Wales kicks off cultural festival to connect with the world in Switzerland

Wales will be bringing more than just football to this summer’s UEFA Women’s EURO 2025 (2-27 July) in Switzerland, using the platform of their first major tournament to show the world the values of the nation through a vibrant cultural celebration thanks to a £1m partner support fund from Welsh Government.

With Welsh footballing heroes like Jess Fishlock, Sophie Ingle and Angharad James ready to showcase skills on the pitch, off the pitch, artists including Aleighcia Scott, Adwaith and DJ Molly Palmer will star in a cultural programme set to champion the country’s language, music, creativity and values of equality and inclusion.

Team Cymru is a squad of Welsh partners including Welsh Government, Wales Arts International, the Urdd, the Football Association of Wales and S4C who are committed to using sport, culture and leadership to advance justice, equality and the empowerment of women and girls. This spirit of collaboration will be central to every event and performance during the tournament.

Audiences in the Swiss cities of Lucerne and St Gallen will experience a range of cultural activity including live performances from bilingual musical acts. On the Swiss streets, #FelMerchGwerin, a collective of six young Welsh women, dancers and folk musicians from the Urdd will present a bold reimagining of Welsh tradition. Literature Wales has commissioned poet Sarah McCreadie to document the history-making efforts of the Wales team and values of supporters as it happens in Switzerland. 

The cultural programme will sit alongside fan events, international supporter matches, and initiatives such as Merched yn Gwneud Miwsig and an Ashoka Young Ambassador Hackathon exploring equality and inclusion in sport. Cross-cultural collaborations will also be a key theme, with joint programming alongside Swiss and Dutch creatives.

Supporters’ charity, Gôl Cymru, will mark the team’s debut by sponsoring a girls’ under 12 team at US Terre Sainte FC in Founex, continuing its mission to support children and communities around the world.

The 16-team tournament in Switzerland is the first to have a human rights declaration, and a host of partners from Wales led by Wales Arts International have signed a values statement in response, acting as a movement for justice, equality, and empowering women through sport, culture and leadership.

These values are brought to life through the cultural programme and grounded in the Football Association of Wales’s PAWB Cymru strategy with a rallying call: “Croeso i bawb – Everyone is welcomed.”

Former Wales captain Professor Laura McAllister is chair of the UEFA Human Rights board for the Women’s Euro in Switzerland this summer. She said: “The tournament provides the opportunity not just to see our team on the pitch but to demonstrate to the world the type of nation Cymru is.

“We know that there are people across the world who aren’t aware of Cymru, and they’ll get to hear our anthem and see Y Wâl Goch flying our flag out in Lucerne and St Gallen. This is our chance to showcase everything that’s good about our nation – a perfect platform for us to demonstrate that equality and human rights are important to who we are in Wales.”

Eluned Haf, Head of Wales Arts International, one of the signatories and delivering the cultural programme said: “Wales goes to Switzerland not just to compete, but to connect.  Through this groundbreaking cultural programme, Team Cymru invites the world to experience the heart of a nation — one that values creativity, equality, and togetherness as much as the game itself.”

Back in Wales, the projects include screening events, football engagement activities for young people, training and support packages for female coaches and referees and cultural celebrations.

The purpose of the fund is to support projects that will promote Wales and project values, particularly around equality and inclusion, and promote women’s sport, encouraging increased participation and creating a positive and lasting legacy.

Wales-based projects include Europe’s first female footballer-dedicated pitch mural; a Jess Fishlock-inspired pitch in Splott, Cardiff by Wales Arts International; Street Football Wales running tournaments for women who’ve experienced homelessness or addiction in Haverfordwest and Cardiff and Gwŷl Wal Goch will be releasing a short film on the sisters who’ve become Wales’ first female Muslim referees and coaches.