YesCymru returns to live campaigning with a new online festival

YesCymru returns to live campaigning this weekend with the launch of a new online festival.

Yestival is a year-long programme of discussions taking place entirely online, which aims to take advantage of the organisation’s significant online presence and the surge in membership in the last 12 months.

Over the last year YesCymru has increased its membership by nine times, to 18,000, making it the UK’s fastest growing political organisation in 2020 and it currently boasts over 40,000 followers on both Twitter and Facebook.

This weekend’s opener aims to build on the momentum of the last 12-months, with the first of a series of events that will reflect on what a future Wales could look like and will consider how you build a Wales free of discrimination.

The organisation says Yestival’s debut will offer the opportunity “to reflect and mirror those eventful days and marches of 2019” and brings together sporting icons Eddie Butler and Neville Southall, who both produced star turns at the march attended by over 5,000 in Merthyr Tydfil 18 months ago.

‘Digital uprising’

A spokesperson for YesCymru described Yestival as a “festival of digital engagement with groups representing thousands of existing and non-members” and said it is specifically designed to beat Covid-19’s impact on door-to-door and rally campaigning and “continue shaping plans for a stronger and fairer Wales as an independent, neighbouring nation of the UK, adding, “Wales’ growing independence movement has to become a digital uprising.”

Later events will focus on other topics including building a strong economy, acting on climate and nature, international engagement, advancing culture & language, securing health and building local democracy.

Yestival’s full lineup is:

Saturday

19:00 / Warm Up

20:00 / DJ Set / Monique B

Sunday

10:00 / Opening of YESTIVAL with Sarah McCreadie

10:30 / A Wales Free of Discrimination: Panel discussion with Eddie Butler

11:45 / Launch of B a k to The Future Guide to Indy Toolkit

12.30 / WEN Wales on Gender Equality: a Diverse 50:50

14:00 / Race Alliance Wales: Because Black Lives Do Matter In Wales

16.00 / Stonewall Cymru. Read All About it: A Space for LGBTQ+ Voices in Welsh Media

19.00 / B a k Toolkit Workshop

20:00 / Indy Footy Fans meet Big Nev

21.00 / Comedy: Stand Up for Wales

Admission to Yestival is free and you can book tickets here.