page_title: Dolgellau
section_title: Cultural events
hierarchical_section_title: Dolgellau / Cultural events
caption_attribution_description: English: Composite image of Sesiwn Fawr 2005
context_page_description: Dolgellau is a town and community in Gwynedd, north-west Wales, lying on the River Wnion, a tributary of the River Mawddach. It is traditionally the county town of the historic county of Merionethshire, which lost its administrative status when Gwynedd was created in 1974. Dolgellau is the main base for climbers of Cadair Idris. Although very small, it is the second largest settlement in Southern Gwynedd after Tywyn. The community includes Penmaenpool.
context_section_description: Since 1992 Dolgellau has held Sesiwn Fawr ("Big Session"), an annual world music festival. Originally free and held in the streets of the town, it has now grown too big for the centre of Dolgellau. Since 2002 it has been held on the outskirts of the town and admission is charged, which has allowed the organisers in recent years to book such acts as Bob Geldof, Genod droog, Cerys Matthews, Iwcs a Doyle, Meic Stevens, Super Furry Animals and Goldie Looking Chain. It attracts crowds of up to 5,000 every year and claims to be one of Europe's biggest and best world music festivals. Since 1995 it has been broadcast live on BBC Radio Cymru and since 1997 on S4C. In March 2009 it was announced that there would be no Sesiwn Fawr in 2009, owing to debts of over £50,000, mostly the result of a wet event in 2007. Smaller musical events took place in pubs, etc., but the future format of the festival was put under review. The festival returned on a smaller scale in 2011, and has been organised annually since then.
  Every summer, Dolgellau is also host to the Gŵyl Cefn Gwlad ("Festival of the Countryside"), a mix of agricultural show and fête. Entry is free, but the money raised on the various stalls is given to good causes.
  In 1949 Dolgellau hosted the National Eisteddfod; in 1960 and 1994 it hosted the Urdd Eisteddfod.
caption: Sesiwn Fawr 2005
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