National Eisteddfod

The National Eisteddfod is the largest cultural festival in Europe, held in a different part of Wales every year.

This year's week-long festival takes place in Parc Ynysangharad, Pontypridd, in Rhondda Cynon Taf, from 3 to 10 August.

Central to this year’s festival is Ynysangharad Park in Pontypridd, which will serve as the hub for a majority of the pavilions and activities.

Further information about this year's Eisteddfod location and transportation is available here.

What to expect from us at this year's festival

Our team will be available on the Maes throughout the week to answer any questions you may have about studying in Cardiff.

We also have a comprehensive programme of talks and interactive activities at our stand.

Throughout the week, the School of Journalism, Media, and Culture will host panel talks and discussions featuring Welsh journalists and medical students, under the guidance of clinicians, will provide blood pressure readings and offer advice based on the results.

The Cardiff University Science Village Hut will also be showing insights into cancer research and strides in the use of chemistry to produce energy.

Academics at the Eisteddfod

• Professor Richard Wyn Jones, the director of the Wales Governance Centre, will deliver a talk in the Societies Tent on Thursday 8 August at 12:30 on the occasion of Plaid Cymru’s 100th birthday.
• Professor Laura McAllister, will be speaking about the findings of the Independent Commission on the Constitutional Future of Wales, which she chaired alongside Dr Rowan Williams in the Societies Tent on Saturday 3 August at 14:40.
• Dr Dylan Foster Evans, head of the School of Welsh, will give the Bobi Jones lecture, on Wednesday 7 August at 15:30 in Maes D, discussing the history of the Welsh language in Rhondda Cynon Taf. He will also give a talk in the Literary Pavilion on Sunday 4 August at 10:30 about the ‘lost scholar’ Margaret Enid Griffiths from Ton Pentre while exploring the Welsh culture of the Rhondda.
• Dr Sian Edwards of the School of Modern Languages appears in the Societies Tent at 14:40 on Saturday 3 August to share the story of the Basque children who came to south Wales as refugees during the Spanish Civil War.
• Emeritus Professors E Wyn James and Bill Jones on Thursday 8 August at 14:00 in the Societies Tent will focus on the lives and contributions of Aaron Jenkins, 'the saviour of Y Wladfa the Welsh Settlement in Patagonia', and Margaret E. Roberts, campaigner for women's rights in their talk for the Cardiff Centre for Welsh American Studies.
• Dr Elen Ifan of the School of Welsh and Dr Joe O'Connell from the School of Music, will present their research findings from their project exploring links between Welsh language music and the Māori punk scene in the Societies Tent on Friday 9 August at 10:30.

Honouring university staff

University staff members, including Awen Iorwerth from the School of Medicine, and Dr Siwan Rosser from the School of Welsh, are being honoured this year by Gorsedd Cymru for their outstanding contribution to Wales, the Welsh language, and their local communities.

The Gorsedd of the Bards is an association made up of people who have made a distinguished contribution to the Welsh nation, the language, and its culture.

The Gorsedd Investiture ceremonies will take place in the morning on both Monday 5 August and Friday 9 August. Anyone with a ticket to the Eisteddfod is welcome to attend both ceremonies.

Get in touch

If you require more information or have any questions, contact our Eisteddfod team.