Rapture Gaming Festival is coming to Cardiff for the first time ever and I for one am really looking forward to it. This celebration of all things gaming was established in Colchester, but in 2018 has started to tour the UK, bringing gaming straight to us. Here in South Wales there’s not a massive amount of gaming festivals and this is a shame, as gaming can be a really positive influence on children and teenagers. As I’ve discussed before in The Art of Screen Time and my TECH Tips guide, encouraging children to engage responsibly with digital media is really important. Whilst the potential negatives of gaming are sometimes discussed in the news, ultimately gaming can be an incredibly positive experience and a way for the entire family to work and play together.
I started gaming at a very young age with my uncle, and it was a bond that brought us together and lasted his lifetime and I know many of my cousins and family members feel the same way. I was absolutely heartbroken when he died this year, but found out he’d kept every single console and game he ever played with all of us – and that’s an experience I intend to pass on to my son. I also play video games with my husband, it helps us relax in the evening and provides a stimulating alternative to watching TV after the baby has gone to bed. Through gaming, I’ve met a lot of friends of all ages, nationalities and cultures.
Hands on events that feature video games can be a way to entertain the whole family together as well as encourage and foster hobbies and skills in the digital world, so I think Cardiff is very lucky to be seeing an event like Rapture Gaming Festival.
Rapture Gaming Festival is advertised as being family-friendly and suitable for all ages, allowing guests to immerse themselves in the gaming world, with interactive games, interviews, virtual reality, retro gaming, tabletop gaming and more. Of particular interest to families might be the Minecraft and Roblox Zone and Stage. Both Minecraft and Roblox are very popular with children and teenagers, but adults can get in there and enjoy the fun too. Even if you’re a parent who’s not really interested in games, if you go in with an open mind you’ll learn more about what your children are doing (which helps you make responsible decisions about their gaming time) and I think you’ll genuinely find them fun!
When is Rapture Gaming Festival
8th September – 11am to 6pm
8th September – 6pm to late (18+)
9th September – 11am to 6pm
VIP Tickets get in 30 minutes early!
There will also be a 60 hour BYOC LAN hosted from Friday 10am to Sunday 10pm.
What’s a BYOC LAN?
A BYOC LAN stands for Bring Your Own Computer and Local Area Network and in simple terms, it means gamers will be taking their own PCs to the event and enjoying gaming together on a local network as opposed to an internet network. People stay overnight and the PCs are left on site and it’s a really social way for gamers to get together and play all weekend! This is more geared at adults than families and everyone will need their own PC or Laptop to take to the event, but it’s still something you might be interested in, especially if you have teenagers, or if mum or dad get a chance to have a weekend to themselves. This is run separate to the main gaming festival and has a separate ticket.
Where is Rapture Gaming Festival
Rapture in Cardiff is being held at the Student Union, this is on Park Place, CF10 3QN
If you’re traveling into Cardiff for the day or weekend for this gaming festival it really is an amazing city, and you might want to check out some of my highlights of other family-friendly places to visit. The student union is a very short walk away from Cardiff Musem (which is massive, and FREE!), Cardiff Castle, Bute Park and of course the entire city centre with a massive array of shopping and eateries.
There is pay and display parking all around Cardiff Museum which is actually some of the cheaper parking in Cardiff. For a full 8 hour day you’ll be looking at spending £7 on parking here. The student union is about a 20 minute walk from central station.
How much are tickets to Rapture Gaming Festival
Tickets are available to purchase now. There are lots of options so you’re bound to find one that suits you. Children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult, and children under 5 are free! There aren’t any concession / children’s prices above 5 years old, but group saver tickets which are suitable for four attendees, and you can combine any number of adults or children on them which is useful for those who might have three adults and one child for example.
General Admission Day Ticket (Saturday/Sunday) – £14
General Admission Weekend Ticket (both Saturday & Sunday) – £22
VIP Upgrade Add-on (Saturday/Sunday) £40
Group Saver Day Ticket (Saturday/Sunday) – £40 for groups of 4
Group Saver Weekend Ticket (both Saturday & Sunday) – £80 for groups of 4
LAN Party General Admission Ticket – £60
LAN Party VIP Ticket – £150
After Life (Saturday Only) / LAN Party – 18+ Only
Day/Weekend Entry – All Ages (Under 12s accompanied by an adult) – until 6pm
More Information
If I’ve piqued your interest you can find more information by visiting the Rapture Gaming Festival website, Facebook and Twitter and if you’re based in Wales and enjoy gaming, I’d recommend checking out the Welsh Gaming Network who share information about all the game-related events in Wales.
My son sporting his Welsh Gaming Network T-shirt.
Hope to see lots of families at the event – I’ll be there all day so if you spot me in the crowd, please do come and say hi!
2 Comments
Just a quick note to say thank you Christy for the information. We saw you on the day as well. We had a lovely day out with my two sons and their friend – all Fortnite mad of course!
Was great to see you there Pam. Fingers crossed we get another event like this in Cardiff soon. In the mean time keep an eye on http://www.welshgaming.co.uk which is the gaming organization I help out with as you’ll see interesting gaming events listed there, and most are family friendly 🙂