Street Photography at Llanelli Food and Drink Festival 2025
Llanelli Food Festival 2025: Celebrating Community, Creativity and Local Businesses.
It was such a pleasure to see Llanelli town centre full of life again, thanks to the Llanelli Food Festival 2025, held on Saturday 18th October. It was a colourful celebration of food, family, and community spirit, and I felt genuinely privileged to capture some of its highlights as a local photographer.
Bringing Life Back Into Town
This year’s festival was held in the heart of town and brought together over 50 artisan producers and street food vendors from across South Wales, arts-and-crafts for children, and a great atmosphere thanks to some live music. Vaughan Street and Stepney Street looked lovely as they were lined with lovely colourful stalls, and lots of people of varying ages and ethnicities.
After seeing such a sad decline in the town centre over the last 10 years, it really was nice to see it alive again. I believe there needs to be a different approach to town planning now, because all of the UK's town centres need to be redesigned because no one wants them for shopping any more. Perhaps there needs to be a move away from a focus on shopping in town centres, now that we have fantastic out-of-town retail parks. I'm not sure what the answer is really; perhaps fitness centres, restaurants, activity centres, nature reserve/natural areas...? I'm not sure. If shops aren't working then other things need to be considered. The high quality, unique and independent vendors at the food festival events certainly elevate the feel of the town centre again, and isn’t it great to support local small businesses instead of soulless big brands!
Sharing Photos and Getting Involved
For me, the festival represented more than vendors and food stalls. It was a showcase of what makes Llanelli: a town rooted in community, creativity and collaboration. I was inspired to capture some of the goings on in support of the Foothold Cymru’s ‘Seeing Llanelli’ photography project, which runs in collaboration with their wider Full Circle | Cwblhau’r Cylch initiative and is led by photographer Ray Hobbs.
The Full Circle | Cwblhau’r Cylch project was funded by the Esmee Fairbairn Foundation and is committed to transforming Llanelli into Wales’s first Zero Waste Town over the next three years. The campaign strives to promote environmental sustainability and community well-being in and around Llanelli.
The Seeing Llanelli project invites everyone — not just professional photographers — to share how they view our town through photography. Mobile phone snaps, candid moments, local favourites… they’re all part of the story. Projects like these aren’t just about photography; they’re about capturing shared experiences, forging connections and building a stronger sense of place.
If you’re interested in getting involved, contact Nick at Nick@footholdcymru.org.uk or fill in this online form to join Ray's Seeing Llanelli newsletter.
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The best images don’t just show what something looks like; they make people feel what it’s like to be part of it. That’s the kind of storytelling I love to create for businesses, events, and communities — visuals that attract naturally, without ever needing to “sell.”
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Written by Emma Buckley, Llanelli-based brand and event photographer.
