Eisteddfod opens group applications for its 2025 festival

* Côr Glanaethwy from Bangor celebrate their Choir of the World victory at the Llangollen Eisteddfod 2024. 

Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod has opened group applications for its 78th festival, which takes from Tuesday 8 to Sunday July 13 2025. 

Choirs and dance groups from around the globe can now apply to compete in the world-renowned celebration of music and dance.

Dave Danford, Artistic Director of the Llangollen Eisteddfod, said: “We are delighted to be launching our syllabus for 2025, as we prepare to welcome competitors from home and abroad to North East Wales next summer. We are building on our ambitious 2024 festival, and expecting a very high standard across all of our competitions.”

In 2024, over 3,000 competitors came to Llangollen from 30 different countries. The festival is hoping to top this in 2025, as invitations land with the best amateur choirs and dance groups from around the world. 

In 2024, Côr Glanaethwy from Bangor won the coveted Pavarotti Trophy, along with the title of Choir of the World. The Young Choir of the World accolade was won by Piedmont East Bay Children’s Choir from the USA, with the Llangollen Dance Off being won by Prolisok Ukrainian Dance Ensemble.

The most famous winner of the competitions in Llangollen was Luciano Pavarotti in 1955, when he was a member of the Corale Rossini, a male voice choir from Modena, winning first prize at the International Eisteddfod. 

He later said that this was the most important experience of his life, and that it inspired him to become a professional singer. Since the festival was launched in 1947, tens of thousands of people from around the world have competed in the festival’s unique competitions.

The Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod is located in the idyllic town of Llangollen in North East Wales, the majority of the competitions taking place in its magnificent 4,000-seater Pavilion.

* Group applications are now open with full details of the competitions released on https://eisteddfodcompetitions.co.uk/  Applications for the solo competitions open on December 1 2024.