Celf o Gwmpas partnered with Llandrindod town council and supported by PAVO conducted some community consultation events to gather information on towns resources, ideas and most importantly for the bid - what makes Llandrindod unique.

This is a UK wide competition run by the Department for Sport and Culture, for funding to make nice things happen, raise tourism and boost the economy. Key things that came out of the consultation were the fascinating history and ambition of the town. It’s natural and built assets and the sense of a community full of potential. It’s a short but powerful story, keeping it to the 1500 word limit was a challenge! Everything included in the story, came from the people of the town. Read it below.

Our Story

Llandrindod Wells: Built on ambition. Powered by community. Catalysed by culture

A nineteenth century ‘Boom’ town, shaped not over centuries like many UK towns, but created almost overnight through Victorian audacity. Llandrindod surged into being. Visitors arrived from across the world, drawn by landscape, leisure and pioneering wellbeing. Each building outdid the last; taller, more ornate, turreted! A uniquely expressive architectural moment. New ideas in health, and of arrival, by rail, by wheel, even by air; Llandrindod became a flashpoint of innovation and a playground for the rich and famous.

Today, that ambition remains. Grand facades, nationally noteworthy parks and civic spaces evidence a place designed and built as a destination. These spaces, alongside theatres, community and sporting venues, the lake and a thriving arts scene, form a rich but under-recognised cultural infrastructure—ready to be reanimated, while local enterprise continues to innovate.

Llandrindod Wells sits as a hidden gem within the national story: a cultural landscape shaped as much by what it could be as by what it once was.

Its story stretches further back, through Roman occupation and military infrastructure, to a landscape shaped over 460 million years. A contemporary scientific hotspot of global significance: sulphurous waters, Ordovician fossils, deep geological time identifiable and visible. Beyond lies a vast rural region, dispersed communities across one of the most sparsely populated areas in the UK. Llandrindod sits at its heart: a hub of people, ideas and culture.

Through large-scale public art, architectural illumination and participatory performance, the programme responds to this context, transforming buildings and public spaces into stages for storytelling and cultural expression. We will combine national and local talent, connect communities, harness volunteer energy and create opportunities for young people to develop skills, build confidence and shape the programme itself.

Themes

Deep Time – revealing the geological landscape underpinning the town and its relationship to place

Boom Town – celebrating extraordinary architecture as a physical expression of ambition, creativity and social change

Rural Heart – amplifying the voices and creativity of Mid Wales

By bringing this overlooked story to life, the programme will reposition Llandrindod nationally as a place of unexpected cultural richness: architectural ambition, rural creativity and economic opportunity. It will strengthen local identity, raise aspirations and create a lasting cultural legacy rooted as much in people as in place.

Llandrindod Wells is iconic, but no one knows it. The first boom built it. This next will ignite it.

The shortlisted towns will be announced Spring 2026 and will each receive £60,000

What you can do to help?

We need to make some noise about this now. Rumour has it that the judges will be looking to see how much the town is engaging with the idea - is it being talked about, are people sharing posts and videos. We have a logo, feel free to use it and if you want to talk about it online use #TownOfCulture #LlandrindodWells2028 #TownOfCulture2028

We have a banner too - would your business or community group like a photo with it? Get in touch zoe@celfogwmpas.org and we can arrange it. Want to do something independent? Great! Film yourself, your organisation or your favourite spot in Llandod and tell the world what you love about it. Not sure what to say - something as simple as ‘(we) support Llandrindod Wells Town of Culture 2028!’ is fine… and if you can do it with enthusiasm and cheering, even better. Upload it to your social media, tag your organisation and CelfoGwmpas and use the hashtags. Encourage your friends to like and comment. If you know people in other towns that have made a bid (Machynlleth, Hay, Brecon, Aberystwyth to name a few nearby ones!) tag them too, a little friendly rivalry boosts our reach. Let’s keep it fun friendly and show the world what we’ve got!

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