Hiut at the National Eisteddfod - Diolch

Before anything else, Diolch. Thank you.

Diolch to everyone who stopped by our stall, tried on a new fit, liked or commented on our social posts, or just came to say hello. 

Diolch to our team for cutting, sewing, setting up, and working so hard to make it happen.

Diolch to Ceri, Tudur, and Mari for sharing their creativity and time with us.

Diolch to the Eisteddfod and all of the staff and volunteers  for creating such a wonderful, vibrant space for Welsh culture.

Diolch o galon.

The National Eisteddfod is the biggest cultural festival in Europe. Every year, it moves between North and South Wales. This year, it rolled right into our backyard, landing just over the Pembrokeshire border at Llantwd.

For weeks leading up to it, the local landscape changed. Miles of bunting appeared. Welsh flags flew from every post. Wooden pallets were painted to welcome visitors to the biggest show in town. Take a look here.

Many of us at Hiut grew up with the Eisteddfod. We’ve competed in school halls and traveled to the National fields as kids. The poetry, the music, the elaborate traditions; they sleep through the winter and come alive every August.

But this was our first time as Hiut Denim. To be honest, we were nervous. We wanted to do it justice. We didn’t just want to be "a stall in a field." We wanted to be part of it.

At Hiut, we stand by preserving old skills to build something modern. The Eisteddfod does the exact same thing. It’s a place where deep-rooted tradition collides with fresh, modern energy.

In the run-up to the festival, we wanted to celebrate local talent from around Aberteifi who embody that spirit. You can see our YouTube series here.

This idea of looking back to move forward rang true through each of our collaborators' Eisteddfod performances. Tudur Phillips brought step dancing to life, digging through archives to bring ancient clog rhythms into a high-energy modern performance. Mari Mathias and her mother, artist Meinir Mathias, spoke about rooted creativity; weaving centuries-old history into new music and visual art. Ceri Wyn Jones spoke with Mererid Hopwood about his book of poetry, Cestyll Tywod (Sandcastles), capturing the messiness of today's world through the festival's most celebrated art form.

One of the most popular events of the week was comedian and podcaster Elis James’ stand-up performance, entirely in Welsh. He blended his early life in Carmarthenshire with his current life in London, while pointing out that walking is still usually faster than local public transport no matter where you go in Wales.

For many people, this was the first time they could touch the denim, feel the weight of the fabric, and see the care that goes into every hand-signed pair. And the welcome was so warm.

Seeing Hiut totes floating around the festival field all week was a moment we won't forget anytime soon.

We loved every single minute. Until next time