OLLY MURS is a well established South Wales favourite having played a fantastic, sell out gig in Swansea as part of DEPOT IN THE PARK earlier this year. As you can imagine the welcome he received in Singleton Park was incredible as we were all eager to see live music again, just as much as Olly was to perform it.

He will be back here again, playing Cardiff Castle next year, another of those rescheduled gigs we’ve all had to endure. In announcing the 25 dates of his tour, Olly said he feels “confident” it will go ahead despite all that was going on.

“I’m getting back to work & going on a 2021 SUMMER TOUR. GET IN!! New music, New year and New vibes!”

“We all know last year was cancelled. It is just like, see you later, I’m not interested. We are really hoping that this year is going to be a far better year and I can’t wait to get out on the road and see all you lovely lot.”

Incredibly, it’s now 11 years since Olly was on, and didn’t win X Factor. He came second in 2009, but as we know, you don’t have to win the show to have a massive career (One Direction). Of course singing and performing is what we love about him, but Olly has turned his hand to most things over the years. Songwriting, TV Presenting, Judging, Directing and even a bit of dancing – how can ever forget that first dance at his audition.

I think what we loved about that audition, apart from the dancing Olly – is the ‘WOW’ you can see Cheryl whisper halfway through.

After performing Stevie Wonder’s “Superstition” Simon Cowell said it was “the easiest yes I’ve ever given“. In fact it was clear that Simon had a bit of a soft spot for Olly. On the first live show, he sang “She’s the One” (Olly not Simon), and on the second, “A Fool in Love”, a performance which Simon described as being “in a different league.“

Fast forward 11 years and Olly has a pile of platinum selling, award winning albums and singles under his belt, with the promise of new music on the way.

When he gets to South Wales we’re sure the gig will have a smattering of new stuff but all the songs we know and love to singalong with.

Right from the start of his music career Olly has been a great one for ‘doing his bit.’ He was part of the 2011 Comic Relief Red Nose Day campaign. The celebrities spent five days in the Kaisut desert in north Kenya, covering 100 kilometres (62 mi) in temperatures up to 40 °C.

When he appeared in a celebrity version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? he won £10,000 for charity. The on a celebrity edition of Deal or No Deal, where he won 50p for his chosen charity, Brainwave, a local charity based in his home town of which he had become a patron, for children with brain conditions such as cerebral palsy.

The money may not have been great but the awareness he raised was massive..

He does love a bit of football as well, and has played in Soccer Aid on a few occasions. He recently captained England in this year’s Soccer Aid.

Before we give you the dates we want to mention his collaborations, of which there have been a few. Olly has got together with the likes of Travie McCoy, Louis Johnson, Flo Rida, Demi Lovato, and the list goes on. Our favourite in the SOUTH WALES LIFE office has to be Moves ft. Snoop Dogg.

We were blessed to see Snoop, Dr Dre, Eminem and more on the “Up In Smoke” tour in the States a few years back. Snoop was incredible, but maybe a little unpredictable. If you bump into Olly in Swansea and Cardiff, ask him to tell you the story of his long trip to LA to meet Snoop to get him in on the video below. It didn’t happen quite as Olly planned, but we do love the song.

Olly’s tour date at Cardiff Castle is now rescheduled, he gets there on Thursday 21st July 2022. You can get tickets for that gig here OLLY