Gladstone Eisteddfod 2021: What Queensland Covid outbreak means for event

As the Gladstone Eisteddfod marks its 50th year, here’s all you need to know about the much-anticipated event

The Gladstone Eisteddfod has made its triumphant return to the Gladstone Entertainment and Convention Centre Stage, celebrating its 50th year after a COVID-19 cancellation last year.

The Gladstone Eisteddfod committee is celebrating its 50th year of competition after COVID-19 cancelled proceedings last year.

Long-serving Gladstone Eisteddfod committee president Elizabeth ‘Beth’ Jones said they were proceeding with caution given the tense COVID-19 situation down south.

“It’s wonderful and at the moment we are proceeding with caution because we don’t know what could change or happen,” Ms Jones said.

“We’ve already had one of our speech and drama adjudicators cancel because she’s in Brisbane.

“Our other adjudicators are from Brisbane but it will keep going, as long as they don’t shut Gladstone down.

“Everyone is in this similar position, aren’t they? That you just take every day as it comes.”

Ms Jones said spectators could expect a lot of exciting performances.

“That includes school groups, individual performers, school groups and a lot of adults too,” she said.

Ms Jones said it was so important the community supported the Eisteddfod because without the community the performers had no one to perform to.

“But it's really important that we get volunteers who can help because it takes us at least a dozen people each session, three sessions a day, to run it,” she said.

“Also, it's not about the children performing going on to perform in musicals or theatre productions, a lot of these children go on to become lawyers, solicitors and newspaper editors.”

Ms Jones said the itinerary was packed with three days of speech and drama, three days of vocals, a week of instrumental and eight days of dance at the end of September.

“You will be entertained, it will be something amazing,”

“The number of people who come for the first time ever and say, ‘I wish I had been coming to this for years’ or, ‘I wonder why I hadn’t come to see this before’ is incredible.

“No one goes away saying, ‘I don’t know why I came to that’ or, ‘That was boring’.”

Tickets and more information can be found on the Gladstone Entertainment and Convention Centre Facebook page or the Gladstone Eisteddfod website.

Tickets can be purchased at the Gladstone Entertainment and Convention Centre ticket office.