The famous Welsh festival National Eisteddfod has been criticized for not letting rapper Sage Todz appear because his lyrics are in both Welsh and English.

The event is strictly in Welsh, but Todz plays his songs in both Welsh and English. The singer wrote on Twitter that he was leaving, saying that the language policy was the reason because his songs had too much English.

Ashok Ahir, the head of the Eisteddfod’s governing board, defended the choice by saying that the whole point of the festival is to perform, compete, and talk in Welsh. Ahir said that Todz chose to sing in both English and his native language.

The people in charge of the event were very upset by the racist comments made about Todz on social media. Todz was born in Essex and now lives in North Wales. He got his start in singing in 2020.

He worked with the Football Association of Wales (FAW) to make a new version of a well-known Welsh protest song last year. On social media, people have asked for the language policy to be changed, while others have defended it as a way to celebrate the Welsh language.

Every August, for a week, the National Eisteddfod brings in 150,000 people, 6,000 competitors, and 250 shops. It has been around since 1176, but the current form was set up in 1861.

This year, it will be held in Llŷn ac Eifionydd, Gwynedd. Ahir talked about how the event was trying to make the Welsh language easier to understand. He said that the festival’s main goal is for people to only act, compete, and talk in Welsh.