To coincide with the launch of Y Môr a Ni, the Welsh Ocean Literacy Coalition (WOLC) delivered two pilot Festival of Sea events in Milford Haven, Pembrokeshire and Flint, Flintshire. The festivals were the first tangible outputs of Y Môr a Ni, co-designed with local community groups and marine practitioners.
In March 2025, the pilot Festivals of the Sea launched on Milford Waterfront and within the walls of Flint Castle. Over 1700 attendees across the two events enjoyed the stalls, workshops, activities and talks presented by over 40 festival partners, including Pembrokeshire Coastal Forum, North Wales Wildlife Trust, Flintshire County Council and RNLI. The festivals’ art workshops, sea shanty musicians and VR sessions enabled ‘hard to reach’ audiences to understand their connection to the sea and coast in new and accessible ways.
Milford Youth Matters, a grass-root young person led community group volunteered during the design, delivery and evaluation phases of the Milford Haven Festival of the Sea. Milford Youth Matters were given the opportunity to meet Huw Irranca-Davies, Deputy First Minister for Wales, where they introduced their work and led part of his tour around the festival. Milford Youth Matters were truly integrated into all elements of Festival of the Sea and received positive feedback from the public and stall vendors across the weekend of the event.
Local Festival of the Sea events are in the process of being designed by WOLC partners for 2026 and it is aimed that the events will scale-up across Wales from 2027.