the work of US punk photographer Julia Gorton.

The project also gave platform to Cardiff-based organisers and performers. Punk House Poets was curated by Patrick Jones, the noise night was curated by Violet Green, and the hardcore evening was presented by local collective Undod.

Buzz Magazine’s Ben Woolhead framed the development through repeated visits to Arthole, presenting Church of Noise as a Cardiff space built around “DIY punk, art and attitude”.

How could Church of Noise affect Cardiff’s grassroots music scene?

For Cardiff’s grassroots musicians, promoters, artists and independent venue communities, Church of Noise demonstrates that a short, locally led programme can sit alongside a larger city festival without losing its DIY identity. Its mix of low-cost or free events, all-ages shows and NOTAFLOF policies may make live culture more accessible to people who are often excluded by ticket prices or age restrictions.

For local performers, the programme provided exposure alongside visiting artists and archives, potentially strengthening connections between Cardiff’s punk, noise, hardcore and poetry communities. The involvement of Undod, Violet Green, Patrick Jones and The NaNaz suggests that local curators and performers were central to the programme rather than supplementary to it.

For audiences, the development may encourage greater attendance at independent spaces such as ArtHole, particularly where events combine music with film, photography, archives and discussion. The inclusion of the Cardiff Music History archive and The 309 Punk Project also gave attendees a chance to see contemporary events placed within a longer history of punk and independent music.

For Cardiff’s wider cultural sector, Church of Noise may reinforce the case for including grassroots venues and community-led projects in future festival programming. Its presence within Cardiff Music City Festival 2026 placed DIY culture alongside larger institutions and venues, while retaining a distinct identity at ArtHole in Canton.