Calling all unsigned singer/songwriters...there's a main stage spot up for grabs for the winner of the 2009 Pontardawe Festival Singer/Songwriter Competition.

Entry forms are available now from the Festival Office or you can download the entry form here.

It costs £5 to enter and we will need a sample of your work on CD, MP3 or via a weblink (YouTube, MySpace, website etc.).

Successful applicants will be invited to take part in heats in the week beginning May 25th.

Eight finalists will be chosen to take part in the Grand Final at Pontardawe Arts Centre on Friday June 12th.

The winner will be chosen by a panel of judges who will make their decision based on lyrical and musical content, performance and presentation. There will also be an audience vote and this will be added to those of the judges.

There's a glittering array of talent waiting in the wings at this year's Pontardawe Festival

Yes, friends, the news is out:
BUSINESS AS USUAL AT PONTY – STAR NAMES IN ’09 LINE-UP 20-23 AUGUST 2009

The iconic Welsh band
MAN
lead the way, opening the festival a day earlier than usual on Thursday August 20, supported by two emerging local rock bands
BAMBI KILLERS and THE LAST REPUBLIC

Other Welsh stars on show over festival weekend include
MARTYN JOSEPH
CALAN
DELYTH JENKINS

Also lined up to appear are Scotland’s
RORY McLEOD
ex-Fairport Convention
ASHLEY HUTCHINGS/RAINBOW CHASERS and
VIN GARBUTT from Teeside and
West Country singer/songwriter AMY NEWTON

The international flavour comes from ZIMBABWE courtesy of the acclaimed mambo band
HARARE
Americans DULCI and
reggae maestros
EDWARD II

Tickets will go on sale shortly. So watch this space for news of some great Early Bird offers.

Now that the dust (mud) has settled on our weekend celebrations, it is time to say goodbye to two stalkwarts of the festival.

Ruth Exell Stevenson has decided to hang up her bodhran and Emyr Morris has logged off.

If it was not for their dedication to the festival, and their determination to ensure that it succeeds, there would no longer be a Pontardawe Festival. So we are going to miss them very much.

We wish them both well in the future and look forward to welcoming them back as treasured guests in the future. Their successors have a lot to live up to.

A team from the South Wales Probation Trust has been brought in to help with the organisation of this year's festival.

The young offenders are working hard to help put the site together for this weekend, and will be doing valuable work over the weekend, helping us to keep the site clean and tidy.

With a week to go, we will be opening our ADVANCE BOX OFFICE on MONDAY.

It will be based in THE CROSS COMMUNITY CENTRE on HIGH STREET.

This year, for a change, we'll be joining forces with the Tawe Guild of Spinners & Weavers in their annual festival exhibition.

Tickets will be available along with information about everything that's going on.

So pop in and see Mike Roberts and the team, who will do everything they can to help you make the most of what promises to be a memorable weekend.

Transglobal Underground have picked up a prestigious BBC World Music Award at a ceremony in London hosted by BBC Radio Three.

The legendary London-based band were crowned in the Club Global category.

Our congratulations to them, and to you if you've already booked your ticket!

If you haven't then...well, you know what to do!!

Pontardawe Festival has commissioned two major new pieces of music based on the Welsh tradition in celebration of its thirtieth anniversary.

ONE WORLD PREMIER, ONE WELSH PREMIER!

The Strangest Ayres is a unique collaboration with a number of sister events, including the Oxford Folk Festival in England, the Open House Festival in Belfast, Northern Ireland, and Knoydart Arts Promotions of Fort William, Scotland.

The driving force behind the work is renowned musical virtuoso Luke Daniels and has been composed by the twin talents of violinist Theresa Kavanagh & pianist John Paul Gandy

Gwyl Nos written by our very own Helen Adam will receive its first-ever performance at Pontardawe and explores themes from Welsh mythology.

They raised the roof when they last appeared in 2000. Now they're back!

TRANSGLOBAL UNDERGROUND are the latest world-beating band to sign up for our celebration of thirty years of great music.

For many, their set eight years ago was the finest ever to be seen on a Pontardawe stage. So it's only natural that they - and we - want to go for it again.

Special night at Valley Folk Club
FEBRUARY 1st 8.30pm
SONG OF THE EARTH

Live acoustic music, song and readings about life and work in the South Wales Valleys by friends and members of Pontneddfechan Acoustic Music Club

Contacts for this event are Liam 07967 020928 or Huw 01792 425231

We asked, you answered, we listened.

As the rain persisted down on our heads, and the mud sloshed up into our wellies, we sent out a brave team of souls to find out what you thought of our festival.

Our thanks go to Heather Skinner, from the University of Glamorgan Business School, and her team for their admirable efforts.