…And with that we are referring to the biggest celebration of the best folk and Welsh music at the annual Sesiwn Fawr Dolgellau.
Sesiwn Fawr Dolgellau (‘the big session’) is a well-loved world music festival held in the picturesque market town of Dolgellau, set beneath Cader Idris on the approach to the beautiful Mawddach Estuary of Cardigan Bay.
Not only do people flock from far and wide to enjoy the three-day festival but the event is proud to be family and community orientated. There are plenty of activities to do for everyone, including free storytelling sessions and a twmpath dawns in the centre of the town (for those of you that aren’t familiar with the term ‘twmpath dawns’, it simply means a folk dance).
For the keen musicians amongst you, there is even the chance to play in front of an audience on the busking stage in the Square or join in on the jamming sessions held in a couple of the pubs across the town too! Get your guitar, fiddle or flute at the ready, if you fancy it!
Wandering down the old streets during the event, you will see how history truly has left its stamp on the town, from the Quakers to the chapels and gold hidden away under nearby hills.
Established in 1992 the event was first held in the town’s streets and like so many festivals Sesiwn Fawr Dolgellau started small and grew through word of mouth. From 2002 until 2008, the festival was held on the Marian Mawr. It was during this time that Sesiwn Fawr reached its peak audience figures with sell-out crowds. After a slight break between 2009 and 2011, the Sesiwn Fawr returned to the festival calendar but on a smaller scale and closer to its early 1990s roots of a primarily folk line-up.
Dolgellau’s historical architecture offered up the perfect venues for the quaint festival, with hidden courtyards, cellar bars and coffee shops aplenty. Honouring its humble beginnings, it also returned once more to Eldon Square, where this festival shares with us its most authentic self.
In the past, the festival line-up has included artists big and small including, Super Furry Animals, Steve Earle, The Dubliners Iwcs a Doyle, Burning Spear, Bob Geldof, Saw Doctors, Bryn Fôn, Meic Stevens, Geraint Jarman a'r Cynghaneddwyr, Derwyddon Dr Gonzo, Grupo Fantasma, Paul Dooley, N'Faly Kouyate, Endaf Emlyn, Cerys Matthews and Goldie Lookin Chain.
Unfortunately, due to COVID-19 and the coronavirus restrictions the organising committee decided to cancel the festival for 2020 but are hopeful that the fantastic line-up they had in place will be happy to perform at next year’s festival. We have our fingers crossed the music event will be back for 2021!
If you’re planning ahead to the next year, and you have half a chance, it’s worth staying around a little longer to explore the surrounding area properly. Here at Twin Rivers we are situated just a short drive from Dolgellau (32 minutes to be precise) and are surrounded by Welsh countryside and many beauty spots. If you decide to stay with us at Twin Rivers, within an hour you could be walking the paths of Cader Idris, climbing Snowdonia, cycling down the Mawddach Trail, rowing on Lyn Tegid or fishing on Tal-y-Lyn.
We look forward to welcoming you.