Key Points

• Construction work is underway for Swansea’s permanent Covid-19 memorial near Slip Bridge along the waterfront promenade of the city.
• Designed by artists from Wales named Catrin Jones and Angharad Pearce Jones, the steel and glass memorial is worth £130,000 and will have peacock butterfly colors as a sign of hope and community spirit.
• Fencing is being erected during the construction process and landscaping of the memorial, which will be unveiled officially in September 2026.
• The memorial will have seating area facing Swansea Bay and the city, planting of wildflowers and new pathways making it more accessible.
• The shape and features of the memorial were developed after consulting people, organizations, and groups affected by the pandemic, according to the council.
• According to Cllr Elliott King, a cabinet member for culture, human rights and equalities, the memorial will serve as an opportunity to pause, reflect and remember people who died and whose lives changed due to the pandemic, key workers and volunteers.
• Fabrication of the memorial is taking place at a metal workshop in the Amman Valley and has been described by the artists as a place that “holds people’s stories with care”.
• This project will join other pandemic memorials at Morriston

Swansea (Wales Times) September 03, 2026 – Work has begun on the city’s permanent memorial to the Covid-19 pandemic on the seafront promenade near the Slip Bridge, with uk/local/swansea/swansea-council/">Swansea Council confirming that fencing is being erected around the grassed area while the structure is built and landscaped ahead of an unveiling later this month.

The £130,000 memorial, designed by Welsh artists Catrin Jones and Angharad Pearce Jones, is being fabricated from sculpted steel and coloured glass in the hues of the peacock butterfly, a motif selected to represent hope and community spirit, according to the council. The artwork will incorporate seating, wildflower planting and new accessible paths that connect the site to the wider promenade, creating a dedicated space for reflection beside the bay.

As reported by Swansea Bay News, the seats are oriented in two directions so visitors can look out across Swansea Bay or back towards the city, intentionally linking the memorial to both the coastal landscape and the urban environment where many people experienced the pandemic’s daily realities.

Who designed the Swansea Covid memorial and what does it represent?

The memorial was designed by Catrin Jones and Angharad Pearce Jones, two Welsh artists with existing public art commissions in the region. Catrin Jones previously created the sea-life murals on the Mumbles seawall, while Angharad Pearce Jones has tubular steel work installed on the railway sidings at Clydach, giving both artists experience of large-scale, site-specific pieces in south Wales.

According to Swansea Council, the memorial’s shape was “decided by the people it is for”, following engagement with residents, organisations and groups affected by the pandemic. The council said the final design reflects community spirit, remembrance and hope, translating those themes into a physical form using steel, glass, colour and landscape elements.

The artists have described the work as being built on the city’s collective memories. Catrin Jones said the memorial is intended to be a place “that holds people’s stories with care”, bringing together light, colour and nature by the sea. Angharad Pearce Jones said the engagement process had brought out grief, resilience and small acts of kindness, and that the design reflects “the distances we had to keep, the connections we tried to maintain, and the hope that carried us forward”.

Where is the Swansea Covid memorial being built and when will it open?

The memorial is being constructed on the seafront promenade near the Slip Bridge, on a stretch of grassed area that many residents associate with early post-lockdown reunions, as noted in local reporting. Fencing is currently being installed around the site while fabrication and landscaping works proceed, Swansea Council said.

The council originally announced the project in March 2026 with an expected start date in April and a budget of £130,000, according to Swansea Bay News. Although work began later than initially anticipated, the memorial is now under construction, with the steel and glass components being made at a metal workshop in the Amman Valley before installation on the seafront.

A formal unveiling is promised for later in September 2026, though the council has not yet published an exact date or details of any ceremony, as reported by Swansea Bay News.

What have council officials and artists said about the memorial?

Cllr Elliott King, Swansea Council’s cabinet member for culture, human rights and equalities, said the impact of the pandemic is still felt by families and communities across the city. “The people have helped shape the memorial and it will provide a lasting place where anyone can pause, reflect and remember,” he said.

He added that the memorial “will recognise those who lost their lives, those whose lives were changed and the key workers, volunteers, neighbours, and communities who supported one another with kindness and compassion”, according to statements reported by Swansea Bay News.

The artists have emphasised the reflective function of the space. Angharad Pearce Jones said: “Visitors will be able to sit and reflect, looking out to sea or inland towards the landscapes and continuing bustle of the city,” as quoted in local coverage.

The two artists were appointed in March 2025, on the eve of the UK’s Covid Day of Reflection, when council leader Rob Stewart said Swansea had promised to honour everyone the pandemic affected, according to Swansea Bay News.

How does this memorial fit with other pandemic remembrance projects in Swansea?

The seafront memorial joins other pandemic remembrance initiatives already in place in Swansea. Swansea Bay University Health Board has created memorials at Morriston and Singleton hospitals, providing dedicated spaces for staff, patients and families to remember those affected by Covid-19 within the healthcare setting.

The new seafront artwork extends that remembrance into a public, civic space on the promenade, intended for use by the wider community rather than only those connected to the hospitals, as outlined in council statements reported by Swansea Bay News.

Related coverage from Swansea Bay News has previously highlighted the £130,000 budget and published early images of the design in March 2026, as well as reporting on the appointment of Catrin Jones and Angharad Pearce Jones in March 2025.

Background to the Swansea Covid memorial development

The Swansea Covid memorial emerged from a council commitment made during the UK’s Covid Day of Reflection to create a permanent local tribute to everyone affected by the pandemic. In March 2025, Swansea Council appointed Catrin Jones and Angharad Pearce Jones to design the work, following a process that sought input from residents, community groups and organisations impacted by Covid-19.

By March 2026, the council had confirmed a budget of £130,000 and an expected start date in April, alongside the first images of the proposed steel and glass artwork in peacock butterfly colours, as reported by Swansea Bay News. Although construction began later than initially indicated, the project moved forward in early September 2026 with site preparation and fencing near the Slip Bridge, while fabrication continues off-site in the Amman Valley.

The design process emphasised community involvement, with the council stating that the memorial’s shape and features were decided by the people it is for, and the artists describing their work as rooted in collective memories of grief, resilience and mutual support during the pandemic.

Prediction: how the Swansea Covid memorial may affect local residents and visitors

The completion of the Swansea Covid memorial is likely to provide a designated, publicly accessible space for quiet reflection on the pandemic’s impact, particularly for residents who lost family members, friends or colleagues, or who experienced significant disruption to their lives. By situating the artwork on the seafront promenade, the council and artists are positioning remembrance within everyday leisure routes, meaning that reflection can occur alongside routine walks, runs and visits to the bay.

For local communities, the memorial may become a focal point for informal gatherings on significant dates, such as anniversaries of lockdowns or national days of reflection, offering a physical location where people can acknowledge shared experiences without the need for organised events. The inclusion of seating, wildflower planting and accessible paths suggests the space is intended for repeated, contemplative use rather than one-off ceremonies, potentially supporting longer-term processes of collective mourning and recognition.

For visitors and tourists, the memorial will add another layer of meaning to Swansea’s seafront, alongside existing attractions and regeneration projects, and may prompt broader public awareness of how the city has chosen to remember the pandemic through art and landscape. Over time, the site could feature in local heritage narratives, school visits and community projects that explore recent history, public art and civic responses to crisis, according to the intentions expressed by the council and the artists in their statements.

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Swansea Covid memorial work begins on the seafront near Slip Bridge, with a £130,000 steel and glass artwork set to open later in September 2026.

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Swansea Covid memorial work begins on seafront

Key Points

• Work has started on Swansea’s permanent memorial to the pandemic on the city’s seafront promenade near the Slip Bridge.
• The £130,000 steel and glass artwork, designed by Welsh artists Catrin Jones and Angharad Pearce Jones, uses peacock butterfly colours as a symbol of hope and community spirit.
• Swansea Council says fencing is being installed while the memorial is built and landscaped, with a formal unveiling expected later in September 2026.
• The design includes seating facing both Swansea Bay and the city, wildflower planting, and new accessible paths linking the site to the promenade.
• The memorial’s shape and features were shaped through engagement with residents, organisations and groups affected by the pandemic, the council said.
• Cllr Elliott King, cabinet member for culture, human rights and equalities, said the memorial would provide a lasting place to pause, reflect and remember those who died, those whose lives changed, and key workers and volunteers.
• The artwork is being fabricated at a metal workshop in the Amman Valley, with the artists describing it as a place that “holds people’s stories with care”.
• The project joins existing pandemic memorials at Morriston and Singleton hospitals created by Swansea Bay University Health Board.

What has happened with the Swansea Covid memorial?

Swansea September 03, 2026 – Work has begun on the city’s permanent memorial to the Covid-19 pandemic on the seafront promenade near the Slip Bridge, with Swansea Council confirming that fencing is being erected around the grassed area while the structure is built and landscaped ahead of an unveiling later this month.

The £130,000 memorial, designed by Welsh artists Catrin Jones and Angharad Pearce Jones, is being fabricated from sculpted steel and coloured glass in the hues of the peacock butterfly, a motif selected to represent hope and community spirit, according to the council. The artwork will incorporate seating, wildflower planting and new accessible paths that connect the site to the wider promenade, creating a dedicated space for reflection beside the bay.

As reported by Swansea Bay News, the seats are oriented in two directions so visitors can look out across Swansea Bay or back towards the city, intentionally linking the memorial to both the coastal landscape and the urban environment where many people experienced the pandemic’s daily realities.

Who designed the Swansea Covid memorial and what does it represent?

The memorial was designed by Catrin Jones and Angharad Pearce Jones, two Welsh artists with existing public art commissions in the region. Catrin Jones previously created the sea-life murals on the Mumbles seawall, while Angharad Pearce Jones has tubular steel work installed on the railway sidings at Clydach, giving both artists experience of large-scale, site-specific pieces in south Wales.

According to Swansea Council, the memorial’s shape was “decided by the people it is for”, following engagement with residents, organisations and groups affected by the pandemic. The council said the final design reflects community spirit, remembrance and hope, translating those themes into a physical form using steel, glass, colour and landscape elements.

The artists have described the work as being built on the city’s collective memories. Catrin Jones said the memorial is intended to be a place “that holds people’s stories with care”, bringing together light, colour and nature by the sea. Angharad Pearce Jones said the engagement process had brought out grief, resilience and small acts of kindness, and that the design reflects “the distances we had to keep, the connections we tried to maintain, and the hope that carried us forward”.

Where is the Swansea Covid memorial being built and when will it open?

The memorial is being constructed on the seafront promenade near the Slip Bridge, on a stretch of grassed area that many residents associate with early post-lockdown reunions, as noted in local reporting. Fencing is currently being installed around the site while fabrication and landscaping works proceed, Swansea Council said.

The council originally announced the project in March 2026 with an expected start date in April and a budget of £130,000, according to Swansea Bay News. Although work began later than initially anticipated, the memorial is now under construction, with the steel and glass components being made at a metal workshop in the Amman Valley before installation on the seafront.

A formal unveiling is promised for later in September 2026, though the council has not yet published an exact date or details of any ceremony, as reported by Swansea Bay News.

What have council officials and artists said about the memorial?

Cllr Elliott King, Swansea Council’s cabinet member for culture, human rights and equalities, said the impact of the pandemic is still felt by families and communities across the city. “The people have helped shape the memorial and it will provide a lasting place where anyone can pause, reflect and remember,” he said.

He added that the memorial “will recognise those who lost their lives, those whose lives were changed and the key workers, volunteers, neighbours, and communities who supported one another with kindness and compassion”, according to statements reported by Swansea Bay News.

The artists have emphasised the reflective function of the space. Angharad Pearce Jones said: “Visitors will be able to sit and reflect, looking out to sea or inland towards the landscapes and continuing bustle of the city,” as quoted in local coverage.

The two artists were appointed in March 2025, on the eve of the UK’s Covid Day of Reflection, when council leader Rob Stewart said Swansea had promised to honour everyone the pandemic affected, according to Swansea Bay News.

How does this memorial fit with other pandemic remembrance projects in Swansea?

The seafront memorial joins other pandemic remembrance initiatives already in place in Swansea. Swansea Bay University Health Board has created memorials at Morriston and Singleton hospitals, providing dedicated spaces for staff, patients and families to remember those affected by Covid-19 within the healthcare setting.

The new seafront artwork extends that remembrance into a public, civic space on the promenade, intended for use by the wider community rather than only those connected to the hospitals, as outlined in council statements reported by Swansea Bay News.

Related coverage from Swansea Bay News has previously highlighted the £130,000 budget and published early images of the design in March 2026, as well as reporting on the appointment of Catrin Jones and Angharad Pearce Jones in March 2025.

Background to the Swansea Covid memorial development

The Swansea Covid memorial emerged from a council commitment made during the UK’s Covid Day of Reflection to create a permanent local tribute to everyone affected by the pandemic. In March 2025, Swansea Council appointed Catrin Jones and Angharad Pearce Jones to design the work, following a process that sought input from residents, community groups and organisations impacted by Covid-19.

By March 2026, the council had confirmed a budget of £130,000 and an expected start date in April, alongside the first images of the proposed steel and glass artwork in peacock butterfly colours, as reported by Swansea Bay News. Although construction began later than initially indicated, the project moved forward in early September 2026 with site preparation and fencing near the Slip Bridge, while fabrication continues off-site in the Amman Valley.

The design process emphasised community involvement, with the council stating that the memorial’s shape and features were decided by the people it is for, and the artists describing their work as rooted in collective memories of grief, resilience and mutual support during the pandemic.

Prediction: how the Swansea Covid memorial may affect local residents and visitors

The completion of the Swansea Covid memorial is likely to provide a designated, publicly accessible space for quiet reflection on the pandemic’s impact, particularly for residents who lost family members, friends or colleagues, or who experienced significant disruption to their lives. By situating the artwork on the seafront promenade, the council and artists are positioning remembrance within everyday leisure routes, meaning that reflection can occur alongside routine walks, runs and visits to the bay.

For local communities, the memorial may become a focal point for informal gatherings on significant dates, such as anniversaries of lockdowns or national days of reflection, offering a physical location where people can acknowledge shared experiences without the need for organised events. The inclusion of seating, wildflower planting and accessible paths suggests the space is intended for repeated, contemplative use rather than one-off ceremonies, potentially supporting longer-term processes of collective mourning and recognition.

For visitors and tourists, the memorial will add another layer of meaning to Swansea’s seafront, alongside existing attractions and regeneration projects, and may prompt broader public awareness of how the city has chosen to remember the pandemic through art and landscape. Over time, the site could feature in local heritage narratives, school visits and community projects that explore recent history, public art and civic responses to crisis, according to the intentions expressed by the council and the artists in their statements.