ON THURSDAY (March 19), the National Eisteddfod and the Welsh Government published a strategic framework that strengthens and coordinates efforts to secure a lasting legacy, bringing together key partners from a broad range of sectors.
Just as each annual Eisteddfod reflects the unique identity of its host community, legacy outcomes evolve accordingly.
The legacy encompasses what is achieved in the name of the Eisteddfod before, during and after the festival across education, community, inclusion, digital innovation, culture, the economy, volunteering, and the Welsh language. The framework creates clear local and national structures to ensure that legacy work is delivered strategically, drawing together partners with expertise in community development, language planning and economic development.
A national project board will lead on strategic oversight, set the direction and guide partners so good practice is shared and carried forward from year to year. A steering group will lead the community-level work, developing and delivering strategies, acting as a catalyst for change.
The Cabinet Secretary for Finance and the Welsh Language, Mark Drakeford, said: “The Eisteddfod is far more than a week-long festival.
“It is a two-year project to plan that leaves a lasting legacy for the Welsh language and culture in the area. Unique to Wales, it offers a valuable opportunity to celebrate our language through literature, music, art and culture.
“I am proud to support this framework. By bringing together partners from across key sectors, it encourages the collaboration needed to deliver real and lasting change for our communities and for the Welsh language.
“Partnerships like this are central to our ambition to reach a million Welsh speakers by 2050 and ensure the language continues to thrive.
“I thank the Eisteddfod for publishing this framework, and the partners who will help deliver that legacy in the years ahead.”
Nic Parry, President of the Eisteddfod Court and Chair of the Management Board, added: “This framework, and the partnership between the National Eisteddfod and the Welsh Government, builds a stronger foundation for strategic collaboration locally and nationally.
“It allows us to deliver on a long‑held ambition of our two national institutions: to drive language planning through the lens of the National Eisteddfod.
“And it positions the Eisteddfod as a tool for boosting the local economy and helping ensure our communities remain strong and sustainable for the next generation.”
Further announcements on the framework will follow during summer 2026, with the membership of the national board confirmed by mid‑June.
A session in the Cymdeithasau Pavilion at Y Garreg Las Eisteddfod during festival week will explore the legacy and gather local evidence from the 2026 host area. This evidence will inform the initial plans for 2027 and 2028.
For more information go to Legacy framework | Eisteddfod
