Elin Fflur takes the president's stage

Monday, 25 May 2026 11:12

By MônFM Newsroom

Elin Fflur is the president of the Urdd National Eisteddfod for Bank Holiday Monday.

The singer and broadcaster headlined a night of live and local music as Gwyl Triban brought the opening weekend of the youth festival to a close.

Elin's connections with the Eisteddfod go back over thirty years - in 1995, she made her competitive debut in a Cerdd Dant competition on the Pavilion stage in Cilwendeg, Pembrokeshire.

She said: "I was brought up in the village of Dwyran on Ynys Môn, a small village not far from Llanddwyn beach, before moving to Llanfairpwll at the age of 12."

"That sense of community is the first thing that strikes me when I think about the Urdd. Coming together as children to rehearse with the school choir was a wonderful time."

"Singing is such a powerful tool. There’s no feeling quite like singing in a choir, surrounded by a sea of voices, and I miss that greatly. Then there were the bus trips, arriving on the Eisteddfod field, and the packed lunches. Those experiences created wonderful memories."

"My mother also conducted the school choir, so I suspect it was quite a unique experience for both of us."

"And although that could be very embarrassing for a nine-year-old at times, I could see the work and dedication from both perspectives – ours as children and my mother’s as the conductor. We were given experiences as young people at school that we will always treasure."

The Anglesey Showground at Mona, where this year's festival is taking place, also played host to this year's Cân i Gymru in February - the song contest which shot Elin in 2002, when she performed the winning song, 'Harbwr Diogel' ('Safe Harbour').