The National Eisteddfod is coming to Pen Llŷn in August 2023
Published on 10 Oct 2022 by Amy GreenwoodDo you love a summer festival? In the first week of August each year, Wales hosts the jewel in its cultural crown – the National Eisteddfod. This joyful annual gathering celebrates the best music, language, performance and culture in Wales.
In August 2023, we will welcome this wonderful showcase for the arts to the heart of Pen Llŷn. The festival will take place in Boduan – a lovely rural village which is just 4 miles inland from Pwllheli, and a similar distance from Nefyn.
The Eisteddfod typically attracts thousands of festival goers each year – in fact attendance is usually well in excess of 150,000. Tracing its roots back to the 12th century, it is one of the great annual festivals of the UK. (Want to guarantee your Dioni Holiday Cottage on Pen Llŷn in August 2023? You’d better book soon).
Joyful, creative, and exuberant, there’s something rather wonderful about being part of a festival that has gathered together the best musicians, poets, storytellers, and performers in Wales for more than 800 years. We really do love it.
Eisteddfod – a natural showcase for Wales
Why are we such big fans of the Eisteddfod? Well, It’s the natural showcase for so many of the things we enjoy most in life: music, dance, visual arts, literature, and much more besides.
We’ve never come away from the Eisteddfod without making new friends. And there’s always a good supply of delicious local food and brews at the festival too, which is obviously always very welcome.
Traditionally a competition-based festival, the Eisteddfod has developed and evolved over recent years, and whilst the competitions still form the central focus for the week, the Maes (main field or site) itself has grown and developed into a vibrant festival with hundreds of events, performances, and activities for the whole family.
And it’s not just for Welsh language speakers. The Eisteddfod attracts thousands of Welsh learners and those who do not speak the language as well as Welsh speakers every year. Translation services and bilingual information is always available, and the festival is welcoming and inclusive.
Most of the leading writers, musicians and poets in Wales have competed at the Eisteddfod at some point, with many performers appearing on a national stage for the first time during the festival. Past guest artists include Bryn Terfel, Katherine Jenkins, Placido Domingo, and Pavarotti. The tickets for the 2023 Llŷn Eisteddfod go on sale online on 1 April 2023, with a full programme of events online from May. If you are planning to come to the Eisteddfod and would like to book a cottage nearby, we recommend checking availability in nearby Nefyn, Pwllheli, Criccieth, and Aberdaron.
