Machynlleth, Powys, Wales, United Kingdom

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 Machynlleth is a market town, community and electoral ward in Powys, Wales and within the historic boundaries of Montgomeryshire. It is in the Dyfi Valley at the intersection of the A487 and the A489 roads. It is sometimes referred to colloquially as Mach.

Machynlleth was the seat of Owain Glyndŵr's Welsh Parliament in 1404, and as such claims to be the "ancient capital of Wales". However, it has never held any official recognition as a capital. It applied for city status in 2000 and 2002, but was unsuccessful.

Machynlleth hosted the National Eisteddfod in 1937 and 1981.

Transport Machynlleth main-line station was built by the Newtown and Machynlleth Railway, and continues to provide a link to Aberystwyth and the Cambrian coast to the west and Newtown and Shrewsbury to the east. Services were operated by Arriva Trains Wales and subsequently are operated by Transport for Wales.

Machynlleth is served by two TrawsCymru long-distance bus routes. The T2 connects the town with Bangor to the north and continues to Aberystwyth (where connections can be made to South Wales). There is also the T12 which runs to Wrexham via Newtown - this is branded as TrawsCymru Connect.

Machynlleth is home to the signalling centre that controls the European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS) on the Cambrian Line. The system went into full operational use in March 2011.

Tourist Industry Tourism is the primary employment sector with a range of activity based attractions (for example several mountain biking trails) as well as the visitor centre at the Centre for Alternative Technology. Agriculture continues to play a significant part in the make-up of the town and surrounding area. Another important local industry and employer is the renewable energy sector. The area has a renewable energy industry with several small to medium-sized companies operating in or around the town.

The town has a market on Wednesdays which includes traditional Welsh, Spanish and French food stalls.

The town has hosted the Machynlleth Comedy Festival annually since May 2010, featuring comedians such as Jon Richardson, Pappy's, Josie Long, Stewart Lee and Richard Herring. The festival dominates the town for a weekend, with events running over three days in nine venues.

Machynlleth lies on Glyndŵr's Way and the Dyfi Valley Way, two long-distance footpaths.

MoMA Wales Machynlleth is the home of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), Wales. It originated in 1986 as Y Tabernacl, a centre of performing arts in an old chapel, a private initiative by former journalist Andrew Lambert. In 1994 this was expanded with a new complex of art galleries, a recording studio and a language laboratory. Lambert had previously tried to convert the town's old railway station into a hotel and museum, employing international architect Richard Rogers.

MoMA Wales hosts the annual Machynlleth Festival, as well as its own annual open exhibition of art.

Environment Machynlleth is the home of Ecodyfi, a locally controlled organisation that was set up to foster and support a greener community and economy in the Dyfi Valley.

The Centre for Alternative Technology is based in a disused quarry three miles from Machynlleth.

In December 2019 Machynlleth council was the first in Wales to declare a climate emergency.