Living history and folklore events to take place at Ynys Môn’s Bryn Celli Ddu

A series of living history and folklore events are set to take place at Bryn Celli Ddu, which is one of the most famous archaeological sites in Britain, this summer.

The breathtaking 5,000-year-old tomb near Llanfair PG was constructed to protect and pay respect to the remains of ancestors, and the series of events scheduled for June will allow visitors to step back in time and interrogate landscape, ritual, folklore, and the celebration of archaeology through creative interpretation.

Bryn Celli Ddu Archaeology Open Day

Between 11–4pm on the 14 of June 2025, an open day celebrating the prehistory of Wales and beyond will take place at the Bryn Celli Ddu.

This year, organisers are taking a focused look at the archaeology and ancient history from the Neolithic and Bronze Age of Wales and beyond and highlighting the use of colour in the past.

Throughout the day, attendees will be invited to watch live flint knapping demonstrations with flint experts. Ancient Crafts; take a bilingual archaeology tour of the monument with the famous punk antiquarian Rhys Mwyn; explore the archaeological excavation and join in a tour of the current trench; watch demonstrations of ancient rock art making techniques; through to finding out more about ancient natural dyes, ochre mineral paint pigments and the colourful geology of the island with Stone Science and GeoMôn geologists.

CARREG ATEB @ Bryn Celli Ddu

Between 4–7pm on 22nd of June 2025, visitors are invited to join archaeologists and artists at Bryn Celli Ddu for a fascinating afternoon of folklore inspired procession and performance.

The event will welcome international prize-winning artist, Jeremy Deller to the site, to celebrate the summer solstice weekend, along with special guests from the other Celtic nations including the Armagh Rhymers, bringing alive Bryn Celli Ddu’s architectural forms through music, movement and procession. Join in our colourful folklore procession; and watch as the site comes alive with a performance by Fran Wên.

The event is free to attend, but tickets are essential. Tickets available from the Cadw website.

Bringing history to life

Dr Ffion Reynolds, Senior Heritage Events and Arts Manager at Cadw, said: “Bryn Celli Ddu is an amazing monument, and a fantastic site to promote Anglesey’s abundant archaeology and history.

“Combining a monument’s rich past with the arts with events like this help to open up the sites for more people to enjoy and bring Welsh heritage and history to life in a memorable way.”

The event is a partnership between Cadw, Think Creatively, Galeri Caernarfon, Pontio, Oriel Môn, Manchester Metropolitan University and supported by the Arts Council of Wales.

CARREG ATEB: Vision or Dream? is taking place as part of the of The Triumph of Art, a UK-wide project by artist Jeremy Deller, as part of the National Gallery, London NG200, its bicentenary celebrations.

Mostyn are working in co-production with, Frân Wen, and Jeremy Deller, to produce a youth-led procession and movement piece, which will take place across the solstice weekend, on 21 June, in Llandudno and Mostyn, and on 22 June at Bryn Celli Ddu, Ynys Môn.

The Triumph of Art is being developed in partnership with the National Gallery, London, Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design in Dundee, Mostyn in Llandudno, The Box in Plymouth and The Playhouse in Derry-Londonderry. Supported by Art Fund.

For full summer events listings, visit www.gov.wales/cadw, find Cadw on Facebook or follow @cadwcymruwales on Instagram.