There’s only fifty days to go before the gates of The Works in Ebbw Vale open for the Blaenau Gwent and Heads of the Valleys National Eisteddfod, which starts with the opening concert on 30 July.
With the site already being transformed to create a home for this year’s festival, local towns have also started preparing for our visit by raising flags in the street, to show a real Valleys welcome to the thousands of visitors who will be coming to the area during August this year.
Today, the National Eisteddfod launches a business pack to help local companies to market their services and produce to Eisteddfodwyr. The pack will be distributed to companies and businesses across the area, offering advice, information and some useful Welsh phrases. It also includes a number of promotional materials so that shops feel part of the celebrations over the next few weeks.
By now, the bunting is up in towns across Blaenau Gwent, and Eisteddfod organisers are encouraging local businesses and residents to show their support for the Eisteddfod by taking part in the Go Bonkers for Bunting campaign. This campaign, organised jointly with The Valleys Heart and Soul campaign, provides bunting and posters free of charge to anyone living in the catchment area, who wants to show their support for the festival. Bunting can be ordered via the Eisteddfod website – www.eisteddfod.org.uk.
National Eisteddfod Chief Executive, Elfed Roberts, said:
“It’s difficult to believe that there’s only fifty days to go before the Eisteddfod starts this year. The past few months have flown by, and the support from local people – residents, volunteers, businesses and organisations – across the catchment area has increased and widened, with everyone working so hard to ensure that the whole region shows its support for the festival.
“We now have fifty days to encourage the rest of Wales to come to Blaenau Gwent, to encourage them to be part of the festival, which will be very different to last year’s Eisteddfod, and to encourage them to be part of the fun which will await them here in The Works.
“We have a series of concerts with some of Wales’ leading stars, including Rhydian Roberts, Aled Jones, Only Men Aloud and John Owen-Jones, with a wide range of genres and all kinds of performances on the Pavilion stage in the evening. Maes B is also stage to Wales’ best Welsh language bands, with around 40 of them performing during the week, including people like Elin Fflur, Cate le Bon, Bryn Fôn and Derwyddon Dr Gonzo.
“It’s also good to work with Academi again on the Maes C line up, and the Stomp is sure to be the week’s highlight for many Eisteddfodwyr – with Tebot Piws and Meic Stephens sure to attract people to Parc Bryn Bach, where the evening s are held this year.
“The local response has been fantastic – with everyone wanting to be part of the Eisteddfod and keen to welcome the rest of Wales to the region. This is the last time the Eisteddfod can visit Blaenau Gwent because of regeneration plans, so come and join us from every part of Wales, to make sure that it’s a week to remember and to make sure that the local area experiences and enjoys the support of the rest of Wales in fifty days time.”
