Eisteddfod yr Urdd

Urdd National Eisteddfod Eisteddfod Genedlaethol yr Urdd
Entrance to Urdd Eisteddfod 2017
Status	active
Genre	youth, arts
Frequency	annual
Country	Wales
Established	1929; 89 years ago (1929)
Participants	15,000
Attendance	90,000
Website
www.urdd.cymru
Pronunciation of 'Eisteddfod Yr Urdd'

The Urdd National Eisteddfod (Welsh: Eisteddfod Genedlaethol Urdd Gobaith Cymru or Eisteddfod Genedlaethol yr Urdd) is an annual Welsh-language youth festival of literature, music and performing arts organised by Urdd Gobaith Cymru. Arguably Europe's largest youth festival, it is usually held during the last week of May, coinciding with schools' half term holiday. Locations alternate between north and south Wales. The Eisteddfod consists of competitive singing, recitation, art, composition, dance and instrumental events for contestants aged between 7 and 24 years. Regional qualifying heats are held in advance around Wales, as occurs for the National Eisteddfod.

The first Urdd National Eisteddfod was held in 1929 at Corwen. Originally held over two days the festival in recent times has grown into a week-long celebration of competition and socializing. The initial festivals, which focused more a celebration of young people enjoying the Welsh language, saw a few thousand visitors, but in 1935 the Eisteddfod at Carmarthen was heavily reported by the press resulting in 12,000 people attending and increasing the visibility of the event.

The only years that the Urdd Eisteddfod has not taken place since its inauguration were during the Second World War. The 1940 Eisteddfod, held at Rhyl, still took place. But coming on the same week as the Dunkirk evacuation, it was a reduced festival, cramming all the events into a single day. The Eisteddfod returned after the cessation of hostilities by returning to its roots at Corwen in 1946. During the 1950s the Eisteddfod began evolving away from the celebration and marching aspect towards more competitive events, mirroring the National Eisteddfod. In 1955 an art exhibition was in introduced and in 1958 a classical concert was included.

One of the more notable events to occur at the Urdd Esiteddfod occurred at the 1969 Eisteddfod in Aberystwyth. The Urdd invited Prince Charles to attend and he was given a public platform to speak to the crowd. As this was the year of Charles' investiture as the Prince of Wales, a role that divided many Welsh people. At the event about a hundred people stood up and left as the Prince arrived on the stage. The fallout after was also heated, with an editorial in the Welsh-language paper, 'Y Cymro', angering the then director of the Urdd.