There’s only a week left to apply for a free ticket to the Blaenau Gwent and Heads of the Valleys National Eisteddfod Maes on Sunday 1 August this year. The scheme will close on Wednesday 30 June, and no application will be accepted after this date.
The scheme, financed by the Welsh Assembly Government, has been a great success, and Eisteddfod organisers have already received applications for over 19,000 tickers for the Sunday, which is sure to be a great day out for the whole family.
For the first few weeks priority was given to local people but by now, we welcome applications from all parts of Wales. The aim of the campaign was to attract a new audience to the festival, especially in an area which has not hosted the Eisteddfod for many years. Organisers hoped that the scheme would appeal to families within an hour’s journey of the Maes, offering them a taster of the buzz and fun of the festival.
84% of the applications so far have come from the Blaenau Gwent and Heads of the Valleys region, and 44% of applications have come from those between 25 and 44 years old. 69% of those applying for tickets will be visiting the Eisteddfod for the first time this year.
National Eisteddfod Chief Executive, Elfed Roberts, said:
“Our aim was to appeal to families locally, and this campaign has been a great success over the past few months. We must draw a line at some point and it was decided to close the scheme on 30 June following discussion with the Welsh Language Board and the Welsh Assembly Government.
“Over the past month we have seen a marked increase in the number of applications from people across the whole of Wales for the Sunday, and we’re appealing to Eisteddfodwyr from all over Wales to get in touch over the next few days if they would like to take advantage of the free entry scheme on Sunday 1 August. Any visitors who decide they’d like to visit on the Sunday after the end of the month will still be welcomed, but will have to pay for a ticket in the usual manner.”
Anyone interested in attending the morning service in the Pavilion will have to apply for a ticket through this scheme before the end of the month, and a free entry ticket will not allow entry to the Cymanfa Ganu (congregational singing) on the Sunday evening. A separate ticket will need to be bought for this event.
To apply for a free ticket, go to the Eisteddfod website – www.eisteddfod.org.uk – and follow the link from the front page. You can also ring 08454 090 300 or 08454 090 400. Tickets will be distributed before the middle of July.
