Eisteddfod week: planning around Llangollen's July festival, and the 80th in 2027

For one week in early July, choirs and dance groups from around the world come to compete in Llangollen, and the evenings belong to concerts at the Pavilion. If you are coming that week, book everything early; if you are not, know which week it is before you choose your dates.

Where it happens

The centre of it is the Royal International Pavilion on Abbey Road, LL20 8SW, which holds the main competitions and the evening concerts. It is on the same road as the heritage railway station, and the railway sends its own passengers to the Pavilion car park for the rest of the year. The festival recommends booking parking ahead for its week.

2026, as it happened

The 2026 festival ran from Tuesday 7 to Sunday 12 July. Emeli Sandé played with The Absolute Orchestra, conducted by the festival's own artistic director Dave Danford, and Michael Ball filled the Pavilion on the Saturday. The Choir of the World title went to Advent Euphonic Chorale from the Philippines, who won the mixed choir competition on the way.

2027 is the 80th

The first festival was in 1947, and the organiser has published the 80th as Wednesday 7 to Sunday 11 July 2027. What is announced so far:

• Thursday 8 July 2027: Jools Holland and his Rhythm and Blues Orchestra, a Llangollen80 concert at the Pavilion.
• Saturday 10 July 2027: the Llangollen80 Anniversary Gala Concert, with Sir Bryn Terfel, Natalya Romaniw and Noah Stewart, orchestra and massed male voice choirs. The final of the International Voice of the Future is held in the same concert.
• Sunday 11 July 2027: the Choir of the World title and Pavarotti Trophy are decided in the evening.

The dance competitions, expanded for 2026, are spread across the final Saturday and Sunday in 2027, so either day gets singing, music and dance. The Pavilion also has two concerts before the festival: Jack Savoretti and James Morrison on Friday 25 June and Ronan Keating and Blue on Thursday 1 July 2027. An 80th means a full town, so book a bed early.

Getting there without the car

Llangollen has no mainline station. Ruabon, on the Shrewsbury to Chester line, is the one to aim for: the festival's own travel page says Arriva's 5 and 5C run every 30 minutes between Wrexham, Ruabon station, Acrefair, Trevor and Llangollen, with extra buses at festival time. Chirk station is slightly closer as the crow flies, and the festival calls it a short taxi ride. Full details are on the getting here page.

If you do drive, Denbighshire County Council's car parks in town include Market Street, Brook Street, East Street, Hall Street and Mill Street. The council changed its charges from 6 July 2026, so read the machine.

The rest of the festival calendar

The Eisteddfod is not the only week that fills the town, and the others have moved around. The Llangollen Fringe, which used to sit in July, ran from 4 to 13 September in 2026. The food festival takes a weekend in October: 10 and 11 October in 2026, free to get in, laid out as a food trail from the station to the riverside with cookery demonstrations at Blas. The events page carries all three.