In Pictures: Wales marks 25 years of Senedd and elects two first ministers
Visits by several members of the royal family and some television stars brought the crowds out across the country.
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Your support makes all the difference.Politics was at the forefront of much of the news in Wales across 2024, with three first ministers holding office during the year the Senedd marked its 25th anniversary, while a general election saw the main party leaders vying for Welsh votes on the campaign trail.
There were a range of royal visits, including by the King and Queen to mark the Senedd celebration in July, while the return of Gavin And Stacey saw Welsh stars Ruth Jones, Joanna Page and Rob Brydon back in Barry in September for a final round of filming of the hit BBC show.
Several communities were disrupted by named storms including Lilian bringing 70mph winds in August and Bert which resulted in severely flooded streets in November.
In a speech peppered with Welsh, the King described the 25th anniversary of devolution as a “significant milestone” as he addressed the Senedd in July, adding his “respect and affection for the people of this ancient land” had “deepened with every passing year”.
Industrial action across the year saw junior and specialist doctors and chorus members at the Welsh National Opera join picket lines, while farmers brought their tractors to protests over government policy. A planned strike by workers at steel giant Tata over job losses was suspended but it was not enough to keep the blast furnaces at Port Talbot open.
It was farewell to Barry Island for the cast of BBC sitcom Gavin And Stacey as they finished filming a final Christmas special, while the cameras for documentary series Welcome To Wrexham captured the drama of the football club’s promotion to League One in April.
Flooding and high winds hit areas of Wales, with Storm Lilian in August bringing winds of up to 70mph, while in November torrential rain during Storm Bert left communities including Pontypridd under water, with a mud slide forcing people from homes in Cwmtillery.
In December, Storm Darragh sparked a rare Government “risk to life” alert when the Met Office issued a red warning for high winds in parts of Wales and south-west England.