St David's Day speech template (Wales, United Kingdom)
Published 10 October 2026 · Date checked on 5 October 2026 · Written by the Cue Card Converter team at EventProgrammer, event production professionals
St David's Day, Dydd Gŵyl Dewi, is celebrated on 1 March in honour of St David, the sixth-century bishop who became the patron saint of Wales. It is a celebration of Welsh culture, language and identity rather than a bank holiday. People wear daffodils or leeks, the national emblems, and many schoolchildren dress in traditional Welsh costume or rugby shirts. Schools hold eisteddfodau with singing and recitation, towns hold parades, and Welsh cakes and cawl are popular.
- Date
- March 1
- Next dates
- Monday 1 March 2027
Wednesday 1 March 2028
Thursday 1 March 2029 - Country
- Wales, United Kingdom
- Tone
- Cultural celebration
- Typical events
- School eisteddfodau and assemblies, Welsh society dinners, town parades, workplace celebrations, community halls, and Welsh clubs and societies abroad.
- Length
- 182 spoken words · about 1.5 min at 130 words a minute · 4 cue cards
The St David's Day speech, ready as cue cards
A complete host script in 4 cards, about 1.5 minutes of speaking. Open it in the editor to add your names, change the card size or highlights, and print.
- CROESO – WELCOME1 / 4
Croeso, and a very warm welcome to {Venue}. I'm {Your name}, and on behalf of {Organisation}, Dydd Gŵyl Dewi Hapus – happy St David's Day. Whether you were born in Wales, have family there or simply love a good song, you are among friends tonight. - WHO WAS ST DAVID2 / 4
St David, or Dewi Sant, was a bishop who lived in the sixth century. He founded a monastery in the far west of Wales, where the cathedral city of St Davids stands today. He became the patron saint of Wales, and his day has long been a celebration of everything Welsh: its language, music, poetry and people. - A SONG FOR WALES3 / 4
Wales is often called the land of song, so music takes centre stage tonight. Please welcome {Choir or performer}.
[PERFORMANCE]
Diolch yn fawr – thank you very much. Now, please stand for the Welsh national anthem, Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau.
[WELSH NATIONAL ANTHEM] - DIOLCH AND GOODNIGHT4 / 4
Thank you, please be seated. Keep your daffodils and leeks pinned on, enjoy the Welsh cakes, and if you know a few words of Welsh, use them tonight. Thank you all for celebrating with us. Diolch, and Dydd Gŵyl Dewi Hapus.
Red is used only for names, titles, organisations, dates, times and section headings. Replace the words in {curly brackets} with your own details; lines in [SQUARE BRACKETS] are stage directions and are not read aloud.
How to adapt it
- The Welsh national anthem, Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau, is sung in Welsh. Print the words of the first verse and chorus in the programme so that guests who don't speak Welsh can join in.
- Daffodils and leeks are both national emblems of Wales. Daffodil pins or fresh flowers at the welcome desk are an easy, inexpensive touch.
- Check the Welsh phrases with a Welsh speaker before the event. Dydd Gŵyl Dewi Hapus means happy St David's Day; croeso means welcome, and diolch means thank you.
- St David's Day is not a bank holiday, so most schools and workplaces celebrate on the day itself, or on the nearest working day if 1 March falls at a weekend.
Print and rehearse
“Edit and print these cards” opens the script in the free cue card maker, where you can choose A5, 4 × 6 or 3 × 5 inch cards, print several per sheet with cut lines or export PDF, PowerPoint and Word, and rehearse full screen in practice mode. To write your own programme around it, see how to write an MC script and the run of show template.
Sources
Date and background checked on 5 October 2026 against: Flag Flying Days 2026 - College of Arms. Customs vary between organisations and regions; always follow the official programme of your event.
More United Kingdom speech templates
- St George's Day · April 23
- Armistice Day · November 11
- Remembrance Sunday · Second Sunday in November
- St Andrew's Day · November 30