Let the music play

Anoushka Shankar

Llareggub Brass Band

International Llangollen Eisteddfod brings the world to North Wales

This summer (7th – 10th July 2022), the world-renowned Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod returns after a two year hiatus with two of the classical world’s vocal powerhouses, Aled Jones and Russell Watson performing together at the festival for the first time to open the 2022 programme.

Russell Watson (© Simon Fowler)

In a line-up that celebrates the best traditional and contemporary music from around the world, 2022 highlights include Grammy Award winner Anoushka Shankar with Manu Delago and the Britten Sinfonia while on Sunday 10th, the ever popular Llanfest will feature British indie three-piece, Amber Run and Welsh/Bajan singer Kizzy Crawford.

Celebrating its 75th anniversary, the festival returns this year with a broad cultural programme that spreads the message of peace and friendship on which it was founded in 1947 after the Second World War. Each year around 4,000 performers from around the world and as many as 35,000 visitors converge on this beautiful small Welsh town to sing and dance in a unique combination of competition, performance and community spirit. The festival’s ability to spot future talent is renowned and it’s credited with helping to launch the career of Luciano Pavarotti among others.

New in 2022

After an online event last year, organisers are thrilled to welcome back visitors to Llangollen with a line-up which celebrates the broadest possible range of genres from classical, choral, folk, dance and world music. This year’s festival has been redesigned with a more compact site revolving around a single music stage and a new in-theround stage developed for spoken word events offering a thought-provoking series of talks. As well as live music and talks there will be food stalls, bars and free community events around the site.

Peace message

In recognition of the festival’s founding principle to spread peace, visitors will be invited to write a message of peace on a luggage label and attach it to trees around the site to create a forest of peace. On Thursday 7th July, children’s day, the festival is teaming up with The Welsh Centre for International Affairs, Size of Wales and Council for Wales of Voluntary Youth Services for the Young Peacemakers’ Awards – celebrating young people who have contributed to peace and global citizenship at home and overseas. Details of how to enter can be found here: www.internationaleisteddfod.co.uk/get-involved/ young-peacemakers-awards-2022/

Llanfest

This July, Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod and Llangollen Fringe Festival join forces to celebrate two significant cultural

milestones for the town; the Eisteddfod’s 75th anniversary, and the Fringe’s 25th which combine to make an amazing 100 years of summer festivals in Llangollen. To mark these two anniversaries, the Eisteddfod and Fringe are collaborating for the first time to produce

Llanfest 2022, which will see a co-curation of the programme on Sunday 10th July, with an emphasis on home-grown talent incorporating eclectic music, theatre and comedy. n

For more information and to buy tickets please visit www.international-eisteddfod.co.uk/whats-on

The 2022 Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod programme comprises:

Thursday 07 July | 7.30pm

Back In Harmony: Russell Watson and Aled Jones

Following their 2019 sellout In Harmony tour, two of the world’s most loved classical voices launch the Llangollen 2022 concert programme performing songs from their album, Back In Harmony. Limited tickets available.

Friday 08 July| 8pm

Anoushka Shankar & Manu Delago In Concert

In this captivating concert highlights from Anoushka Shankar’s catalogue are presented in new arrangements by Jules Buckley, featuring several co-written with her friend and collaborator Manu Delago.

Saturday 09 July | 7.30pm

Choir of the World, Dance Champions & Voice of the Future 2022

Choral finalists compete for the coveted Choir of the World title and the Pavarotti Trophy. Alongside this we crown the 2022 Dance Champions with the Lucille Armstrong Trophy, and the International Voice of the Future.

Sunday 10 July | from 11.30am Llanfest Llanfest has quickly become a firm favourite in

the summer festival diary with outside stages featuring live music throughout the day and a chilled, family friendly, atmosphere in the spectacular setting of the Dee Valley.