Cardiff will host the National Eisteddfod in 2028, festival organisers have confirmed, marking the first time in ten years that Wales' largest cultural celebration will take place in the capital. The announcement was made on the closing day of this year's event in Llantwd, Pembrokeshire, held close to where the very first Eisteddfod took place 850 years ago. Organisers said the 2028 edition would follow a ticketed, "traditional" format, though the precise site within Cardiff has not yet been decided.
According to a report from Wales, Cardiff Council has now formally confirmed the capital's role as host city for 2028, though the same report notes that the exact venue within Cardiff remains undecided.
How does the festival normally work?
Each year the National Eisteddfod relocates to a different part of Wales, alternating broadly between the north and south of the country, and it is customarily staged during the first week of August. The gathering draws roughly 150,000 attendees annually and showcases poetry, literature, music, drama and visual art, conducted mainly in the Welsh language. Alongside competitive performances, the festival includes concerts, exhibitions, market stalls, family activities and formal ceremonial events. Smaller sister festivals also exist, such as the International Musical Eisteddfod in Llangollen, Denbighshire, and the youth-focused Eisteddfod yr Urdd.
Before reaching Cardiff, the festival will first travel to Powys in 2027 — its first visit there in more than a decade. Preparations for that event are already under way, with a launch ceremony held in Llanidloes earlier this year to mark the start of formal planning for the Eisteddfod Genedlaethol Maldwyn Meirionnydd 2027, which included a procession and a Gorsedd Cymru ceremony.
How will the 2028 Cardiff event differ from 2018?
National Eisteddfod chief executive Betsan Moses said the upcoming Cardiff festival would look markedly different from the last time the city played host. In 2018, the maes — the Welsh term for the main festival grounds — sat in Cardiff Bay and offered free, open entry to the public. This time, Moses confirmed, visitors will need tickets and the site will be enclosed.
"It will be a traditional maes," she said, "and it will be very similar to this one [in Llatwd] with ticketing and fencing".
Separately, background material from Wales' broadcaster describes the National Eisteddfod as the largest festival of its kind anywhere in Europe, according to a BBC Cymru Fyw report. This year's staging in Llantwd also forms part of celebrations marking 850 years since the festival's origins, according to a round feature.
What happens next?
Formal planning for the 2028 Cardiff festival is set to begin on 9 September 2026 with a public meeting at Chapter Arts Centre in Canton, Cardiff — a date confirmed by a report. Moses said organisers hope to draw in volunteers and contributors from a wide range of backgrounds.
"We're keen to bring together people from different backgrounds, interests and areas of expertise to be part of the team," said Moses.
Cardiff Council leader Chris Weaver welcomed the announcement, saying he was proud the festival was returning to the city.
"Cardiff has a proud track record of staging major events, and we look forward to welcoming visitors from across Wales and beyond for what is sure to be a memorable and inspiring eisteddfod," he said.
Key Facts
- Cardiff will host the National Eisteddfod in 2028, its first time doing so in a decade.
- The 2028 event will be ticketed and fenced, unlike the free, open-entry maes staged in Cardiff Bay in 2018.
- The 2027 festival will be held in Powys for the first time in more than ten years.
- The National Eisteddfod typically attracts around 150,000 visitors each year.
- Planning for the 2028 festival begins with a public meeting at Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff, on 9 September 2026.
