17 December 2025
Bangor City Council is proud to mark the conclusion of a landmark year of celebrations honouring the city’s 1,500th anniversary, a milestone that has united communities, showcased Bangor’s rich heritage and laid foundations for future generations.
Throughout 2025, the Bangor 1500 programme delivered an extensive calendar of heritage events, civic ceremonies, cultural festivals, community activities and public-space improvements, making it one of the most significant celebratory years in the city’s history.
The year’s main civic highlight came in May with a spectacular military parade, when thousands lined the streets to see serving personnel from The Royal Welsh, the Welsh Guards, RAF Valley, reservists, veterans and over 100 cadets march through the city centre. Led by the iconic regimental goat Shenkin IV and accompanied by the British Army Band from Catterick, the parade was hailed as one of Bangor’s most important civic events in decades, a proud moment that reflected the city’s unity, resilience and deep respect for its history.
October brought another flagship moment with the Bangor History Festival, a two-day programme of talks, tours, workshops and exhibitions attended by more than a thousand people. Featuring leading historians including Greg Jenner and Professor Kate Williams, the festival explored Bangor’s medieval origins, women’s history, Jewish heritage, maritime stories and more, while hundreds of local schoolchildren took part in hands-on heritage activities.
The summer celebrations delivered some of the most memorable scenes of the anniversary year. On 16 August, the Bangor Summer Festival transformed the city centre with spectacular family attractions and live entertainment. Visitors enjoyed a 6.5-metre brontosaurus roaming through crowds, Transformers and film-themed vehicles on the High Street, a city-wide Dino Treasure Hunt, circus workshops, vintage steam engines and a full programme of live music. Performances by Pantonic All Stars, Fearlessly Taylor, Oasish - est. 1995 and CELT created an unforgettable festival atmosphere. Bangor City Director Dr Martin Hanks described it as “a day the city will always remember.”
This followed the lively July “Big Weekend”, a three-day community celebration featuring Bingo Bedlam, Welsh-language music presented by Menter Iaith, and a family fun day with superheroes, princesses, inflatables, shows and face painting, all contributing to a warm, inclusive celebration of local culture.
Beyond festivals and performances, 2025 leaves a lasting legacy. Significant improvements have been made to Bangor’s public green spaces, including the historic Bible Gardens and Parc y Coleg - with enhanced accessibility, pathways, lighting and woodland restoration. Earlier in the year, St Deiniol’s Cathedral was granted the Freedom of the City, the highest civic honour, recognising its 1,500-year spiritual, cultural and civic contribution.
Cultural activity flourished across the anniversary year, from BLAS Pontio’s vibrant street performance Y Rali, to community dance initiatives, exhibitions, public art installations and heritage projects that animated the city and celebrated its identity. Together, these activities reflect Bangor City Council’s ambition not just to celebrate the past, but to strengthen civic pride and community connection.
The year of celebration will conclude in style with a New Year’s Eve fireworks display on Bangor Pier, a moment set to illuminate the skies over Bangor and provide a fitting reflection on a year that has honoured the city’s remarkable past while inspiring renewed hope and ambition for the future. As the lights rise above the water of the Menai Strait, Bangor enters a new chapter, carrying forward the pride, unity and community spirit that have defined its 1,500th anniversary.
Reflecting on the anniversary programme, Dr Martin Hanks said:
“Bangor 1500 has been far more than a celebration of our past, it has been a catalyst for the future. This milestone year has shown the strength, pride and creativity of our community. It has reminded us of who we are, and inspired us to build the Bangor we want future generations to inherit.”
With its blend of heritage, culture, community engagement and long-term improvements, 2025 has reaffirmed Bangor’s place as one of Wales’s most historic and forward-looking cities.
