The top Welsh festival: The Eisteddfod 2010
If you have been accustomed to travelling to Europe or further afield for your holidays, you may well be interested in a more local setting. Focus your attentions on the west of the UK, to a country with its own specially unique cultural charm.
Anyone considering weekend breaks in Wales or looking for things to do in Wales would be well served by a visit to the biggest annual Welsh language and cultural festival – The National Eisteddfod. Eisteddfod alternates the venue between north and south of the country during the first weeks of August, with Ebbw Vale being the next host in 2010.
The National Eisteddfod the largest cultural festival of its kind in Europe and a key event in the Welsh calendar. The event is a celebration of Welsh culture, so the proceedings are conducted mainly in the Welsh language, although with over 150,000 visitors per week, there is plenty of English spoken. If you are not a Welsh speaker it is not a problem, and you will still receive a warm welcome and, if necessary, a translation kit.
You can still enjoy arts, crafts, music and dance and soak up the atmosphere, without an in-depth knowledge of the language. The main field where most of the events take place is known as the Maes and the main pavilion is the hub of the festival where the music, dance, poetry and recitation competitions are held. These include the Crowning (best work in free verse), Daniel Owen memorial prize (best unpublished Welsh novel), the Prose Medal, and the Chairing of the winning poet.
There are also theatre, arts and crafts exhibitions, a literature pavilion, an area for Welsh learners to hone their language skills and plenty of plenty of food and drink. Or travel a little further afield and experience some of the first class restaurants in Wales that are nearby. At Eisteddfod, there is plenty of evening entertainment with plays and comedy shows and concerts often performed by local musicians. If you are interested in bands and rock groups, there are loads of gigs in Welsh and in English in the main arena or areas close to the main paviliion.
