Thousands of visitors flocked to the Royal Welsh Winter Fair for two days of celebration, competition and festive atmosphere. The annual event was held at the showground in Llanelwedd, Builth Wells on Monday 24 and Tuesday 25 November.

First staged in 1990 and originally just a modest one-day event, the Winter Fair has become one of the most popular attractions in the British agricultural calendar. The Fair continues to maintain its position as one of the finest primestock shows in the UK, this year attracting nearly 700 exhibitors from across the UK.

Education once again played a central role at this year’s Fair, with over 2,000 schoolchildren and students attending across the two days, making the most of free entry for organised primary and secondary school visits, along with reduced rates for further and higher education groups.

Livestock competitions remained at the heart of the event, with excellent support from exhibitors. There were record numbers in the pig section, the second-highest number of lamb carcass entries, and sheep classes at full capacity.

This year saw over 370 tradestands, along with more than 80 additional stands in the Food Hall and street food area, where guests were able to sample a wide range of produce from across Wales.

Honorary Winter Fair Director, William Hanks was delighted with the success of the event, saying: “We’ve been thrilled to welcome such high visitor numbers to this year’s Winter Fair, which once again delivered a wonderful festive atmosphere across the whole showground. From exceptional live music and outstanding food and drink to the superb standard of entries across all sections, the event truly showcased the very best of Welsh agriculture and rural life.

“We are deeply grateful for the hard work and dedication of our volunteers, stewards, traders, sponsors and, of course, the visitors who make this event possible.”