A Gwynedd food festival will not take place next year, with organisers saying “higher responsibilities and pressure” is forcing them to take a break.

Gŵyl Fwyd Caernarfon 2025 in May has been hailed as the most successful to date, but on Tuesday (11 June) a social media post from the festival committee explained why the event will not take place next year.

The post said: “Just one month after the most successful festival to date – the biggest yet, with all costs met – the Gŵyl Fwyd Caernarfon committee has made the difficult but unavoidable decision to take a year's break in 2026.

“Since our first festival, Gŵyl Fwyd Caernarfon has grown beyond all expectations in terms of size and popularity. The addition of the family area at Coed Helen Park last year was an important step, and while the growth is a source of pride and a huge boost for the town, it has also brought significantly higher responsibilities and pressure on our team of dedicated volunteers.

“It is difficult to convey the human cost of organising a festival on this scale. We as volunteers have given endless hours of our time, energy, and passion to make each festival a success. However, some key volunteers need to step aside in the year ahead, and we recognise that the current model imposes an unsustainable burden on those who remain.

After careful consideration, at a meeting on 9 June, the committee voted to take a break in 2026, and designate the said year as a 'year to develop'.”

They say the break will allow them to adapt their organisational structure to make it more sustainable, develop new ideas and methods of festival management, build stronger partnerships with local businesses and stakeholders, and create a more balanced workload distribution amongst volunteers.

“We want to reassure people Gŵyl Fwyd Caernarfon is not coming to an end,” the post added.

“During our year off, we will continue to organise our popular fundraising events such as our curry competition, and commit to supporting events such as the annual fireworks display (organised by the town council) and the Christmas market (co-organised with Galeri Caernarfon).”

The committee will meet regularly to continue these arrangements and develop their new vision, provide training opportunities, develop relevant skills for members, and start planning the 2027 festival.

Organisers are also calling on interested individuals to join them.

“We see next year as an opportunity to work more closely with businesses and the local community to ensure our community can maximise the economic benefits of the festival in 2027 and beyond.

“We would like to express our sincere thanks to everyone who has supported Gŵyl Fwyd Caernarfon - our volunteers, sponsors, local businesses, performers, stallholders, visitors, and most importantly, the people of Caernarfon who have made our festival such a success.

“We look forward to returning in 2027 with renewed energy, ensuring that Gŵyl Fwyd Caernarfon continues to celebrate our community's vibrant food culture for years to come.

“Thank you very much to everyone.”