THE organiser of the National Eisteddfod will hold a public meeting in Abergavenny for people who want to volunteer or find out more about the event, which is coming to the town’s Castle Meadows in 2016.

The National Eisteddfod is the biggest cultural event in Wales. It celebrates the country’s culture of poetry, music and dance over eight days and attracts 160,000 visitors every year.

Monmouthshire is hosting the event for the first time since 1913 and it is predicted it will take in between £6 million and £8 million from July 31 to August 6.

Eisteddfod Cymru said it has found the interest and enthusiasm surrounding the festival ‘very encouraging’ since it was announced that Monmouthshire would host the event for the first time since 1913.

Organiser Elen Huw Elis said in a letter: ‘Many, locally and nationally, are looking forward to visiting an area which has not had the opportunity to host the festival for many years, although successful festivals have of course been held in the southeast relatively recently, namely in Blaenau Gwent in 2010, and Newport in 2004.’

Monmouthshire council will have to provide £580,000 towards the hosting of the event, of which £300,000 will be raised by local communities over the next two years.

The county will be split into 42 wards, which will each have a set financial target to raise.

This amount will be dependent on the size and population of the areas.

To move things forward, a public meeting will be held to give residents, community councils, societies and interested groups, the opportunity to learn more about the Eisteddfod, and how to get involved in the community-based and led project which organises the festival.

Anyone interested in becoming a subject committee, assisting with establishing the local appeal fund or who just wants to show support, can attend the meeting, which will offer a simultaneous translation service.

The meeting will take place at 6.30pm on July 17 in Abergavenny Market Hall.