🎯 Client Objective
To align with Pride Cymru 2025, Castle Quarter Arcades wanted to create a visible, feel-good Pride celebration that was both family-friendly and openly celebratory of queer identity. The brief: build a vibrant programme that would engage passing footfall, encourage lingering and draw in crowds, and showcase the centre’s support for inclusion and visibility.
💡 Our Creative Approach
We curated a full day of immersive experiences, colour, and celebration, designed to surprise and delight visitors of all ages as they flowed through the arcades toward Cardiff's wider Pride festivities.
Experience Highlights:
🎧 Coven Xperience Immersive DJ Sets
Featuring two themed audio stories:
‘You Got the Love’ - a nostalgic, adult-focused tribute to queer love and 90s friendship
‘Knock Knock’ - a magical, family-friendly journey exploring queer unity
✨ Glitter Bar & Express Styling
Safe, hypoallergenic face glitter and paint - perfect for all ages and run by friendly stylists.
🌈 Branded Rainbow Arch
A colourful balloon rainbow installation at a key arcade junction. Pride photo moment meets visual centrepiece!
🎁 Giveaways
Branded mini flags and stickers handed out by event staff creating portable Pride spirit throughout the centre.
💃 Drag Queen Host: Carrie Sauce
Cardiff’s own drag superstar led interactive games, performances and visitor banter!
📸 On-the-Ground Content Team
A professional videographer captured the energy and interaction throughout the day!
🚧 Event Challenges
The event needed to feel both authentic and accessible, catering to families, queer community members, and general footfall - without alienating or over-complicating.
Timing and throughput were crucial for the immersive DJ sets, with careful scheduling needed to rotate audiences and keep flow moving.
As a public-facing, high-traffic shopping environment, we had to balance performance, interactivity, and logistics to avoid overcrowding or disruption in the narrow walkways of the stunning arcades.
🛠️ Our Solution
Anopia handled end-to-end event production. We transformed the brief into a Pride experience that felt joyful, dynamic, and inclusive without disrupting the flow of a busy arcade space.
Key experiences like the immersive audio zones were carefully timed to manage footfall, while high-impact visuals like the rainbow arch and glitter bar brought energy and visibility without overcrowding.
We managed everything from talent and tech to logistics and layout, ensuring the day ran smoothly while creating a space where every visitor felt welcome and celebrated.
📊 Results & Feedback
The rainbow arch became a social magnet, with dozens of shared photos across the weekend.
Carrie Sauce stole the show, drawing in crowds with her energy, humour and unapologetic charisma.
Castle Quarter Arcades made their support visible, proudly standing as an active ally during Pride weekend.
📈 Footfall rose by over 50% compared to the same day the previous week - a clear sign the event drove engagement.
Learn from Our Experts
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