The largest collection of archive material for the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod is held at the Denbighshire Archives in Ruthin. It is protected in air conditioned and fire proof storage.

This material is a mixture of minute books, photographs, newspaper cuttings, posters, and some sound recordings. Most of it dates from before 1980, and there are some gaps especially in relation to committee activities.

There is also a considerable amount of material held in the Royal International Pavilion, including papers, photographs, audio recordings, and a large number of gifted artefacts donated by visiting groups in memory of their attendance at Eisteddfodau over the years.

Many Eisteddfod related items are also to be found in the archives of other organisations, such as museums, newspapers, and television companies. Furthermore, quite a few groups who have performed or competed in Llangollen over the years have developed their own archives.

The Way Forward

In 2006, the Standing Board of the Eisteddfod approved an Archive Panel to formalise the work of a group of Eisteddfod enthusiasts who had been trying to correlate the material from different sources. The aims of the panel are as follows:-

1. To work with the Denbighshire Archives to ensure that the project on the Eisteddfod archives in Ruthin meets the needs of the Eisteddfod.
2. To lead the Eisteddfod's applications for grants to set up a project to index, digitise, extend, and publish the Eisteddfod archive.
3. To set up a separate web site for the archive with a link to the Eisteddfod web site.
4. To form an oral history of the Eisteddfod by recording the recollections of those involved in the early years.
5. To sort, index, and scan the material held in the Pavilion.

Work has already commenced on sorting and indexing the material held in the Pavilion, and an application is being prepared for grant aid to purchase dedicated IT equipment, and for special storage equipment to record and makes copies of the material and to help preserve some of the older and more delicate material. Once this step has been completed the original material will be transferred to the Denbighshire Archives with copies held in the Eisteddfod office. Hopefully these copies will form part of a permanent exhibition.

Other grants will also be applied for over the coming months.

How Can You Help?

Anyone who has any sort of material relating to the Eisteddfod can help us to build up a bigger picture of the history of the Eisteddfod.  They can either do one of three things:-

1. Donate the material to the Eisteddfod.
2. Let the Eisteddfod have it on permanent loan.
3. Allow us to copy it for our archive and then return it.

In all cases, we promise to take good care of anything you let us have access to.

Please contact the Archive Panel via the Eisteddfod office on 01978 860944, or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .