Daytime at the Eisteddfod launched for 2025

* Kyiv Palace of Children and Youth.

Llangollen International Eisteddfod has put tickets on sale for its packed daytime events which take place from July 8 to 13 2025.

This follows last week’s announcement of concerts next summer featuring Roger Daltrey, KT Tunstall, Il Divo and Bryn Terfel. 

In 2025, 4,000 competitors from choirs, dance groups and ensembles will head to Llangollen from around the world, along with 57 groups from across the UK. This represents the highest number of international competitors for many years, as the town once again welcomes the world to Wales.

Groups confirmed for Llangollen 2025 come from as far away as Burundi, Canada, China, Costa Rica, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Kurdistan, Morocco, New Zealand, Philippines, Portugal, Républic of Congo, Singapore, South Africa, Trinidad and Tobago, Ukraine, USA and Zimbabwe. There will also be 22 non-competing groups bringing a variety of choirs, dance and ensembles.

* Amagaba, Burundi.

The festival’s choral, dance and instrumental competitions are hosted in its iconic 3,500-seater pavilion from Wednesday 9 to Sunday 13 July 2025. In addition to 25 world-class competitions, there will also be plenty to see and do on the Eisteddfod field. 

There will be two outside performance stages, featuring live music from across the world, as well as local bands from North East Wales. There will be showcases from Community Rhythm and Roots Wales (where 6 groups from across the country will perform), a Welsh language afternoon (featuring up and coming Welsh Language performers), and much more. 

The annual peace message will be presented on Wednesday 9 and Saturday 12 July and is the focal point of a number of activities promoting the Eisteddfod’s message of world peace.

* New Zealand Youth Choir.

In addition, there will be pop-up performance areas, a dedicated Kids Zone (featuring fun and educational activities, including circus skills), and a sensory den (providing a safe space for those who need it). There will also be arts and crafts from local makers, along with plenty to eat and drink.

Chair of the Llangollen International Eisteddfod, John Gambles said: “Our 2025 Eisteddfod will be much more than a series of amazing concerts - our field will be a hive of colour, music, and dancing. There really is something for everybody. 

"Our daytime in Llangollen will be as vibrant as our evening concerts. This year, we have had an amazing number of applications from across the world. It’s clear that the Llangollen International Eisteddfod still reaches out to the world, and our festival in 2025 will be bigger and better than ever.”

New Zealand Youth Choir, Kyiv Palace of Children and Youth and Amagaba, Burundi, just three of the groups who will be visiting Llangollen next summer.

Daytime, season and Live at Llangollen Pavilion tickets are available at https://international-eisteddfod.co.uk/event_picker/in-the-pavilion/

What's on in the Pavilion?

Wednesday 9th July

This first full day of competitions is not to be missed as the junior, senior and children’s open choirs take centre stage. As a way of celebrating the fantastic work that is done with children and young people, our Young Choir of the World Trophy and an additional £500 for the highest scoring choir from the children’s choirs will be awarded at the end of the day. We are also joined by children’s folk dance groups along with vocal and instrumental solo competitors.

There will also be the premier of Community Rhythm and Roots, Wales where 6 culturally and linguistically diverse groups and communities based in Wales will share their stories with Wales and the World, using music, dance and literature.

Later on, we’ll be holding the Parade of Nations, our annual spectacle where participating groups from across the world dance, sing and play their musical instruments as they weave their way through the streets of Llangollen. Wearing their national costume and flying their flags and banners, the groups process through the streets to the delight of the throngs gathered to welcome them to the town. 

Thursday 10th July

Today in the pavilion we kick off with our instrumental ensemble competition. With a wonderful variety of ensembles from all over the world, it’s sure to get you ready for a full day of competitions. With dance, children’s choirs and vocal/instrumental solo finals it’s a day not to be missed!

Friday 11th July

Join us for a spectacular day in the Pavilion with open, and adult folk song choirs, our Young Voice of Musical Theatre competition, the semi-final of our Pendine International Voice of the Future competition, and our international folk soloist competition. In addition, we have our choreographed/stylized dance group competition, as well as our individual dance competitions (solo, duet, trio). A truly varied day!

Saturday 12th July

Our community band competition will start the day on the pavilion stage, and it’s going to be spectacular! Later, the male voice, female voice, youth and mixed choirs will battle it out ready for the Choir of the World final in the evening. Who will be our ultimate champion for 2025? We will also see a variety of different dance ensembles in the Llangollen Dance Off, and anyone who missed our Peace Message on Children’s Day will have the opportunity to hear it today.

Christmas Items recycling information from county council

With Christmas fast approaching, many homes within Denbighshire will be busy wrapping presents and putting up their festive decorations.

When planning on buying the essentials this Christmas, the county council says it is important to consider whether they are recyclable or not. 

Here is a list of key items, and their recycling instructions:

 

Bubble Wrap

• Bubble wrap can't be recycled. Please put it in the general waste bin or reuse to wrap up valuables which are going into storage or being posted.

 

Tape

• Duct tape, electrical tape, cellotape, masking tape and parcel tape cannot be recycled. Please put them in the general waste bin.

 

Christmas Decorations

• Christmas decorations can be reused year after year or donated to local charity shops or schools for craft sessions. Any decorations that are not fit for reuse should be put in the general waste bin.

 

Gift wrap

• Gift wrap containing glitter and plastic cannot be recycled and must go in the general waste bin.

 

Hard Plastic Packaging

• Hard Plastic Packaging can be recycled using the middle box of the Trolibocs or the red recycling bag for plastic.

 

Aluminium Cans

• Recycle empty aluminium cans in the middle box of the Trolibocs or the red recycling bag or at the nearest Recycling and Waste Park.

 

Bottles

• Any unwanted glass bottles and jars can be recycled in the bottom box of the Trolibocs or the turquoise bag for glass. Remember to remove any plastic or metal lids from glass bottles and place them in the middle box or the red bag. Plastic bottles can be recycled using the middle box of the Trolibocs or the red bag for plastic.

 

Food

• All food waste must be placed in the orange food caddy and not in the general waste containers.

 

Batteries

• You can recycle household batteries using the appropriate container for your recycling and waste collections service or at a Recycling and Waste Park. Please don’t put these in general waste containers, as they can cause fires.

 

Textiles

• All One Stop Shops in the county now have a stock of textile bags available for residents to collect.
• As a result of circumstances beyond the council's control, these bags were not available for distribution with the Trolibocs or hessian bags.
• Unwanted clothing and shoes can be recycled using the free collection service. A full list of what is accepted is on the online A-Z guide.
• Collections should be arranged directly with Co-Options (contact details are on the bags), or they can be taken to one of their clothes banks which can be found in the following locations:
• 
  
• Park Road car park, Ruthin, LL15 1NB
• Corwen car park, LL21 0DN

 

Councillor Barry Mellor, Lead Member for Environment and Transport said:

“Christmas time can be a very busy time for our waste teams, so choosing the right waste options during this festive period can help them a lot whilst they do their rounds. We’d like thank residents for using the correct methods of recycling and disposal during the upcoming festive period.”

 

* For more information, go to: https://www.denbighshire.gov.uk/en/contact-us/christmas-and-new-year-information.aspx

 

If you’re not sure what goes where, you can check the A-Z recycling guide on the website on https://www.denbighshire.gov.uk/en/bins-and-recycling/a-to-z-recycling-guide/a-to-z-recycling-guide.aspx

 

 

Road closures planned in January to allow work for Openreach

 

* The area affected by the order.

County cabinet approves toilets plan as public consultation begins

* Denbighshire's cabinet agreed the local toilets strategy this morning.

Denbighshire’s Cabinet has approved a move to put the council’s local toilets strategy out to public consultation starting tomorrow (Wednesday).

In line with the Public Health (Wales) Act 2017 the council has prepared this strategy to outline how it intends to try to meet the public toilet requirements of the county.  

While there’s no legal requirement for any local authority to provide public conveniences, this strategy identifies how the local authority will work towards meeting the need within each community in Denbighshire.  

This could be through direct provision or working with private businesses to make facilities available to the public. 

Denbighshire is facing a period of heavy budget pressures and is looking at alternative ways of providing some services such as public conveniences. 

This has put a question mark over toilets such as the ones in Market Street, Llangollen – uncertainty which has led to a high level of public concern in the town. 

At this morning’s cabinet meeting Paul Jackson, the council’s head of highways and environment services, stressed that no decision had yet been made on the fate of toilets across the county, which would come later in 2025, he said. 

He said the public consultation would be “as full and wide as possible,” last for about two months and aim to engage with as many businesses as possible. 

The council currently offers businesses £500 a year to allow members of the public to use their own toilets where local loos aren’t available. But it is known that take-up of this scheme has been poor. 

County Councillor Rhys Thomas said he believed only one business across the entire county, in Llangollen, had signed up for it and asked whether offering more than £500 might stimulate demand. 

Paul Jackson suggested it would be better to use the results of the consultation to assess interest from businesses before considering the finances. 

Councillor Emrys Wynne said that a few years ago he had been told by a business in Llangollen who had been operating the scheme that the £250 then being paid by the council didn’t cover all the costs such as regular cleaning of their toilets. 

The cabinet was told that all town councils across the county had been consulted on the possibility of cooperating with Denbighshire in running the toilets. While some had been “very welcoming and supportive” others had said “point blank” they wouldn’t be prepared to do so.    

The draft toilets strategy and public consultation on it was unanimously approved.

* Llangollen councillors last month agreed a plan to work together with the county in a bid to save the Market Street toilets, jointly seeking a grant of around £40,000 to upgrade the building and introduce cashless payments. 

Councillors agreed to take £4,000 from their reserves to make the 10% contribution towards the facelift bill. 

Llangollen heads list of best festive walks

Outdoor experts at Millets have revealed their top family walks in Wales, looking at walks that are accessible, family-friendly, and involve a visit to the pub.

And in first place is the Llangollen Circular, a 14.5km circular walk in the area of around Castell Dinas Bran.

* For the full story, see Nation Cymru at: Welsh family-friendly walks: Best festive walks with pub at the end revealed 

The K’s and Tom A. Smith to support James at Llangollen 2025

* The K's will support James at Llangollen 2025. 

Rising indie rock sensations The K’s and singer-songwriter Tom A. Smith will support legendary band James as they headline Live at Llangollen Pavilion on Sunday June 29.

Tickets are on sale now from llangollen.net and www.ticketmaster.co.uk 

2024 has been a breakthrough year for The K’s - comprised of Jamie Boyle (vocals and guitar), Ryan Breslin (guitar and keyboard), Dexter Baker (bass) and Nathan Peers (drums). 

Their debut album I Wonder If The World Knows? climbed to Number 3 on the UK Official Album Chart, while their breakout single Sarajevo has amassed more than eight million streams. 

Hits like Got a Feeling, Glass Towns, Hometown, Aurora and Chancer have solidified their place as rising stars in the indie rock world.

The K’s capped off their phenomenal year by winning Breakthrough Act of the Year at the inaugural Northern Music Awards, followed by a hugely successful sold-out headline UK tour.

* James will headline at the Pavilion on Sunday June 29.

Opening the night will be rising star Tom A. Smith, an electrifying young talent from Sunderland who has rapidly climbed the ranks of the UK music scene. 

Renowned for his distinctive blend of alternative rock and indie-pop influences, Tom has performed at iconic festivals like Glastonbury and supported music legends such as Sir Elton John, Sam Fender and Catfish & The Bottlemen.

James are a British indie rock band from Manchester, fronted by the iconic Tim Booth. With more than 25 million records sold worldwide and 18 studio albums under their belt, the band is one of the UK's most enduring musical success stories, and they continue to captivate audiences around the world.

Earlier this year James achieved a major milestone, securing their first-ever UK Number 1 album with Yummy. Fans in Llangollen can look forward to an unforgettable night, filled with timeless anthems such as Sit Down, Born of Frustration, She’s A Star and Come Home.

The announcement is the latest reveal for summer 2025 which will also see The Human League,Rag’n’BoneMan, OllyMurs, Texas, TheScript and UB40featuring Ali Campbell headline the iconic Welsh venue. 

The headline concerts are presented in a partnership between Live Nation promoters Cuffe and Taylor and Llangollen International Eisteddfod.

Artistic Director of the Llangollen International Eisteddfod Dave Danford said: “We’re really excited to be adding The K’s and Tom A. Smith to the line-up for next summer. The K’s are a band with a big future, and the songs from their recent debut album will sound amazing in the pavilion. Tom A. Smith has such incredible talent and energy, we’re thrilled to welcome such an exciting emerging artist to Llangollen.”

* For more information and to purchase tickets go to llangollen.net and www.ticketmaster.co.uk 

 CONNECT WITH JAMES

WEBSITE |FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | YOUTUBE |X | SPOTIFY

CONNECT WITH THE K'S

WEBSITE |FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM |YOUTUBE |X | SPOTIFY

CONNECT WITH TOM A. SMITH

WEBSITE |FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM |YOUTUBE |X | SPOTIFY

 

Inner Wheel's festive tea party raises funds for good causes

* The Llangollen Panto team sing at the Community Hall.

* Gethin Davies leads the Christmas songs.

* Rosemary Burgon on stage.

* Phil Robinson performs a music hall song.

The Inner Wheel of Llangollen staged its annual Christmas fundraising event at a new venue yesterday afternoon (Sunday).

For many years the club has hosted the Christmas Cheer event at the Town Hall. 

This year, they decided to hold their Festive Tea Party at St Collen’s Community Hall.

There was a Christmas afternoon tea with all the traditional fare, including sandwiches, sausage rolls, mince pies and Christmas cake. 

Entertainment was provided by Llangollen's Rosemary Burgon, who earlier in the weekend had sung with the New Sinfonia orchestra in their Snowman concert at St Giles' Church in Wrexham, and local music hall artist, Philip Robinson.

Also appearing were over 40 members of the Llangollen Pantomime Group who gave a taste of their forthcoming production of Beauty and the Beast to be staged at Llangollen Town Hall from Thursday-Sunday, January 16-19 next year. 

The  event ended with the usual carol singing, led by Gethin Davies.

All proceeds from the afternoon will provide funds for a range of Inner Wheel charities.