The Eye Festival

The Eye International Photography Festival will take place at venues across the city from 15-17 May.

It will be the first time that Newport, famous throughout the photography world for the legendary Documentary Photography course started in the 1970s by Magnum photographer David Hurn, has hosted the festival.

The festival was established in 2012 by ex-Newport student photojournalist Glenn Edwards with a promise to bring the world’s best photographers to Wales.

What’s on at this year’s festival

The 2026 festival will feature a series of exhibitions, talks and events in venues across the city centre.

The festival opens on the evening of Friday 15 May, with a special event to mark the opening of David Hurn’s exhibition Patterns at Clwb Ffoto in Newport Arcade.

On Saturday 16 May, the Riverfront Theatre and Arts Centre will be hosting a series of talks, featuring:

· Sian Trenberth, an acclaimed performing arts, dance and theatre photographer

· Paul Stuart, a portrait photographer who has photographed the likes of David Beckham and Giorgio Armani

· Jaap Buitendijk, one of the world's foremost film stills photographers, with Gladiator, Barbie, 12 Years a Slave and the recently released Wuthering Heights on his list of credits

· Emily Garthwaite, a photojournalist and storyteller whose work is rooted in long-form, socially engaged immersive projects

Then on Sunday 17 May, events will be hosted around the city centre, including exhibitions, cyanotype, workshops, meet the photographers, portfolio crits and portrait sessions. Further details to follow.

www.theeyefestival.com

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Host or Publisher Newport City Council