Cynefin
Described by The Guardian as ‘a quietly political antidote to the modern age’, Cynefin journeys deep into the folk songs, stories and landscapes of West Wales. From Ceredigion native Owen Shiers and his band, the project gathers forgotten voices and old traditions from the landscape and weaves them anew, including material from the UK Folk Album of the Year-nominated Shimli.
Rooted in years of research into the vernacular traditions of West Wales, the music of Cynefin follows old pathways through the landscape, unearthing forgotten voices, local histories and fragments of song, and reimagining them for the present.
Folk song, oral history and poetry sit alongside original compositions, tracing the deep connections between people and place, language and land. The show helps these fragments of the past become something vivid and immediate: music grounded in tradition but alive to the world around it.
Across two acclaimed albums, Dilyn Afon and Shimli, Cynefin has emerged as one of the most distinctive voices in contemporary Welsh folk music. Most recently, Shimli was nominated for UK Folk Album of the Year 2025 and named Folk Album of the Month by The Guardian.
This event will last approximately 110 minutes, including an interval.
Concessions & Under 30s tickets
Kings Place Concessions Tickets
We want to ensure that people who may be struggling financially to purchase a ticket can still enjoy visiting Kings Place. A limited number of tickets are allocated for certain events (if the ticket type does not show in the booking pathway, it means they are not available for this event or have all been sold). Concessions tickets are accessible for people on the following criteria (for more information visit our FAQs)
- Pension Credit
- Universal Credit
- Disability Benefit
- Income Support or Job Seekers allowance
- Students
£10 ‘Under 30s’ tickets
A limited number of £10 tickets are available for certain shows to attendees aged under 30. To access Under 30s tickets, update your account with your Date of Birth. Please visit the account centre to add your Date of Birth.
If £10 tickets are available, the ticket discount will apply automatically at checkout. If the discount does not apply, this means all ‘Under 30s’ tickets have sold out for the performance.
Please note that proof of age may be requested at the venue.
Plan your visit
Getting here
Kings Place is situated just a few minutes’ walk from King’s Cross and St Pancras stations, one of the most connected locations in London and now the biggest transport hub in Europe.
Our address is:
90 York Way, London, N1 9AG.
The Venue
Our performance spaces are situated on the lower ground floor. Hall One, Hall Two and St Pancras are located in level -2, reached by stairs, escalator and lift from the ground floor entrance level.
Event Times
Door times indicate auditorium entrance times only. Visitors are welcome to enjoy the Kings Place seating areas, gallery-level art, canal-side terrace, café, restaurant and bar throughout the day and evening.
- Our events begin promptly at the advertised start time. Typically, there is no support unless otherwise stated.
- We recommend arriving in good time before the performance. The Hall doors will open 30 minutes before the performance to allow time to take your seats, or to choose a space for standing shows.
- Latecomers will be admitted at a suitable break in the performance where possible
Access
We aim to make your visit to Kings Place as comfortable as possible. For more information about the accessibility of Kings Place, including details about our Access Scheme, please visit this page.
If you would like to discuss your access requirements with a member of our team, please get in touch with the Box Office team at info@kingsplace.co.uk.
Food & Drink
Rotunda Bar & Restaurant
Rotunda, situated on the ground floor of Kings Place, offers a unique dining and drinking experience alongside Regent’s Canal. The concert bar in the venue foyer will also be open for select events.
Green & Fortune Café
Recently re-furbished and now open with a new look, the Green & Fortune Café is open for selected concerts. Serving hot and cold food and drinks, including sandwiches, salads, soup, stew and a pie of the day, alongside a choice of cakes made by the on-site bakery team. See here for selected concert dates and standard opening hours.
About Cynefin
Owen Shiers is a Welsh folk singer, musician and researcher working under the name Cynefin (pr. kuh-neh-vin). Raised in Ceredigion’s Clettwr Valley, his work is rooted in the landscape, language and vernacular culture of West Wales.
Through a process of musical archaeology, Shiers unearths songs, stories and fragments of local history, weaving archival research and oral tradition into new music that explores the connections between people, place and memory. His acclaimed albums Dilyn Afon and Shimli have established Cynefin as a distinctive voice in Welsh folk music, with Shimli nominated for UK Folk Album of the Year 2025.
Reviews
‘Beautiful.’ Songlines ★★★★★ Top Pick
‘Love It!’ Cerys Matthews, BBC 6 Music