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Wales Online
Wales Online
National
Branwen Jones

Spinetingling rendition of Yma O Hyd breaks out spontaneously among crowd at the National Eisteddfod

Brilliant footage has captured crowds kickstarting the National Eisteddfod of Wales with a beautiful rendition of Yma o Hyd. The video captures the singing being heard for miles around at Eisteddfod which will give you goosebumps.

The festival, which celebrates art, culture and music in the Welsh language, has returned after two years, with many Eisteddfodwyr (festival goers) flocking to Tregaron in Ceredigion on Saturday, July 30, and Sunday, July 31.

The video, which was shared on Twitter by Arddun Rhiannon, shows the Eisteddfod ground from afar on Sunday evening as hundreds of voices can be heard singing the Dafydd Iwan song. A caption in Welsh which was included with the video on the social media post wrote: "A clear message from Tregaron tonight... Goosebumps".

Read more: Yma o Hyd full lyrics, meaning and why Wales football fans started singing it

The song has attracted widespread attention over recent months following the Welsh folk singer's incredible performances during Wales' World Cup play-offs in March and June. You can read more about the history of the song and its meaning here.

Twitter users were quick to respond to the video from Tregaron with many praising the rendition. In Welsh, one user tweeted it was a "gold of a video" and said gladly "I was there", another user noted: "something is definitely happening [you know]".

This year marked the first time the festival had been hosted in its normal format since the coronavirus pandemic. In 2020, the Eisteddfod in Ceredigion was postponed and in 2021 the festival was hosted as a virtual event - Eisteddfod AmGen.

Welsh folk singer, Dafydd Iwan, at Tregaron's Eisteddfod Genedlaethol this year. His song 'Yma O Hyd' was sang at the Maes on Sunday evening, July 31. (Iolo Penri)

Eisteddfod Genedlaethol will be hosted throughout this week, with events taking place from Saturday, July 30 until Saturday, August 6. The festival includes an array of competitions at the Pafiliwn, First Minister Mark being inducted into the Gorsedd and the chairing of the Bard.

Upon its return, Betsan Moses - the Chief Executive of the festival said in a statement: "We can’t wait for the gates to open to welcome everyone to the Ceredigion National Eisteddfod. The Maes is looking amazing and we’ve got a packed programme of events and activities throughout the week highlighting our language and culture. Come and join us in Tregaron – there’s a fantastic welcome waiting for you!"

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