Free festival marks launch of 2024 Rhondda Cynon Taf National Eisteddfod

The 2024 Rhondda Cynon Taf National Eisteddfod will be officially launched with a free day-long festival at The Lion, Treorchy on Saturday 4 March.

The festival will offer a taster of what to expect at the Eisteddfod, held in the county during the first week of August next year.

Organisers have worked with performers, artists, and community groups across the region to create taster session at The Lion, running from 10:00am and ending with a late-night gig featuring top Welsh rock band, Candelas, who have headlined all the Eisteddfod’s major stages and events over recent years.

The event next month celebrates the start of the Eisteddfod’s homecoming, as the first modern-day Eisteddfod was held in Aberdare in 1861.

The festival has developed since then into one of Europe’s largest festivals, with 1,000 individual events, attracting over 160,000 visitors every year as it travels around Wales.

Excited

2024 Eisteddfod Chair, Helen Prosser said: “The Eisteddfod is for everyone, and we hope that our event in Treorchy will get local people excited and keen to get involved in the preparations over the next few months.

“Our main message as we launch the project is that the Eisteddfod belongs to us all, whether we’ve been to the festival in the past or if we’re just curious about what’s coming to Rhondda Cynon Taf next year.

“We want everyone to get involved, Welsh learners, confident Welsh speakers and everyone who’s lost touch with our language since school or who’ve never had the chance to learn.

Councillor Rhys Lewis, Cabinet Member for Education & Welsh Language at Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council added “We are looking forward to welcoming the National Eisteddfod to Rhondda Cynon Taf in 2024. The event at The Lion will give our residents a little taste of what’s to come when Europe’s biggest music and poetry festival visits our County Borough.

Partners for the festival in The Lion include Menter Iaith Rhondda Cynon Taf, Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council, National Lottery Heritage Fund, Aelwyd Cwm Rhondda and Dysgu Cymraeg Rhondda Cynon Taf.

Following the festival, organisers will host an open meeting at the University of South Wales, Treforest on Thursday 16 March at 19:00 for everyone interested in getting involved in organising the competitions and artistic activities.

The Rhondda Cynon Taf National Eisteddfod will take place during the first week of August, 2024.  For more information go to www.eisteddfod.cymru.