Anglesey to Host Urdd's National Eisteddfod After Two Decades
Anglesey will host the Urdd's National Eisteddfod this weekend for the first time in over 20 years. The Urdd Eisteddfod is recognized as one of Europe's largest annual travelling youth festivals, celebrating Welsh language, culture, and the arts among young people.
The island last welcomed this significant event in 2004, at the same showground location in Mona.
Preparations and Community Involvement
Llio Maddocks, the Urdd's Director of the Arts, commented on the preparations, stating:
"Ynys Môn [Anglesey] has turned red, white and green - and we're really looking forward to welcoming children and young people from all over Wales to this special island."
Preparations for the festival have been ongoing for more than three years, and the site is nearly ready to welcome visitors from across Wales between 23 and 29 May.
Many children and young people on the island have been rehearsing for their competitions.
Local Schoolchildren Prepare for Competitions
At Ysgol Henblas, near the Eisteddfod site, schoolchildren have been practising with their band, with many students playing instruments for the first time.
Bronwen Evans, a parent who has been assisting with the children's preparation, said:
"It's been absolutely incredible really, I can count on one hand how many have actually played an instrument before September. That was the main challenge, putting something together in a month... the kids have worked so hard, they've gone home and practised every night."
Eight-year-old pupil Begw shared:
"We've been practising the song 'Mae'n Wlad i Mi', and we've made it to the Eisteddfod finals. What I'm looking forward to is performing on the stage with my friends."
Another eight-year-old, Llywela, who had never played an instrument before, expressed her enjoyment of being part of the band this year:
"We've been practising with the band and I play the cornet. I have never played an instrument before and I'm looking forward to playing at the Eisteddfod."
Mia, also eight years old, is eager to attend and compete:
"I've been playing the trombone and we're so lucky that Bronwen came to teach us how to play instruments. We're going to be trying to win the competition, and we're going to be practising and practising until we get it perfect. I'm excited to see if we win."
Festival Organizers and Volunteers Celebrate Success
Llio Maddocks expressed enthusiasm about the upcoming event and the community's efforts:
"We're really looking forward to welcoming children and young people from all over Wales to this special island. The volunteers have been absolutely incredible, they've worked really hard with us for the last three years and they were really happy to announce last week that they had reached their fundraising target of £380,000. It's absolutely phenomenal what they've done - yes they've raised the money but they've also raised the excitement here, making sure that everyone on this island knows that the Eisteddfod is coming."
