The Mighty Pledge formed to play at a local festival in 1990 and have subsequently been regular favourites here at Raglan over the past nine years. Renowned for their popular set of 60’s soul classics from James Brown, Wilson Pickett and Otis Redding, amongst others, they never fail to deliver full satisfaction. Book your “Pledge” tickets early to avoid the disappointment of missing out on these local legends at The Beaufort.

CoDA celebrated their fifth year together in 2012. They continue to play the kind of music that they and their fans love: it's classic pub rock and they're proud of it. They select songs with great hooks that people want to dance to and have a great reputation as a good time band.

This is quality musicianship performed with a broad smile that has kept the band busy in pubs, clubs, parties and weddings from Pembrokeshire to Buckinghamshire and all points between. The band started in Cardiff but now based in Usk, they lay their claim to being locals to RF 13.

They join the festival for the first time as a three piece guitar, bass and drums band. Their punchy, melodic take on pop/rock classics from the Eagles, REM, Bad Company and the Stones to The Scissor Sisters, Stereophonics, Oasis, Kings of Leon and many other great acts, will hit a positive note for most people who enjoy great singing, playing and classic songs.

Simon Linton, Music Director at Gwent Music, has put together a trio of musical delight for The Baptist Chapel on Festival Friday. Firstly, Torfaen County Borough Big Band, an amazing group of students who only rehearse officially 9 times a year! However, their love of music, involvement in other ensembles and number of performances that they are always willing to give certainly means they work together far more regularly than that! They have recently performed in the National Festival of Music for Youth at the Newport Centre and the Mayor of Torfaen Showcase concert in March. They are joined by Chwarae Teg, who perform a repertoire of Traditional Welsh Music, bringing a youthful exuberence to our musical heritage and Hot Club de Croesy, an ensemble who dedicate their set of exciting rhythms and romantic melodies to Hot club de Paris.

The New Harmony singers and Hannah Stonelake kick of the festival proper at St Cadoc’s Church. Hannah started playing the french horn at the age of 7 and before long started to get more serious about her passion towards music, which encouraged her to make the decision to take her career further in music and to study at music college. As well as being an accomplished freelance musician Hannah also works in our local supermarket.

Opera fanatics will receive a real treat this year on Saturday night at St Cadoc’s Church. Elizabeth Tiley, Soprano, Andrew Jenkins, Baritone and Richard Allen, Tenor, have been brought together for this unique performance of opereta, accompanied by Jeanette Massocchi on the grand piano.

The three singers have performed separately with choirs and choral societies across South Wales, gracing the finest stages of this land. Elizabeth, a music graduate from Cardiff University and former of the Welsh National Youth Opera is a featured performer on BBC Radio Wales and more recently performed in “The Sleeper” at the Wales Millennium Centre.  Andrew is a long standing member of Risca male Voice Choir with whom he is a regular soloist. He has also sung recently with Newport Cathedral Choir with performances of their Christmas concert at Riverfront Theatre Newport and Crucifixion in March at the Cathedral. Richard, originally a chorister has been highly successful on the competitive stage receiving many accolades for performances at the Nationa lEisteddfods. In recent concerts he has shared the stage with Kathryn Jenkins, Alfie Boe and also starred alongside Dennis O’Neill in Ten Tenors Concert at St David’s Hall.

Pennie Ray is a multi-talented singer, songwriter and musician who has worked with some iconic and household names in the music and entertainment industry both as a session singer and as an artist in her own right.

Credits include working with David Bowie, Gary Barlow, Guy Chambers and a host of other UK and International artists. Pennie’s experience in the music business also includes supporting the early development of the V2 record label in London. Based in Notting Hill, Pennie fronted several rock and pop outfits before returning to her Welsh roots in 2002 to bring up her young family. Now based near Raglan, Pennie has been a regular on the local festival circuit in recent years, embarking on her life wish to perform some of the best songs ever written and sung. Pennie delivers the compositions of Cole Porter and George Gershwin additional to songs sung by the legendary greats of Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday and Nina Simone. Numbers such as Summertime, The Man I Love and Cry Me A River will make you want to smooch the time away and immerse yourself in pure nostalgia. Not to be missed.

7th Circle is a female fronted classic rock covers band based in South Wales, covering all the major iconic rock bands of the 70’s and 80’s. If you like it “live and loud” this is the band for you.

Artillery Rock Covers Band – Paying a return visit to the festival are a 4 piece male fronted rock covers band based in South Wales whose set list consists of a good mix of classic, modern and contemporary rock with a dash of blues, grunge and punk thrown in for good measure.  If you like loud, energetic rock, you will not be disappointed.

Bon Giovi are the UK’s Premier Tribute to the New Jersey rockers Bon Jovi. With over ten years touring experience, this band is without compromise one of the best acts on the circuit today.

The band have not only toured around the UK, for clients such as Harley Davidson, Butlins, Chicago Rock Cafes, Yates, Walkabouts, The British Motorcycle Federation and Jack Daniels, but have also performed internationally in and around the Middle East, Austria, Turkey, Greece, Ireland to name but a few. Bon Giovi were also the only UK tribute act to be asked to make a guest appearance on the New Jersey tribute album Garden State Of Mind, a celebration of Bon Jovi’s musical career to date.  Covering every aspect of Bon Jovi’s extensive career, the band perform all the greatest hits such as Living On A Prayer, It’s My Life, Wanted Dead or Alive, as well as many others from every album ever produced in one amazing stage show which include all these hits and more, not to mention performing rare tracks that even Bon Jovi haven’t performed for many years.

Chill out in the afternoon on The Beaufort Patio as Lounging About perform a very varied repertoire from mellow Jazz to Blues, Soul and Latin including a number of their own compositions. Also Festival Friend Jon Quick entertains us. Paddy Kelly pops up in The Ship, the pioneer o fpositive thinking will be still warm from his national tour supporting the Hoosiers in May. He will continue to put smiles on the faces of those who have the fortune to go see him live and carry on doing what he does best.The Gymanfa Ganu is an evening of traditional Welsh hymn singing at the Baptist chapel. This is a great addition to the Raglan Festival programme and gives everyone an opportunity to connect with their Welsh roots while singing your heart out to some of the old favourites like Tydi a Roddaist and Emyn Hwyrol.St Cadoc’s Church will provide an excellent setting for the St Woolos Players, where they will perform works from the great composers such as Purcell, Mozart, Wagner and Finzi.