Set in the heart of mid Wales, and perched upon the brink of the picturesque river Wye in the market town of Builth Wells, Wyeside Arts Centre is a presenting venue for live and visual arts and cinema. Wyeside’s varied programme ranges from Cerys Matthews to Tchaikovsky and from Pinter to panto – with the likes of Lucy Porter at the microphone or Courtney Pine on sax.  These highlights reflect the centre's fundamental commitment to presenting a programme of arts and entertainment of real breadth and quality, that is accessible to all people.

In addition to Wyeside’s programme of public arts events, its central Wales location, friendly and expert staff and its excellent range of facilities also make this an ideal venue for business meetings, private functions and conferences. Wyeside is also available to hire as a performance space for both amateur and professional groups.

The Market Theatre

The Market Theatre is Wyeside’s main venue for live arts. The Market is also home to Wyeside’s second cinema screen and shows film throughout the year in addition to its programme of theatre, live music, comedy and dance. The Market Theatre gets its name from the old Market Hall complex that once occupied the building, and the numbered bays of the market stalls can still be seen above the stone arches all around the theatre.  Both the Market Theatre and the Castle Cinema are licensed for the consumption of alcohol.

The Castle Cinema

Upstairs (or up-lift!) from the Market Theatre is the Castle Cinema. Comprehensively refurbished in 2001, the Castle is an extremely comfortable venue for film and also occasional performances and talks.  Although Wyeside can be found on Castle Street, Builth Wells, opposite the Castle Mound (remnants of a Norman motte and bailey – a timber structure remodelled as a stone castle by Edward 1 in 1277), the Castle Cinema is not in fact named after the old fortress.  In 1937 the ‘Kino’ at the old Wyeside Assembly Rooms was bought by the ‘Castle Cinema’ chain, and it is from then on that the ‘Kino’ became the ‘Castle.’ Wyeside claims the unchallenged title of ‘longest running cinema in Wales,’ and relives the era of the ‘silents’ with the help of returning artist Paul Shallcross, whose silent film screenings, accompanied by original and specially composed scores, are a favourite of Wyeside audiences.

The Gallery

The Gallery  an exhibition space, with excellent lighting and facilities that make it suitable not only for visual arts, crafts and installations, but also for video-art.

Bars and Café

Wyeside’s foyer café is available throughout the centre’s opening hours, and serves a range of soft drinks, snacks and tea. Thanks to a generous donation from the Friends of Wyeside, we are also able to provide creamy lattes, rich espresso and frothy cappuccino. You can also make use of free wifi – just ask staff at the Box Office when you make your purchase. Wyeside’s foyer café is also a fully licensed bar, and alongside the Market Theatre bar, serves a range of beers, wines and spirits, which you are welcome to enjoy in either the Castle Cinema or Market Theatre.