Wrexham gets ready to host 2025 National Eisteddfod
Organisers said Wrexham had a "strong Welsh feel" even though only about 12% of residents speak the language.When it was announced in 2023, councillor Hugh Jones said it was a "fantastic opportunity to welcome people from far and wide to celebrate our language and culture". Eisteddfod chief executive Betsan Moses said Wrexham was "the place to be".Llinos Roberts, chair of the executive committee for the 2025 National Eisteddfod, said: "I think more people in Wrexham and the surrounding areas consider themselves to be 'Welsh' compared with other parts of north-east Wales. "We're trying to get lots of local people to visit the Eisteddfod."Once again thousands of local residents on lower incomes will be able to visit the event free of charge thanks to a grant of £200,000 from the Welsh government.
What is the National Eisteddfod?
The National Eisteddfod is an annual festival that celebrates the language and culture of Wales.The festival has taken place each summer since 1861, with the location alternating between north and south Wales.It is best known for its competitions - allowing people from across Wales to compete in various cultural contests - with actors, musicians and poets competing on the national stage.The main site, known as the maes, is the home of many of the eisteddfod's activities.
Wrexham Football Club has gone from strength to strength since the Eisteddfod was last in town, returning to the Football League and being promoted to the Championship.The club even has a full-time Welsh language tutor. Huw Birkhead has been teaching Welsh with a "football twist" to staff, players and fans from around the world for the past two years.The club has joined forces with the National Centre for Learning Welsh and Coleg Cambria to promote the language.Huw said: "It's to help staff feel comfortable using the Welsh language around the place and to give the staff the opportunity to grow in confidence to use some Welsh in their work but also in their private lives as well."Megan Buckley, who works for the club's youth foundation, is looking forward to practising her new Welsh-speaking skills at the Eisteddfod.She said: "There's a bit more buzz around it and all the kids obviously doing stuff around the Eisteddfod in schools so we get to hear a lot about it so to be involved this year is going to be really fun."
Wrexham may be hosting a major arts and culture festival but it already has its own space dedicated to local craftspeople - Ty Pawb.The combined market and arts hub has brought together various craft groups to make a large display to mark the Eisteddfod.It was the brainchild of trader Wendy Scott, who said: "There's loads of different groups within Wrexham that are crafting and they're all kind of isolated so we wanted them all to join together to make crocheted or knitted flowers to use up those small amounts of yarn that they might have in their stash and it stops it going into landfill."
Sue Allen, who was among the contributors and is performing at the festival as part of a choir, said she believed the popularity of the documentary Welcome to Wrexham about the football club and its celebrity co-chairmen Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney could draw even more attention to the festival.She said: "I'm really glad that Wrexham's got the Eisteddfod again. "I've just come back from America and everybody's heard of Wrexham because of the programme."But Welcome to Wrexham is not just the name of a TV show, it is the message of the week ahead, in the hope that the Eisteddfod will create a growing community of regular visitors.
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