CARMARTHENSHIRE County Council has welcomed the National Eisteddfod back to the county and the Festival Fields site in Llanelli for the first time since 2000.
The council is looking forward to welcoming around 150,000 visitors to the county over the coming week to celebrate the Welsh language and culture.
The Eisteddfod is worth over £8m to the host county’s economy every year and is a £3.4m event in itself.
The festival is the highlight of a two year community project, described as Wales’ leading mobile regeneration scheme, which brings together people from across the county to take part in a wide range of activities and events promoting the National Eisteddfod.
In the period leading up to the Eisteddfod, Carmarthenshire County Council, the National Eisteddfod and the Welsh Government promoted the trading opportunities available to Carmarthenshire businesses across a series of
“Spotlight on your Business events” with a wide range of procurement opportunities.
During this week the county is welcoming around 150,000 visitors to the area to celebrate the Welsh language and the culture of Wales.
The Eisteddfod partners have worked hard to spread the benefits by working with local traders and using the new Ffwrnes theatre to draw the town centre into the festival.
There is a full programme of events all week at the council’s base on site, Pentre Cyngor Sir Gâr, starting at 10am each day on the Stage and the Leisure Area and at 11.30am in the Learn and Play Tent.
The Chairman’s Reception was held yesterday and included the presentation of the Tlws yr Eidalwyr, which is presented each year to the county sponsoring the next National Eisteddfod.
The prize was presented to the Eisteddfod in 1986 by former prisoners of war from Italy to thank the people of Wales for their kindness during the Second World War.
Carmarthenshire County Council assistant chief executive Chris Burns welcomed everyone to the Eisteddfod from the Performance Stage and introduced the entertainment, harpist Ffion Morgan from Five Roads and singer Ann Davies from Llanarthne.
President of the Court of the Eisteddfod Garry Nicholas said that Carmarthenshire’s local committees had passed their target of £320,000 and had raised £400,000, the best ever sum for the Eisteddfod.
Carmarthenshire County Council Chair Cllr Daff Davies said: “It is a pleasure to extend a warm welcome to everyone to the Festival Fields in Llanelli, to the Carmarthenshire National Eisteddfod.
“Here is the opportunity to celebrate the hard work of our communities and of committees across Carmarthenshire who have come together to support the festival.
“Travelling around the county we have seen the warm welcome that awaits visitors from all over Wales and further afield.”
He presented the Tlws yr Eidalwyr prize to Cllr Arwel Jones, Chairman of the Maldwyn area of Powys County Council, the area that is welcoming the Eisteddfod in 2015.
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