WITH just weeks to go until the start of this summer's Eisteddfod in Newport work on the festival site in the grounds of Tredegar House is drawing to a close.

Work started on the site in mid-June, when former Newport mayor Councillor Ray Truman cut the first sod in a special ceremony.

And over the past month some 225 workers have been flat out at Tredegar House, preparing the site for the official opening on July 31.

The 4,000-seater main pavilion, which will be the focal point for the main singing, dancing and recitation competitions, is now erected and can be seen from the M4 motorway.

The land needed for the Eisteddfod site has almost doubled since the festival was last in Newport, back in 1988, when just 17 acres was used. This year's festival will span 31 acres and by the time the festival opens on July 31, workers will have installed six miles of cables and two miles of water pipes.

Festival organisers say the Eisteddfod field will be buzzing with a variety of activities ranging from food to football, and promise something for everyone.

The food festival will see stalls selling traditional Welsh and international cuisine, while some of Wales' top sportsmen and coaches will be arranging sporting activities for the more active.

More than 300 stands on the site will be selling goods from traditional crafts to computers.

The festival site will include a campsite and caravan area, and car parking for 6,000 cars.

The Eisteddfod's technical officer, Alan Gwynant, said: "There are still a few more buildings to go up, but we are on schedule to have everything completed by the deadline of July 31."