GwyddonLe at the Mona Urdd Eisteddfod 2026
The sun shone brightly in Anglesey during the week of the Urdd Eisteddfod this year as the new-look Festival welcomed visitors and competitors to the site of the Anglesey Showground. Swansea University was also there to ensure that the GwyddonLe offered something for everyone, and it certainly was an extremely busy and successful week.
The GwyddonLe activities started with something a little different this year. In partnership between the University, the Urdd and Esports Wales, a Rocket League tournament was held over the first two days of the Eisteddfod with children and young people registering to create teams and compete against each other. A team from Ysgol Uwchradd Bodedern took Saturday's trophy and the GOATS, also from north Wales, were Sunday's champions. The young Welshman from Conwy, Lendoth, who is making quite a name for himself in the world of e-sports, kept the players going with his commentary throughout the competition ensuring the audience had a real show.
Monday morning, the GwyddonLe stallholders came to open their fascinating scientific activities. As well staff from the Swansea University Medical School, with their stalls which included a Midwifery stand and popular activities such as DNA extraction and studying cells through microscopes, the North Wales Medical School also joined us and held sessions on learning CPR. Bangor University was well represented with a Psychology, Health Science, Sports Science, Engineering and Computer Science and Ocean Sciences stand. The Mathematics Support Programme Wales stand offered puzzles and a mathematical circus and this year, we were supported by several external partners including, Trydan Gwyrdd Cymru, Nuclear Restoration Services, Menter Môn Morlais, Scottish Power Energy Networks, Project Seagrass, Primary Science Teaching Trust and the Royal Society of Chemistry. Outside the GwyddonLe, IBMS (Institute of Biomedical Science) was parked with its laboratory in a lorry!
Events and shows were held on the GwyddonLe stage throughout the week and this year, to coincide with the week’s new arrangements, the Morgan Institute Challenge was held on the Monday with three secondary schools competing. Pupils from Ysgol Glan Clwyd, Ysgol Bryn Tawe and Ysgol Bro Morgannwg came to present their arguments on the topic "The NHS should proactively offer health care in Welsh to everyone in Wales". The judges, Dr Alwena Morgan, Associate Professor in Biomedical Sciences and Owain Clarke, BBC Wales Health Correspondent, had quite a task in choosing a winner but Ioan Morgan from Ysgol Bryn Tawe won best speaker in favour of the subject and overall winner of the Challenge. Isaac Reddaway from Ysgol Glan Clwyd won best speaker against the topic and both have secured a financial prize of £250 each for their schools. Ioan will also receive work experience of his choice, organised by Academi Hywel Teifi.
Professor Gwenno Ffrancon, Deputy Pro Vice Chancellor Welsh Language, Heritage and Culture and Director of Academi Hywel Teifi, said:
"It was a lovely, busy, fun-filled week for everyone involved with Swansea University's GwyddonLe. With the Eisteddfod week turned in terms of competitions, it was an opportunity for us to experiment with our offering and introduce new initiatives. The e-sports Eisteddfod attracted enthusiastic competitors at the start of the festival and thanks to Esports Wales for working with us to offer that slightly different slant on e-sports to the young people of Wales. Our pavilion was full of enthusiastic stall holders - inside and out - and the place packed again by the end of the week as the fun and sun attracted the crowds to the Maes. We are now looking forward to the 2027 Eisteddfod in Newport and the opportunity to share the expertise and discoveries of Swansea University with our young audience."