Last Friday we were invited* to Llangollen for their International Eisteddfod. Every summer since 1947 Llangollen has staged one of the world’s most inspirational cultural festivals. It is six days of singing, dancing, competitions, performances and international peace and friendship.
We didn’t really know what to expect but were looking forward to seeing Van Morrison in the evening.
During the day there were three stages with various artists on from rock bands to country solo artists.
There was a circus tent where children could go and learn how to do various circus acts such as walking on a tight rope, juggling, plate spinning and diablo. There was also marquee where children could do arts and crafts for free.
There were plenty of stalls including crafts, clothes and gifts. There were also various bars and food trucks.
We watched the Parade of Nations in the afternoon which went from the festival site through the town. The Parade was so lovely to watch and brought me to tears, seeing the various nations marching and singing in their traditional dress.
In the evening we were very lucky to watch Van Morrison. He was absolutely incredible. We watched for an hour but apparently he continued for another two hours! His voice is just magical and he also played various musical instruments. His backing singer and band were also incredibly talented.
I would definitely recommend going to the Eisteddfod next year and making a holiday out of it, there is so much to explore around the Llangollen area that we are planning on returning soon. The scenery is breathtaking and the people very welcoming.
Days out near Llangollen
If you are looking to make a holiday out of the festival, there are some beautiful and adventurous places to visit.
Go Below Wales is the worlds largest underground zip line, situated in Snowdonia, it is about an hour from Llangollen.
Llangollen Railway. We took a trip on the train and the scenery was spectacular. The Llangollen Railway is a volunteer-run heritage railway which operates between Llangollen and Corwen.
Go Karting in Corwen, is about 15 minutes from LLangollen. With 1600m of outdoor track, top of the range Junior karts for children aged 9 upwards, Pro karts for seniors and a computerised timing system, the whole family can experience the exciting world of racing!
Oh wow what an amazing sounding event this seems to be. I love finding out about all these different festivals and local events they always seem like the most fun things to go and get to be part of and it is great when communities come together.
This looks like an amazing day out. The Van Morrison concert part of the day must have been so good. I can’t think of many better sounds of summer!
I have heard such amazing things about the Eisteddfod and I’m super envious of you getting the chance to attend. The Van Morrison gig sounds amazing, I’m always in awe of people who play multiple instruments as I struggled with just a recorder!
C x
It’s nice to have such a mixture of acts to watch, makes the day that bit more enjoyable and the weather looks stunning x
Oh wow Jenni what an experience and its great to see that this event has been around for so many years and with such a huge success still. We love Van as well 🙂
I absolutely adore Llangollen. I went there for the first time earlier this year on a visit to north east Wales, and I went to the oldest wine bar in Wales (Gales Wine Bar)!
Wales is one of my favourite places in the world. It’s such a special place with a unique culture. This is definitely an event I would have loved to go to! x
This looks like a really lovely event. I’ve only been to Wales a couple of times, but always loved it when I was there.
I love the interactive activities available for the children in the circus tent. Tight rope walking sounds so much fun. What a fun day out.
Wow! The International Eisteddfod is definitely worth considering for next year! I love the idea of the circus tent and other activities for children and there are so many other things to experience there – something for everyone!
Oh I’ve not heard about this before, it sounds like such an interesting event! Pretty amazing that you saw Van Morrison too! xo
What a fab event! I’ve not heard of this before but it looks like so much fun.
That looks like such a great event if we were closer or planning a holiday there then I would consider going when it is on.
Llangollen is such a great Eisteddfodd. We’re all ready excited here cause the National One is coming to Tregaron in 2020!
What an amazing looking festival, I might have to attend next time! Looks like a lot of fun