Three-day music festival brings people from Celtic nations to Bridgend

Cwlwm Celtaidd is an annual three-day festival, held in Bridgend, which brings people together from all over Wales and beyond to celebrate the traditional music, song and dance of Celtic countries.

Popular folk artists from Celtic nations, such as Ireland, Brittany and the Isle of Man, join Welsh performers on the festival line-up, as both amateur and professional musicians and dancers take part in workshops, street displays, school visits, ceilidhs and music sessions across the county.

Cwlwm Celtaidd provides a platform for Welsh musicians to showcase their talents, as well as giving them the chance to interact with, and learn from, other performers. Many of the musicians sing in their native languages, including numerous Welsh performers. This multilingualism allows audiences to experience languages that they might not otherwise have a chance to hear, whilst raising awareness and appreciation of our own native tongue.

Cwlwm Celtaidd was awarded £1,000 from the Fund for Wales towards their 2017 festival. This grant enabled the group to involve even more children and young people than the previous year by organising a schools’ choir competition and an engaging outreach programme. It is hoped that, by reaching out to these young people in Wales, the next generation will be proud of their own heritage and traditions, whilst learning about the culture of those who share their Celtic roots.