Key Points
- The organisers of the Iris Prize LGBTQ+ Film Festival are opening a pop-up space in St David’s Dewi Sant, Cardiff.
- It is the first time the international short film festival will have a public-facing accessible space outside Iris week.
- The pop-up opens on Monday 3 August 2026.
- It will include a mini cinema, an art installation, and space for LGBTQ+ community activities.
- The installation will be created by Cardiff-based artist Jenna Murphy.
- A world map in the space will be updated every two weeks with the names of filmmakers and guests confirmed for the October festival.
- The pop-up will also feature Iris archive shorts, Pink Portraits Revisited by Welsh photographer Dylan Lewis Thomas, and a portrait of Iris by photographer Jon Pountney.
- Iris Prize Festival Director Berwyn Rowlands said visitors will be able to meet the festival team and learn more about the programme.
- St David’s Centre Director Helen Morgan said the shopping centre is proud to support the festival.
- The 20th edition of the Iris Prize LGBTQ+ Film Festival will run from Monday 12 October to Sunday 18 October 2026.
St David’s (Wales Times) August 04, 2026 – The organisers of the Iris Prize LGBTQ+ Film Festival have opened a pop-up space in St David’s Dewi Sant in uk/local/cardiff/">Cardiff, marking the first time the event has created a public-facing venue outside the main festival week.
As reported by Business News Wales, the opening forms part of the build-up to the 20th edition of the festival, which will take place in October 2026. The organisation said the new space is intended to bring “global stories and Cardiff charm” into one of the city’s busiest retail destinations, while giving festival supporters and first-time visitors a place to engage with the programme ahead of the annual event.
Why has Iris Prize chosen St David’s Dewi Sant?
The choice of St David’s Dewi Sant places the festival in the centre of Cardiff’s shopping district, with the pop-up located on the lower level of St David’s Grand Arcade near John Lewis, Castle Fine Art and Reiss. According to the organisers, the venue will allow the festival to reach new audiences in an accessible public setting before the October screenings begin.
As reported by Business News Wales, the festival said this is the first time it has had an accessible public space outside the window of Iris week. The move appears designed to widen visibility for the festival while giving the public a chance to interact with its work in advance of the main programme.
What will the pop-up include?
The pop-up will combine exhibition, screening and community space. The organisers said it will feature a mini cinema showing selected shorts from the Iris archive, an art installation by Cardiff-based artist Jenna Murphy, and room for LGBTQ+ community activities.
As reported by Business News Wales, the installation will include a world map that will be updated every two weeks with the names of filmmakers and guests who have confirmed attendance at the October festival. The space will also display Pink Portraits Revisited from 2023 by Welsh photographer Dylan Lewis Thomas, along with a portrait of Iris herself by long-time friend and photographer Jon Pountney.
What did the organisers say?
Berwyn Rowlands, Festival Director of Iris Prize, said the organisation was “beyond excited” to have the pop-up in St David’s Dewi Sant. As reported by Business News Wales, he said the team would be screening films in the space and meeting visitors who want guidance through the festival programme.
Helen Morgan, Centre Director of St David’s Dewi Sant Cardiff, said the centre had long admired the work of Iris Prize in sharing LGBTQ+ stories. As reported by Business News Wales, she added that St David’s was proud to support the festival now, as it had when the festival first began 20 years ago.
How does this fit into the 2026 festival?
The 2026 edition is a notable milestone because it will be the 20th Iris Prize LGBTQ+ Film Festival. The main festival is scheduled for Monday 12 October until Sunday 18 October 2026, according to the organisers.
As reported by Business News Wales, the pop-up will also be used to host special events with partners, with further details expected to be announced in the coming weeks. That suggests the space will not only serve as a display area but also as a live promotional hub ahead of the October programme.
Background of the development
The Iris Prize LGBTQ+ Film Festival is one of Cardiff’s most recognised cultural events and has built its reputation around global LGBTQ+ storytelling. Over the years, the festival has included in-person screenings in Cardiff alongside wider online access through Iris Online.
As reported by Business News Wales, the new pop-up comes as the festival prepares for its 20th edition in 2026. The organisation has also used touring and outreach initiatives in the past, which indicates that the pop-up is part of a broader effort to bring the festival to audiences beyond the traditional cinema setting.
What could this mean for audiences?
For regular Iris Prize attendees, the pop-up offers an early touchpoint with the festival programme and an opportunity to meet organisers before October. For shoppers and visitors to St David’s, it may introduce the festival to people who might not otherwise seek out an LGBTQ+ film event.
For Cardiff’s cultural audience, the development may strengthen the festival’s visibility in the city centre and increase awareness of the 20th edition. For LGBTQ+ communities, it creates another public venue where stories, art and film can be encountered in a prominent and accessible setting.
