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The two-day event, organised by Bangor City Council and Bangor University in partnership with local organisations, offered a packed programme of talks, tours, workshops, and exhibitions exploring the city’s rich past and its role in Welsh history.

The festival opened on Friday with events aimed at local schools, engaging over 300 primary pupils and 100 secondary school students in interactive history sessions. Broadcaster and public historian Greg Jenner led popular talks on Roman Wales and Britain at Pontio, while Bangor University’s School of History hosted a “Local Heroes?” workshop encouraging students to explore figures from north Wales’ past. Meanwhile, an additional workshop at Storiel welcomed students from Ysgol Friars and Ysgol Tryfan.

On Friday evening, over 220 people filled the Theatr Bryn Terfel at Pontio for Greg Jenner’s “Ask a Historian” session, a lively and humorous exploration of the quirks and curiosities of history.

Saturday saw the festival reach full stride, with around 900 people attending 21 sessions held across Pontio, Bangor Cathedral, and the University’s Main Arts Building. The day featured talks, panel discussions, and presentations on topics ranging from local heritage and medieval Bangor to Welsh women’s history, Bangor’s Jewish history, the history of local shipwrecks and the shaping of north Wales.

More than 120 participants joined guided walking tours of Bangor city centre, the Main Arts Building, and the University collections, discovering layers of local history in the heart of the city. The interactive stands at Pontio and the Archives exhibition drew large numbers throughout the day, while over 200 visitors explored the festival displays and workshops at Storiel.

The festival concluded on Saturday evening with an audience of around 250 for historian and broadcaster Professor Kate Williams, whose talk “Queens, Castles, and Welsh Heroines” brought the weekend to a rousing close, celebrating the resilience and influence of women in Welsh and British history.

The Vice-Chancellor of Bangor University, Professor Edmund Burke, said, “We were thrilled by the response. The festival showed how deeply people care about Bangor’s story, from its ancient roots to its modern identity. Seeing so many families, students and visitors come together to celebrate our shared heritage was truly special.”

Dr Martin Hanks, Bangor City Director, added, “The Bangor History Festival has been a wonderful example of collaboration between the University, Bangor City Council, and Gwynedd Council, working together to celebrate and promote the city’s extraordinary 1,500-year story. It was fantastic to see so many people engaging with Bangor’s heritage, both local residents and visitors alike. This partnership approach shows what we can achieve when our institutions and communities come together.”

The Bangor History Festival has been hailed as a major success, highlighting both the enduring importance of the city’s 1,500-year legacy and the vibrancy of its present-day community.