In a year that has seen a K-Pop song featuring Korean lyrics win a Grammy Award and the Super Bowl Halftime Show (one of the most-watched television events of the year) take place entirely in Spanish, it seems now more than ever, the English-speaking world is starting to embrace music with lyrics in other languages.
It’s a trend that comes as music to the ears of the many musicians in Wales who perform in Welsh, a great number of which showcased their sound at this year’s Dydd Miwsig Cymru.
Held annually for over a decade, Dydd Miwsig Cymru, or Welsh Language Music Day, serves as a celebration of the Welsh language music scene. Aided by a global shift in interest towards non-English language music, the Welsh language musical sphere has grown in stature in recent years, with artists like indie rock band Adwaith touring around the UK and Europe, and self-defined "Celtic-pop warrior" Mali Hâf taking to the hallowed stage at Glastonbury Festival in 2025.
This year, Dydd Miwsig Cymru was held on Friday 13 February. To mark the occasion, there were events taking place around the country during the day (and throughout the weekend), while nationwide initiatives will amplified the reach of artists who perform in Cymraeg.
One organisation playing their part is Sain Records, one of the oldest indie labels in Britain. The company will be released its archives of Welsh-language music from the 1990s and 2000s online, giving music fans anywhere in the world the chance to rediscover classic tracks from the label’s historic catalogue.
Enterprises and offices around Wales played Welsh language music for the day (with a number of curated playlists on Spotify providing inspiration), while school children across Wales will sing their favourite Welsh-language songs in classrooms and take part in music discovery lessons.
Then there were the gigs, with dozens that happened around the country (many of which were listed on the excellent interactive database overseen by Awni). Singer-songwriters entertained in coffee shops, grunge bands in pubs and indie rockers in art centres. One of the biggest events of the weekend was the three-day programme of free live music and festival atmosphere at Tŷ Pawb, Wrexham's centre for Welsh culture, while a mammoth, multi-artist gig is also took place across three venues in the Welsh capital, including the legendary Clwb Ifor Bach.
Another element of the Dydd Miwsig Cymru festivities saw the winners of the annual Sound of Miwsig poll being crowned live on BBC Radio Wales. The yearly contest aims to uncover the Welsh artists who are set to do great things in the coming year, with winners selected by a panel of Welsh artists, DJs and music professionals, along with votes from the general public.
The three winners of 2026 year’s Sound of Miwsig competition were: Celavi, an anthemic nu-metal duo from Bangor; Osgled, Bethan Ruth’s ethereal electro project, and hip-hop poet Knuckle MC. The different genres adopted by the three winners showcases just how varied the Welsh language music scene is today.
Speaking about Dydd Miwsig Cymru and the general music scene in Wales, DJ Molly Palmer, who announced the winners of the Sound of Miwsig competition, said, ‘I think we're really lucky in Wales to see more genres of Welsh language music appearing.’
‘There really is something out there for everybody at the moment. From dubstep to pop to nu metal, there is a world of Welsh language music waiting for you,’ she added.
So, whether you celebrated the Welsh language tunes this year, or you're a certified Cymru musical connoisseur, why not delve a little deeper into the world of Welsh language music? Learn more about some of the amazing Welsh festivals bringing Welsh music to the masses.