Eisteddfod makes profit after five years of losses
The world-famous Llangollen International music festival has reported a profit for the first time in five years.
The week-long Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod has reported being £22,668 in the black after a number of difficult years.
In 2011 the Eisteddfod made a loss of £199,000.
Last year's July event, which starred Alfie Boe, attracted 36,000 people.
Eisteddfod treasurer Selwyn Evans who said: "This is very encouraging after a number of difficult years and the fact that it was achieved against the odds is also significant.
"Not only did we manage it in the worst economic downturn in our 67-year history we also did it in a very wet week in the middle of the wettest summer on record.
"That did affect daytime ground admissions in particular but we managed to more than maintain our concert attendance figures.
"That was down to the extremely hard work of the staff, one only of whom was full time, and our dedicated army of volunteers and helpers.
"Our aim now is to improve on this result in 2013 and continue improving in subsequent years and to do that every line of income and expenditure will continue to be carefully monitored in order to achieve our aim.
"We will continue to back our musical director and his plans for the future and to maintain the standards of our superlative concert line-up and the wonderful atmosphere that the Eisteddfod always creates on the field and in the town."
This year's Eisteddfod starts on Tuesday, July 9, and runs until Sunday, July 14.
It will feature a concert by keyboard king Jools Holland, star of his own BBC music programme and a former member of the band Squeze and his Rhythm and Blues Orchestra will be the climax to six days of music and dance and competitions.
Also in a star-studded line-up are a Strictly Cuban evening featuring Strictly Come Dancing stars James and Ola Jordan and the music of Havana's Buena Vista Social Club.
Concerts include a performance of Verdi's Requiem on the 200th anniversary of the composer's birth and performances from harpist Claire Jones, tenor Noah Stewart, and percussionist Evelyn Glennie as well as Only Men Aloud on the Choir of the World competition night, Saturday, July 13.
