2003 in Wales

This article is about the particular significance of the year 2003 to Wales and its people.

Incumbents

February - Former Conservative Assembly leader Rod Richards is declared bankrupt with debts estimated at over £300,000.
February 27 - Rowan Williams is enthroned as Archbishop of Canterbury. Dominic Walker is installed as his replacement as Bishop of Monmouth
March 9 - Ron Davies announces that he is quitting politics after being asked to stand down by his local party following further revelations by the press about his private life.
March 29 - Porthmadog Cob is bought by the Welsh Assembly Government and the road toll is discontinued after 192 years.
May 1 - In the National Assembly for Wales election, Labour win 30 seats, enabling them to form a government.

Following disappointing results for Plaid Cymru, Ieuan Wyn Jones stands down as party president and leader of the assembly group.

June 19 - Prince William of Wales visits Bangor and Anglesey, to mark his 21st birthday (on June 21).
August
- National Eisteddfod of Wales held at Meifod.
- A memorial to Owain Lawgoch is unveiled at Montague-sur-Gironde, France.
October - Dafydd Iwan, newly-elected President of Plaid Cymru, escapes a driving ban for speeding offences on the grounds that he needs to drive to fulfil his musical and political engagements.
12 October - The Friends of the Leinster hold a service at Holyhead to commemorate the 85th anniversary of the sinking of RMS Leinster by a German U-boat.
November - Michael Howard becomes leader of the Conservative Party.
December - Dafydd Wigley is appointed Pro-Chancellor of the University of Wales.
The former Brain's Old Brewery site in Cardiff is redeveloped into the 85,000 sq ft "Old Brewery Quarter".
Veteran Cardiff politician Stefan Terlezki goes to the European Parliament to press the case for eventual Ukrainian membership of the European Union.
In Channel 4's 100 Worst Britons poll (which included only living people), the following entries had Welsh connections:
- H from Steps - 8
- Charlotte Church - 21
- Charles, Prince of Wales - 24
- Catherine Zeta-Jones - 39
- Lawrence Llewelyn-Bowen - 42
- Vinnie Jones - 61
- Tom Jones - 72

National Eisteddfod of Wales: Chair - Twm Morys
National Eisteddfod of Wales: Crown - Mererid Hopwood
National Eisteddfod of Wales: Prose Medal - Cefin Roberts
National Eisteddfod of Wales: Music Medal - Owain Llwyd
Wales Book of the Year:
- English language: Sugar and Slate - Charlotte Williams
- Welsh language: O! Tyn y Gorchudd - Hunangofiant Rebecca Jones - Angharad Price
Gwobr Goffa Daniel Owen - Elfyn Pritchard, Pan ddaw'r dydd
John Tripp Award for Spoken Poetry: Emily Hinshelwood

Cor Cymru - S4C's search for the best choir in Wales - is broadcast for the first time.

Cricket
- December 31 - Tony Lewis is awarded the CBE in the New Year Honours List.
Cycling - Nicole Cooke wins La Flèche Wallonne Féminine for the first time.
Football - Cardiff City F.C. win promotion to the Football League Championship
Rugby union
- October - The Welsh team participate in the Rugby World Cup in Australia. Having defeated Canada 41-10, Tonga 27-20, and Italy 41-10, they lose to New Zealand 37-53 and to England 17-28 to go out of the competition.
Jamie Baulch finishes third in the BBC's Superstars event.