Welsh-Hungarian Day 2024, Newport
Performers included Gwilym Bowen Rhys and DunAvon Folk Dance Ensemble
In May 2024, we were proud to host a brand-new celebration of Wales’ connection with Hungary in Newport – featuring Welsh language music and traditional Hungarian folk dances.
Held at the Pill Millennium Centre, the event kicked off with a rousing performance by acclaimed Welsh folk singer and songwriter Gwilym Bowen Rhys, followed by an interactive Hungarian ‘dance house’ with Bristol’s DunAvon Folk Dance Ensemble.
The first-of-its-kind celebration – organised by Magyar Cymru and the Hungarian Cultural Society of Newport – marked the third annual Welsh-Hungarian Friendship Day, an initiative we launched in 2022 to commemorate the growing links between the two nations.
Balint Brunner, Founder of Magyar Cymru, commented: “In 2024, our aim was to create an immersive cultural experience that strengthened the bond between our two nations. We thoroughly enjoyed introducing our Welsh friends to Hungarian folklore and sharing the beauty of the Welsh language with even more Hungarians in South Wales.”
Marta Kecskes from the Hungarian Cultural Society of Newport added: “As the largest Hungarian community in Wales, we were proud to see Newport becoming a hub for Welsh-Hungarian Friendship Day celebrations.”
The event was supported by the Arts Council of Wales Night Out scheme, the Liszt Institute – Hungarian Cultural Centre London, and Ceredigion-based Best of Hungary who provided an onsite buffet for visitors.
It was one of several community-led activities coinciding with Magyar Cymru’s Welsh-Hungarian Friendship Day celebrations. Between 17-19 May, Hungarian community artist Eden Ivicz hosted a series of activities at Clwb y Bont in Pontypridd, including a drop-in embroidery workshop, a poem library, and a Welsh-Hungarian maypole celebration.
Earlier in the week, the University of South Wales staged a free event at its Cardiff campus with Hungarian author Andrea Tompa and translator Jozefina Komporaly, moderated by Hungarian-born USW academic Dr Marta Minier.
