Monmouthshire County Council has agreed to host the National Eisteddfod at Abergavenny in 2016. Meeting on Friday 23rd May the council voted unanimously to hold the event in the county for the first time since 1913.
The National Eisteddfod is the most significant celebration of Welsh culture and language and holding the eight day festival in Abergavenny presents the county with a major opportunity to demonstrate its natural beauty and heritage as well as giving the area an economic boost. The Eisteddfod is one of the largest cultural festivals in the world with significant media coverage and global attention will be focussed on Monmouthshire during the week’s proceedings. With the exception of the Wimbledon tennis championships it is the BBC’s largest outside broadcast.
Abergavenny, which was recently listed in the Sunday Times as one of the best places to live in Britain, is ideally placed to host the Eisteddfod. Transport links with the rest of the country are good and Castle Meadows – where most of the proceedings will take place – is within easy reach of the town centre with all the services it offers. The town has a multitude of attractions such as the museum, castle, markets, restaurants and independent shops with spectacular countryside on its doorstep. Within a short distance are the Brecon Beacons, Black Mountains, the Blaenafon World Heritage site, the Wye Valley and the Vale of Usk as well as Monmouthshire’s other attractive towns and villages with historic buildings and renowned food outlets. There is a good range of accommodation and people are already looking forward to providing a warm welcome to visitors.
County Councillor Phil Hobson, Monmouthshire’s cabinet member with responsibility for the Welsh language said: “I’m very proud that Monmouthshire will host the 2016 National Eisteddfod and I’m delighted that we have the opportunity to demonstrate the county’s very many qualities to the world. I hope that Eisteddfod-goers will enjoy the festival, gain a favourable impression of our beautiful borderland county and will return to make the most of what Monmouthshire has to offer.”
He added: “Meanwhile, the council has a lot of work to carry out but it is an exciting challenge and we are confident that we can play our part in delivering a successful Eisteddfod.”
