2023 is a great year for music for Cardiff, with some huge names in music performing in the Welsh capital. Beyonce has already played the city's Principality Stadium and Tom Jones, Queens of the Stone Age, Blondie and more are set to visit. But the next band due in town sees the Principality Stadium is preparing to welcome its second huge talent, Coldplay.
Just weeks after Beyoncé took over the stadium and Cardiff, Coldplay will be putting on two huge shows. Coldplay will be playing in the Principality Stadium on Tuesday, June 6 and Wednesday, June 7.
The city will be buzzing as fans descend on the capital to see the band play and hope a special guest will appear - last time it was Rob Brydon - as famous faces have been popping up at other venues in the UK like rapper, Aitch, in Manchester.
There is a lot to know about the event so here is our handy guide to everything you need to know about Coldplay playing in Cardiff. You can keep up to date with the latest What's On news by signing up to the newsletter here.
READ MORE: Niall Horan announces Cardiff gig as part of 2024 UK tour
What time do the gates open for Coldplay?
For both shows the gates to the Principality Stadium will open at 5pm.
Here is a map of the gate plan:
Stage times
Age limits
No children aged five or under will be allowed in the stadium for the concert. No under 12s are allowed to stand and all under-16 year olds must be accompanied by an adult at all times.
Is there a support act?
There are two support acts helping Coldplay to kick off their show. Hana Lili is the first support act who is a local musician from Sully and she recently released her EP Existential.
Chvrches is the second support act and they are a Scottish synth-pop band from Glasgow. Their most popular songs include The Mother We Share, and they recently released their new song Over.
What is the setlist?
On Wednesday, May 31 Coldplay performed at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester and this was their setlist for that show. They are expected to perform a similar set list in Cardiff.
1. Higher Power
2. Adventure of a Lifetime
3. Paradise
4. The Scientist
5. Viva la Vida
6. Something Just Like This
7. Green Eyes
8. What's Love Got to Do With It
9. In My Place
10. Yellow
11. Human Heart
12. People of the Pride
13. Clocks
14. Infinity Sign
15. Hymn for the Weekend
16. Aeterna
17. My Universe
18. A Sky Full of Stars
19. Sparks
20. Sit Down
21. Humankind
22. Fix You
23. Biutyful
What tickets do you need for the show?
All the tickets for the show will be issued digitally. You will need to have access to a smartphone to download the relevant digital ticketing app and get your digital tickets to enter the stadium.
The apps to download are the Principality Stadium app, which you can download here and the Ticketmaster app which you can download here. Do not screenshot any of your tickets as this is not permitted and may result in the invalidation of tickets.
You should make sure your phone is fully charged and transfer your tickets to your family and friends before arriving at the stadium as there is no WiFi at the stadium.
What are the banned items at the Principality Stadium?
Aerosols
Air horns
Alcohol
Animals (except assistance dogs)
Backpacks/holdalls/rucksacks
BBQs or any cooking apparatus
Bicycles, scooters, roller skates
Blowtorches
Bottles
Cans
Cameras (DSLR/SLR) with a detachable lens
Chairs
Chinese lanterns
Cooking apparatus
Cool bags/boxes (large)
Cigarettes (more than for personal use)
Cutlery
Drink
Drones
Fireworks/pyrotechnics
Flags with poles
Flares/distress flares/smoke flares
Food
Gazebos and parasols
Gas cylinders/canisters
Glass
Knives
Liquids (over 100ml)
Illegal substances (drugs)
Laser pens
Legal/herbal highs (includes Nitrous Oxide and associated equipment including balloons)
Megaphones
Professional audio-visual recording equipment
Pushchairs/prams
Selfie Sticks
Smoke bombs/canisters
Sound systems
Tablet PCs
Tabards/High Viz Jackets
Large Umbrellas
What are the road closures for the concert?
Cardiff Council has announced a full city centre road closure between 4pm and midnight on each day, adding that Scott Road and Park Street will be closed from 7am to prepare Gate 5 and protect queuing fans.
The following roads will be closed as part of the full closure:
- The entirety of Duke Street, Castle St, High Street, St Mary Street, Caroline Street, Wood Street, Central Square, Westgate Street, Quay Street, Guildhall Place, Golate, Park Street, Havelock Street and Scott Road.
- Kingsway from its junction with North Road to its junction with Duke Street.
- Cowbridge Road East from its junction with Cathedral Road to its junction with Westgate Street.
- Tudor Street from its junction with Clare Road to its junction with Wood Street (access for residents and traders will be permitted via Fitzhammon Embankment).
- Plantagenet Street and Beauchamp Street from their junctions with Despenser Place to their junctions with Tudor Street (access for residents and traders will be permitted).
Additionally, Station Terrace and Guildford Street from the junction with Newport Road to the junction with Churchill Way will be accessible for buses only during the times of the road closures. This is to ensure that there is reliable access for buses to Churchill Way.
Penarth Road will be closed from 30 minutes before the end of the concert until an hour after it ends on safety grounds for train passengers arriving and departing from the station.
Finally, access to part of the Civic Centre will be controlled throughout the day, with access allowed only for event parking, limited commuter parking, loading and access to private car parks. Roads affected include King Edward VII Avenue, Museum Avenue, City Hall Road, College Road and Gorsedd Gardens Road.
Where to park and travel information
If you're planning on driving, be mindful of the road closures. There are several options for parking:
Event Park & Ride at Cardiff City Stadium in Leckwith can be accessed from junction 32 of the M4, following signs to the site. It will drop off at Fitzalan Embankment after a 1.5 mile and approximately 10-15 minute journey to the city centre.
It costs £12, payable on the day. Staff will arrive at the car park at 9am when the site opens, with the first bus leaving at 9.30am. The last bus will leave Fitzalan Embankment at midnight and the park & ride site will close at 12.30am the following morning, after each concert.
Park & Walk from County Hall car park in Cardiff Bay will also be available, opening at 2pm and closing at midnight. It'll cost £5 to park there.
Civic centre parking for cars and coaches will cost £20, payable on the day with card payment available. You can access it by exiting junction 32 on the M4 and heading south on the A470 towards the city centre, following signage to the civic centre. The car park will open at 8am and close at midnight, and it's around a 15-minute walk to the stadium.
Parking for cars at Sophia Gardens will be available for £20, also taking card payments. It's approximately a 0.5-mile walk to Gate 2 from there, and you can access it via Junction 32 of the M4. The car park opens at 8am and closes at midnight.
A note from the council: "Sophia Gardens car park will be staffed until midnight, all vehicles are left on site at the owner's risk. Cardiff Council will not be held responsible for any theft or damage to motor vehicles or personal possessions. Any vehicles left in the car park after closing time will be fined."
City centre car parks will be available including North Road car parks, St David's Shopping Centre, John Lewis, Capitol Shopping Centre and the NCP car parks at Adam Street, Dumfries Place and Greyfriars Road).
Disabled parking is available at various private car parks, with drivers advised to check individual websites for availability. Sophia Gardens is the recommended car park by the council for disabled drivers.
Trains
Trains operated by Transport for Rail and Great Western Railway will run from the station but with some disruption. TfW is carrying out infrastructure upgrades across the Core Valley Lines network for the South Wales Metro, resulting in buses replacing rail services all day north of Pontypridd and Mountain Ash Tuesday 6 and Wednesday 7 June.
The council says TfW will be providing additional capacity where possible on routes in/out of Cardiff but added: "Services are expected to be very busy so please allow plenty of time for your journey."
Post-event queues will be in place in Central Square for mainline rail services and around the back of the station for Valleys services. Cardiff Queen Street will close at 10pm except for direct journeys to Cardiff Bay.
Due to the event finishing time, there are no post-event services to Birmingham or Holyhead. More information can be found on the TfW app or tfw.wales.
GWR will run additional services to Swansea, Newport, Bristol and Swindon but trains are expected to be very busy after the concert and those travelling from further afield should check connecting services and the time of the last train home on the GWR website.
Buses
Cardiff Bus services will be diverted to the satellite pick-up and drop-off bus stops from 4pm until the last bus. You can read more about these diversions here.
For Stagecoach services, check your journey here - and for NAT buses, check here. National Express coaches will run to Sophia Gardens as usual. At 3pm, National Express services will leave and arrive from Cathedral Road
Big Green Coach will offer carbon-neutral return travel from Bath, Birmingham, Bristol, Gloucester, Newport and Worcester. You can book via this link. You can read more about parking and travel here.
Is there food and drink at the stadium?
The Principality Stadium will be serving food from 5pm when the gates open to approximately 7.30pm. By Gate 3 there is Burger Van (gluten-free and vegan option), Captain Joe’s Plant Based food, Sweeties Pick and Mix and Ginny Gin.
By Gate 6 there is a Burger van (gluten-free and vegan option), Chang’s Wokand Green Citroen cocktails and Gin. At every outlet inside the stadium, there will be hotdogs and Pasties (Vegan option available), Crisps and confectionery.
The stadium will also be offering other options on Level 3: 308, 329 Naked Burrito bowls (Gluten-free and Vegan), 313 Mr Croquewich (gluten-free and vegan), and 322 Cocktails. On Level 4: 406, 431 pizza, (vegetarian) nachos (Gluten free) and Naked Burrito bowls (Vegan and Gluten free) 414, 416 cocktails, 421 Gin bar, 421 Pick and Mix, 424 Butcher's block Burgers (gluten-free and vegan).
On Level 6: 609, 629 Pizza and Nachos (vegetarian or gluten-free) Naked burrito bowl (gluten-free and vegan) 621 Butchersblock Burgers (gluten-free and vegan options), 622Cocktails and Gin.
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