Eisteddfod yr Urdd, the national youth festival of Wales, will become a seven-day festival due to the increase in registrations to compete in the festival along with requests for new competitions.

Local and regional Eisteddfod rounds will be held all over Wales in the spring, before Ynys Môn hosts the event at Anglesey Agricultural Showground near Gwalchmai from May 23-29, 2026.

A public consultation has seen the Urdd collaborating with members, schools, and committees to ensure the new arrangements offer more opportunities than ever to engage with the Welsh language through the arts.

More than 400 competitions are hosted by Eisteddfod yr Urdd, and the festival’s brand-new competitions range from choirs to soloists, monologues to dance.

Eisteddfod yr Urdd Dur a Môr 2025 attracted a record breaking 119,593 registrations to compete, which also included a significant rise (of 42 per cent) in the number of young Welsh learners compared to 2024. More than 245 hours of content were streamed across S4C’s channels, along with daily coverage on BBC Radio Cymru and Radio Cymru 2. The Urdd’s broadcasting partnership with S4C and BBC Radio Cymru will continue.

Llio Maddocks, director of the arts at Urdd Gobaith Cymru, said: “Eisteddfod yr Urdd is an ever-evolving festival, and we listen to our members. To ensure we continue to be an inclusive organisation to each and every child and young person in Wales, we’ve worked with the public on a brand-new schedule for competitions.

“Consulting and collaborating with hundreds of members and instructors will help ensure the new arrangements offer more opportunities than ever to participate, and we’re especially thankful to each young person who took part in the national consultation. Eisteddfod yr Urdd is their festival, and receiving their input has been priceless. We hope this development leads to even more engaging with the Welsh language and the arts, through their relationship with the Urdd.”

The Urdd has also received enthusiastic support from the local committee. Manon Wyn Williams, chair of Eisteddfod yr Urdd Ynys Môn’s executive committee, said: “The annual increase in the number of registrations to compete at Eisteddfod yr Urdd is very encouraging and means more and more children and young people are gaining invaluable opportunities through the movement.

“This is mostly due to the tireless work of coaches, teachers, volunteers, and the Urdd’s dedicated staff across Wales. As a result, extending the Eisteddfod to seven days is an essential and exciting development. It is a privilege for us on Ynys Môn to host this pioneering Eisteddfod, and it’s an opportunity to reimagine the festival’s structure in collaboration with the children and young people of Wales. We look forward to welcoming everyone to Môn next year!”