The 2025 Llangollen International Eisteddfod, which takes place from 8-13 July, will be marking the ‘Year of Croeso’ with a series of special events. The festival, which was founded in 1947, has already confirmed over 4,000 competitors from 36 different countries who will be heading to the town this summer.

The “Year of Croeso – Only in Wales” is being organised by Visit Wales. It is the latest in a successful series of themed years, and the Llangollen Eisteddfod will be stepping up their plans for a bigger and better festival than its record-breaking festival in 2024. The Year of Croeso, or ‘welcome’, aims to celebrate the distinct and varied ways in which people from across the UK and the world can feel welcomed when they visit Wales.

Chair of the Llangollen Eisteddfod, John Gambles said, “The Year of Croeso is the perfect opportunity for our festival to continue to reach out to the world, in the same way that we have done each year since 1947 in the aftermath of a world war. Each year we have welcomed all to share cultures and celebrate difference through the common language of music and dance in an annual International Eisteddfod. Last year, we welcomed over 50,000 people to Northeast Wales during an unforgettable Summer. This had a massive benefit on our local economy. Not only did we welcome some of the world’s biggest artists like Bryan Adams, Tom Jones and Paloma Faith to Llangollen but we also welcomed over 3000 performers from 30 different countries. This year, we have had the best response from around the world for years and we can’t wait to welcome even more competitors, even more countries and bring even more colour to Llangollen.”

In 2025, some 4,000 competitors from choirs, dance groups and ensembles will head to Llangollen from around the world, along with 60 groups from across the UK. This represents the highest number of international competitors for many years, as the town once again welcomes the world to Wales.

Groups confirmed for Llangollen 2025 come from as far away as Burundi, Canada, China, Costa Rica, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Kurdistan, Morocco, New Zealand, Philippines, Portugal, Républic of Congo, Singapore, South Africa, Trinidad and Tobago, Ukraine, USA and Zimbabwe. There will also be 22 non-competing groups bringing a variety of choirs, dance and ensembles.

Taking place from Tuesday 8th to Sunday 13th July 2025, the week-long festival will include evening concerts from The Who’s Roger Daltrey, BRIT Award-winner KT Tunstall, classical crossover group Il Divo, West End star Lucie Jones and leading opera star Sir Bryn Terfel with Fisherman’s Friends. The festival is also co-promoting a series of ‘Live at Llangollen Pavilion’ concerts with Cuffe and Taylor, featuring bands like Human League, Texas and The Script.

Artistic Director of the festival, Dave Danford,  said, “The Llangollen International Eisteddfod really has something for everyone in 2025. From World Class artists like Roger Daltrey, KT Tunstall and Sir Bryn Terfel to competitors from every corner of the globe, our festival is uniquely placed to match Visit Wales’ ambitions for the Year of Croeso. Our outside stages will be themed this year with ‘Croeso’ in mind and we can’t wait to welcome the world once again to Wales. Like Visit Wales, we celebrate our unique sense of place, from culture and language to our huge range of events and activities.”

After last week’s announcement of concerts next summer featuring Roger Daltrey, KT Tunstall, Il Divo and Bryn Terfel, the Llangollen International Eisteddfod has put tickets on sale for its packed daytime events, which take place from 8 to 13 July 2025.

In 2025, 4,000 competitors from choirs, dance groups and ensembles will head to Llangollen from around the world, along with 57 groups from across the UK. This represents the highest number of international competitors for many years, as the town once again welcomes the world to Wales.

Groups confirmed for Llangollen 2025 come from as far away as Burundi, Canada, China, Costa Rica, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Kurdistan, Morocco, New Zealand, Philippines, Portugal, Républic of Congo, Singapore, South Africa, Trinidad and Tobago, Ukraine, USA and Zimbabwe. There will also be 22 non-competing groups bringing a variety of choirs, dance and ensembles.

The festival’s choral, dance and instrumental competitions are hosted in its iconic 3,500-seater pavilion from Wednesday 9 to Sunday 13 July 2025. In addition to 25 world-class competitions, there will also be plenty to see and do on the Eisteddfod field.

There will be two outside performance stages, featuring live music from across the world, as well as local bands from North East Wales. There will be showcases from Community Rhythm and Roots Wales (where 6 groups from across the country will perform), a Welsh language afternoon (featuring up and coming Welsh Language performers), and much more. The annual peace message will be presented on Wednesday 9 and Saturday 12 July and is the focal point of a number of activities promoting the Eisteddfod’s message of world peace.

In addition, there will be pop-up performance areas, a dedicated Kids Zone (featuring fun and educational activities, including circus skills), and a sensory den (providing a safe space for those who need it). There will also be arts and crafts from local makers, along with plenty to eat and drink.

Chair of the Llangollen International Eisteddfod, John Gambles said, “Our 2025 Eisteddfod will be much more than a series of amazing concerts – our field will be a hive of colour, music, and dancing. There really is something for everybody. Our daytime in Llangollen will be as vibrant as our evening concerts. This year, we have had an amazing number of applications from across the world. It’s clear that the Llangollen International Eisteddfod still reaches out to the world, and our festival in 2025 will be bigger and better than ever.”

International and homegrown stars from the worlds of rock, pop, opera and the West End will be among the headliners to perform at the 2025 Llangollen International Eisteddfod.

Taking place from Tuesday 8^th to Sunday 13^th July, the week-long festival will include evening concerts from The Who’s Roger Daltrey, BRIT Award winner KT Tunstall, classical crossover group Il Divo, West End star Lucie Jones and leading opera star Sir Bryn Terfel. (more…)

The Eisteddfod will be featured on BBC One’s Bargain Hunt, on Monday 18 November 2024 at 12:15. Presenter Roo Irvine will be looking into the history of the festival, with assistance from Eisteddfod volunteers Professor Chris Adams and Barrie Potter. Following broadcast the programme will be available on BBC iPlayer.

The team from the popular BBC afternoon television programme visited the Eisteddfod in June, just a few days before Canadian legend Bryan Adams performed in the pavilion. Fronted by Roo Irvine, they were recording a programme at the Oswestry Antiques Fair, and chose to include a feature on the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod and its history.

The main guest in Llangollen was Professor Chris Adams, a long-time student of Eisteddfod history, and the Chair of the Eisteddfod at the time of filming. Barrie Potter, Chair of the Archive Committee, was also on hand to give his insights.

Professor Adams said, “The crew were fascinated by the story of our festival, and the artefacts we have around the offices. They loved the large sheets of embroidery which are displayed on the walls of the Boardroom, with visitor signatures from the 1950s onwards, including Harold and Mary Wilson, and Princess Diana. We discussed the way in the early days how collecting autographs filled the niche now occupied by taking selfies, as a way of getting to meet people. We showed our autograph books and also photographs of autograph hunter in action.

“But what really captured them was the trophy, complete with our shield and motto, how the art and poetry encapsulate our Welsh spirit, and the aims of the Eisteddfod to seek to build better international relations, by bringing ordinary people together through the common love of music and dance. Chris talked about the motto, its bardic origins and its poetry. We showed Bargain Hunt how the trophy (and its message) has travelled the world, even to the garden of the White House in Washington during the Vietnam war. The trophy was Roo’s favourite object.

“It was important to them, too, that the Eisteddfod was so clearly a community initiative, and the Cardiff-based visitors left amazed, not least by the idea that they hadn’t really heard about the Llangollen Eisteddfod or appreciated it before. It’s great to once again share our amazing Eisteddfod story with the wider world.”

The Llangollen International Eisteddfod have announced their celebrated ‘Parade of Nations’ will be held in the town on Wednesday 9th July 2025 at 4.30pm. Visitors can expect a colourful spectacle, as groups from across the world will be participating, alongside dozens of groups from Wales and the rest of the UK.

Following a very successful pilot project in 2024, the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod is calling for diverse communities across Wales to take part in a special showcase for its 2025 festival.  The Community Rhythms and Roots project, supported by Arts Council Wales, aims to explore the multicultural and multilingual nature of modern Wales and unlock the creative potential of communities living in Wales.

The project reflects the Llangollen International Eisteddfod’s rich heritage and is aligned to the organisation’s ambition of using the arts and culture to bring different communities together in a spirit of peace and friendship.  Organisers are looking for diverse groups and communities based in Wales who wish to share their stories with Wales and the World, using music, dance and literature. The 6 successful applicants will showcase their performances at the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod in 2025.  Each group will be supported along their journey by professional artists who will provide each group with bespoke dance, music and literature training.

Working with external partners such as the National Dance Company of Wales, Literature Across Frontiers, other professional partners and freelance artists, all six groups will have access to expert support with their storytelling skills and ambitions and some financial assistance to help them showcase their productions at Llangollen in July 2025.

Project Director Garffild Lloyd Lewis said, “In 2024, our pilot project gave 3 groups from the Newport Chinese Community, the Cardiff Sudanese Community and a youth group from Wrexham the opportunity to perform at one of Wales’ most prestigious festivals.  This year, we have really stepped things up and we can’t wait to work with 6 groups from across multi-cultural Wales.  Every community has an amazing story to tell and we are delighted to be giving them the opportunity on one of the biggest stages in Wales.

“The project leaders will provide all the support and assistance that groups need – all we need is a creative idea from your group that will represent a multicultural, multilingual and diverse community in Wales.  All we want is a commitment to a timetable that will involve rehearsals from January 2025 onwards, a community performance in early summer and a showcase event staged at the Llangollen Eisteddfod on Wednesday the 9th of July, 2025.”

Groups interested in this wonderful opportunity to represent their communities on a world stage, who are willing to experiment with different art forms, who want to perform in their own language and want to tell their unique story – and be supported and inspired by experts along the way can find out more at:

https://international-eisteddfod.co.uk/get-involved/community-rhythm-and-roots/

The Llangollen International Eisteddfod has opened the application process for soloists and instrumentalists for next year’s festival, which take place between Tuesday 8 and Sunday 13 July 2025.  There will be 7 solo competitions, 18 group competitions and 4 non-competitive ways to take part, with the world’s best soloists and musicians invited.

This year, the festival has introduced youth versions of its Voice of the Future and Voice of Musical Theatre competitions, to encourage younger singers to take part. This is following overwhelming feedback from audiences and competitors in 2024.

The Eisteddfod’s International Voice of the Future competition is always one of the highlights of the festival, which has existed since 1947 to promote peace through music and dance. The 2024 Pendine International Voice of the Future winner was Shimona Rose, a soprano from Singapore, with the competition being sponsored by Pendine Park, a care organisation that supports numerous cultural initiatives locally. The Voice of Musical Theatre competition was won in 2024 by Shea Ferron, a member of celebrated local choir Johns’ Boys Male Chorus (themselves previous winners of the Eisteddfod’s Choir of the World competition).

The Llangollen International Eisteddfod opened its group applications last month. Applications have already been received from choirs from as far away as the USA, Zimbabwe, Philippines, Denmark, Portugal and Canada, as well as dance groups from Burundi, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Morocco and the Republic of Congo, and ensembles from Australia and Ghana.

Dave Danford, Artistic Director of the Llangollen International Eisteddfod said, “Every year our festival attracts some of the most talented singers, dancers, musicians and choirs from around the world. We’ve been delighted with the response from every corner of the globe for our group competitions this year, and we are now pleased to be opening applications for our solo competitions.

“After listening to feedback from our audiences, we have launched exciting new competitions for young people. We want to bring the best young talent in the world to Llangollen and our standards remain incredibly high. We look forward to welcoming all our competitors next July, as North East Wales once again becomes a vibrant destination for music and dance.”

For more information on participating CLICK HERE

Group applications close: Thursday 28 November 2024

Solo application close: Thursday 20 February 2025