Thousands descend on bay as Urdd eisteddfod begins

THOUSANDS of people descended on Swansea Bay yesterday as Europe's largest travelling youth festival, Eisteddfod yr Urdd 2025, began at Margam Park, Port Talbot.

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Hosting 400 competitions ranging from reciting, singing, dancing and art to hairdressing, cookery and more, events began yesterday and continue throughout the week until Saturday.

There's been an incredible amount of local support and excitement about welcoming the Urdd back to the area. The Eisteddfod was last held at Margam Park in 2003, and then in Swansea in 2011.

This year's event has attracted a record breaking 119,593 registrations to compete in this year's festival, which also includes a significant rise (of 42%) in the number of young Welsh learners compared to last year.

Llio Maddocks, Urdd Gobaith Cymru's director of arts said: "The number of entries this year reflects the way Eisteddfod yr Urdd has evolved and grown to ensure a wide range of opportunities are available to children and young people through the medium of Welsh.