Maes (

Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, referring or related to Wales * Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales * Welsh people People * Welsh (surname) * Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peopl ...

for ''Field'') is the name commonly given to the site of a

eisteddfod In Welsh culture, an ''eisteddfod'' is an institution and festival with several ranked competitions, including in poetry and music. The term ''eisteddfod'', which is formed from the Welsh morphemes: , meaning 'sit', and , meaning 'be', means, a ...

, such as the

National Eisteddfod The National Eisteddfod of Wales (Welsh: ') is the largest of several eisteddfodau that are held annually, mostly in Wales. Its eight days of competitions and performances are considered the largest music and poetry festival in Europe. Competitors ...

or the

Urdd Eisteddfod The Urdd National Eisteddfod ( cy, Eisteddfod Genedlaethol Urdd Gobaith Cymru or ''Eisteddfod Genedlaethol yr Urdd'') is an annual Welsh-language youth festival of literature, music and performing arts organised by Urdd Gobaith Cymru. Arguably Eur ...

. All the main events and event venues are located on the Maes.

Background

Central to the Maes is the competition venue, often a large temporary pavilion. From 2006 until 2014, the

National Eisteddfod of Wales The National Eisteddfod of Wales (Welsh language, Welsh: ') is the largest of several eisteddfodau that are held annually, mostly in Wales. Its eight days of competitions and performances are considered the largest music and poetry festival in Eur ...

used a large pink pavilion, which arrived in four articulated lorries and took four days to erect. Prior to that, the pavilion had been a stripy green and yellow tent. The Maes is usually located in a field or on open farmland. In 2017 the

was almost cancelled when, on the initial weekend of the event, the Maes was turned into a sea of mud by stormy weather. The carparks on nearby farmland became unusable. A later report also concluded the accessibility for disabled visitors to the Maes was inadequate. Normally the Maes is enclosed by a fence and an entrance fee is charged. However, in 2018 the National Eisteddfod was held in

Cardiff Bay Cardiff Bay ( cy, Bae Caerdydd; historically Tiger Bay; colloquially "The Bay") is an area and freshwater lake in Cardiff, Wales. The site of a former tidal bay and estuary, it serves as the river mouth of the River Taff and Ely. The body of w ...

with an open, fence-free Maes. Existing, permanent buildings were used in the immediate area for the competitions and events, with an admission fee charged for these. Because of the additional security costs the event lost £290,000, but attracted an estimated 500,000 visitors, as opposed to the usual 150,000.

Maes B

Maes of the National Eisteddfod from early years divided into different fields and Maes B began as the alternative field purely for young people. Since 1997 Maes B is a regular music event (and venue) at the National Eisteddfod of Wales, featuring a line-up of contemporary Welsh language rock and pop musicians.

References

{{reflist Eisteddfod Festival venues

Background

Maes B

See also

References