Craft Festival Wales returns with new National Eisteddfod exhibition
Nation.Cymru staff
Craft Festival Wales will return to Cardigan Castle in September with more than 100 exhibitors and a new exhibition celebrating past National Eisteddfod Gold Medal winners.
The three-day event, which attracted more than 4,000 visitors last year, will take place from September 11 to 13 and feature makers from across Wales and beyond alongside workshops, demonstrations, talks, live music and family activities.
New for 2026 is Aur/Gold, an exhibition presented in partnership with the National Eisteddfod celebrating past Gold Medal winners from Y Lle Celf. Hosted at Canfas Gallery, it will open on August 1 to coincide with this year’s National Eisteddfod, which is being held near Cardigan.
Festival organisers said more than 100 exhibitors had been selected by an independent panel, with work spanning textiles, ceramics, glass, wood, metal and jewellery.
The festival will once again be spread across Cardigan Castle, with workshops, demonstrations, Capital of Craft talks, theatre, live music and free children’s activities. The Craft Town Trail will also return, expanding to more venues and displaying work in shop windows across the town.
Sarah James MBE, founder and director of Craft Festival, said: “I am so thrilled that Craft Festival Wales is returning to Cardigan Castle in September. It represents a year of planning, working across a wide range of organisations to benefit as many people as possible.
“The people of Cardigan have welcomed Craft Festival with open arms and I cannot wait.”
The festival also aims to support emerging makers through awards, commissions, training and professional development, including workshops and partnerships with organisations such as Futureworks, Novus and QEST. Organisers say the event has become an important boost for both the local economy and Wales’ creative industries.
Connections
Ceredigion Preseli MP Ben Lake said: “The festival plays a significant role in fostering connections within the craft community while also enabling artists to reach new customers and markets, opening doors for future opportunities.
“The diversity of work on display, from ceramics and textiles to metalwork and woodcraft, demonstrates the rich tapestry of artistic talent we have in Wales, and it’s through events like this that such talent is nurtured and celebrated.”
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