Ebbw Vale hosted a day to remember on Saturday 27 June 2009, when the National Eisteddfod and the Gorsedd of the Bards came to town to celebrate the Proclamation of the 2010 Blaenau Gwent and Heads of the Valleys National Eisteddfod. The ceremony was accompanied by a day long family fun day, supported by a wide range of local and national organisations.

With over 1500 local people and members of community groups, marching through town, and hundreds more joining the events around the Gorsedd Stones, the message that there’s only a year to go has already caught the imagination of locals of all ages.

The crowds at the 2010 Proclamation Ceremony

At the traditional Proclamation Ceremony, the Chair of the local Executive Committee presents the first copy of the list of competitions (Rhestr Testunau) to the Archdruid, and this year’s ceremony formed part of an activity filled day aimed at families, which proved a great success with the people of Blaenau Gwent and the Heads of the Valleys.

The whole region looks forward to welcoming the Eisteddfod back to Ebbw Vale fifty two years after the festival was last held in the town in 1958. In his introduction to the list of competitions, local Executive Committee Chair, Richard Davies, says:

“Undoubtedly, Ebbw Vale has changed dramatically since 1958. The heavy industries, the steel works and the coal mines have all disappeared. The area became overshadowed by recession. But the local area is regenerating, and we now enjoy a new-founded energy, enthusiasm, pride and an overwhelming hope for the future.”

2010 Eisteddfod Proclamation Ceremony

National Eisteddfod Chief Executive, Elfed Roberts, added:

“We were delighted with the warm welcome we enjoyed in Blaenau Gwent and the Heads of the Valleys over the weekend, and this bodes well for a week to remember in 2010. The relationship with the local council has been a great boost to our work, and this formed the basis for the event's success.

“The Proclamation Ceremony and the number of those who took the time to join the march through Ebbw Vale is a fitting tribute to the support of local people, and we very much look forward to working with the people of Blaenau Gwent and the Heads of the Valleys over the next few months,” he added.