West End superstar Lucie Jones to perform at Eisteddfod
The eisteddfod's competitive schedule culminates each year with the Choir of the World final which includes the presentation of the coveted Pavarotti Trophy, named in honour of the Italian maestro who twice sang in Llangollen, in 1955 with his hometown choir from Modena, and again at a memorable solo concert in 1995.
The trophy will be handed over by Pavarotti's widow, Nicoletta Mantovani, with festival Chairman John Gambles and Artistic Director Dave Danford.
Making a guest appearance on the big night will be multi award-winning leading lady Lucie Jones who has starred in a string of hit musicals over the past few years, playing roles such as Cosette in Les Misérables, Holly in The Wedding Singer, Elle Woods in Legally Blonde, Meat in We Will Rock You, Jenna in Waitress and Elphaba in Wicked.
Lucie, from the village of Pentyrch near Cardiff, first rose to fame at the age of 18 in the sixth series of The X Factor and in 2017 represented the UK in the Eurovision Song Contest.
Despite all this, she admits that although she's heard much about it and had a long-standing desire to perform there, this will be her first visit to the eisteddfod.
She said: 'Rather weirdly, although I always aimed to come to the festival, I never actually had the opportunity to do so as a child. I've been to Llangollen and seen the pavilion, heard lots about the Llangollen Eisteddfod and know what a huge and exciting event it is.
'So I'm making my debut at the grand old age of 34 and I'm really excited. I'm really, really pleased that I jumped at the chance to come and sing at the festival. I know it's not in a competitive way anymore, but still, it's nice to be there.
'I was also thrilled to hear that Luciano Pavarotti's widow, Nicoletta Mantovani, will also be there on the night and I can't wait to meet her, which will be a great honour for me.'
Another reason Lucie says she wants to appear at the Choir of the World is that it provides a showcase for budding star performers – a thing that's very important to her as she showed when she opened her own Lucie Jones Academy in 2023 and which runs workshops and master classes for young theatre hopefuls given by her fellow West End stars.
'The academy is a big part of what I do as a performer and as an educator. It's very important to me that we live through this crazy time with positivity and make sure that the next generation who are coming up behind us are properly looked after,' she said.
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'I firmly believe that they should be taught to handle the good, the bad and the ugly of life as a performer, which is why I started the academy. To be part of a day where people have learned things is really special to me.'
Lucie wouldn't give away too much about the songs she'll be singing at Choir of the World but she promised: 'I'll be doing some musical theatre numbers from the shows I've been in and the audience won't be disappointed with what I've chosen. I promise to melt their hearts.'
Dave Danford, artistic director of the Llangollen International Eisteddfod, said: 'We're absolutely thrilled to welcome Lucie Jones to the eisteddfod stage for the first time. Her powerful voice and stage presence will bring an unforgettable energy to our Choir of the World final – a night already steeped in passion and prestige.
"It's the perfect way to celebrate the talent of tomorrow and honour the legacy of Pavarotti.'
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