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Welcome
The Royal British Legion Wales Festival of Remembrance returns for its 44th Annual event on Saturday 2nd November 2024 from 7pm. For the first time in its history we are holding the event at the International Conference Centre Wales, this new purpose built and modern location is just off the M4 motorway near the city of Newport in South Wales.
The new venue with a capacity of close to 1500 is a perfect location to relaunch the Wales Festival of Remembrance as a large-scale national event that enables the people of Wales to reflect, remember, commemorate and honour all from our Armed Forces, those serving, veterans, their families and those that have made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation.
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​This year we will look back to the events of 1944, particularly remembering D-Day and the Battle of Normandy, the landings of 6 June 1944 saw the largest seaborne invasion in history and along with the associated airborne operations, it marked the beginning of the liberation of France and western Europe.
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We will also be ensuring that the ongoing campaigns in Italy, the Far East, in the air and at sea are also commemorated and those that fought and endured for our freedom across the globe, from many nations and religions, are valued and recognised.​​
​Maintaining our focus on the Second World War, there will also be a section in the Festival this year on Operation ‘ALAN’ which tasked the 53rd ‘Welsh’ and the 7th Armoured Divisions with clearing the city of S’Hertogenbosch – henceforth referred to as ‘Den Bosch’ – a medieval fortress city of roughly 50,000 inhabitants intersected by canals, rivers and waterways. Since those events of 1944 a strong bond of friendship and deep mutual appreciation between the people of Den Bosch and the people of Wales has developed. The city incorporated many Welsh names and landmarks when rebuilding their city during the period of post-war reconstruction, the most obvious example being the ‘Royal Welsh’ Bridge. The names of the 146 men who were killed liberating the city were engraved on to it in 2015. Moreover, the city hall flies a Welsh flag and a large public space containing a war memorial was renamed ‘53rd Welsh Division Square’ following the liberation.​​
​The Festival will ensure that more recent operations and campaigns are also commemorated. With the 25th Anniversary of the deployment of a large-scale peace keeping force into Kosovo in June 1999 as UK Forces deployed as part of a wider NATO lead operation. For a quarter of a century, British forces have been dedicated to supporting peace and stability in Kosovo.
2024 will also be the tenth anniversary since formal combat operations ended in Afghanistan with the end of Operation Herrick in October of 2014. Over the 20 years of deployments in Afghanistan there have been 457 deaths of UK armed forces personnel, with many more receiving life-changing injuries. Of the total 457 personnel who died whilst on deployment to Afghanistan 405 died because of hostile action.​
​We have set up this website to enable you to find out as much as possible about this year’s Festival of Remembrance. Please do navigate around the pages, book tickets, work out your travel arrangements and keep up to date as the artists and performers that will be supporting us on the night are confirmed.
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I look forward to seeing you at this year's Festival at the ICC on Saturday 2nd November when Wales will unite in Remembrance and Commemoration for our Armed Forces Community past and present.​​
Ant Metcalfe
The Royal British Legion​​