Visitors to the Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland Railway’s ‘Extreme Steam Extravaganza’ Summer Gala weekend later this month can enjoy the sound of brass band music as well as the hiss and whistles of steam locomotives.

The Extravaganza is being held from Friday, 19th to Sunday, 21st June, and on Saturday, 20th June, Blaenau Ffestiniog’s local band, the Royal Oakeley Silver Band, will provide the entertainment. Founded in 1864, the band is one of Wales’ oldest brass bands.

The band’s opening performance will be at Blaenau Ffestiniog Station, from approximately 11.00 to 11.45, followed by a performance at Tan-y-Bwlch Station from about 12.15 to 1.45, and a final performance at Porthmadog Harbour Station from about 2.45 to 3.45.

The railway decided that, as it had no special anniversaries to celebrate this year, it would opt for a working slogan of ‘Weird and Wonderful’. In keeping with the ‘Weird and Wonderful’ theme, visitors can expect to hear a diverse selection of tunes, with musical favourites and unexpected selections.

The band will travel by train between performances, so visitors will be able to mingle with performers and instrument cases on station platforms and in carriages as they travel along the line to their next engagement.

There is no extra charge to listen to the band, and visitors can enjoy any of the performances and listen to the music just by turning up at either of the three stations. On the day, there will be parking restrictions at Blaenau Ffestiniog, Tan-y-Bwlch, and Porthmadog Harbour stations, so it is recommended that visitors purchase an event rover ticket to both Blaenau Ffestiniog and Tan-y-Bwlch.

The Extravaganza promises to be a wonderful celebration of steam, heritage, and the region’s communities, and the performance by Wales’ oldest brass band promises to provide lasting memories. You can find more information about the weekend here.

RailAdvent Plus Annual members can take advantage of a discount when travelling on the Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland Railways as part of the RailAdvent Plus Partner Scheme.