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Six Nations Rugby in Cardiff: Plan Your Match Day
16 January 2024
If you’re lucky enough to have match tickets for one of the Six Nations matches in Cardiff, or you’re just watching in the pub in the city centre with a cold one, there’s a few things you need to know. Scroll for transport information, food & drink options, attractions and where to stay.
GETTING TO CARDIFF
The city gets extremely busy on match days, so it’s recommended to plan your travel & transport in advance – don’t forget to consider your journey home too!
Why not extend the weekend with the GWR Long Weekender ticket, slow down and enjoy more quality time. Leave on a Friday or Saturday, return on a Monday and save over 60% compared to an Anytime Return. Book online here.
Travelling from Cardiff Bay? Why not book your seats now on board Princess Katharine for relaxing hassle free travel from Cardiff Bay to the Principality Stadium and arrive at the game in style!
Once you’re in our city centre, you’ll find yourself in the midst of the rugby day atmosphere, with the Principality Stadium, bars, restaurants, stores and attractions all within easy walking distance. Please see the news page for all recommended advice on road closures, trains, buses, taxis and park & ride services.
FOOD & DRINK OFFERS
You may need to fuel up to keep you going throughout the busy match day. Most bars & restaurants require advance bookings due to the high demand, so browse our Eat & Drink section and reserve your table to avoid disappointment.
Struggling to find a reservation? Why not wander down the famous Caroline Street for curry & chips to keep you powering through.
Why not book something “scrum”-tious during this year’s Six Nations Tournament. The Tasting Tour and Welsh Food Tour showcase Welsh food & drink and the City of Arcades Food Experience shows off an amazing menu of international cuisine.
En route, you’ll call into specialist food producers and retailers and the indoor market, passing the city’s majestic civic centre buildings and key landmarks including Cardiff Castle and the Principality Stadium. Bonus points on the tours include warm Welshcakes, a fabulous line out of drinks, local delicacies and more. Book online here.
Make the most of match day at Graze Restaurant Cardiff they’ve created a menu to thrill as much off the field as on. Book your table online here.
Watch the Six Nations on the heated roof terrace! Soak up the electric atmosphere with friends, enjoy chilled drinks from their dedicated terrace bar, and indulge in delicious pizzas and sharing platters while watching the matches.
Flight Club’s doors will be open from 9am on game days, so if you fancy some pre- or post-match competition, join them in the oche for Social Darts, and toast to your champion with one of their Trophy Cocktails. Book online here.
Going to any of Wales’ home games at the Principality Stadium and worried about town being busy afterwards? Beat the queue and guarantee entry at The Philharmonic up to one hour after the final whistle with Philly Fast Pass.
Tickets are being sold from £3, and once inside, they are offering some fantastic exclusive match day deals including any burger, fries and two selected drinks for only £20!
There is no better place for Cardiff’s match day atmosphere than St Mary Street, regardless of whether Wales are playing home or away!
With big screens, live commentary, drinks packages and live music before and after every game, Brewhouse should be right up there on your visit list. More information available here.
The Guinness Fanzone at Cardiff Arms Park is back once again for Wales’ home fixtures in the 2024 Six Nations. Watch Wales open the competition at home against Scotland on Saturday, 3rd February, before facing France on Sunday 10th March and Italy (16th March) in Cardiff.
The Fanzone, situated right next to Principality Stadium, is the fantastic setting to soak up the atmosphere on a matchday – whether you have a ticket to the match or not! Open to the public, visitors can enjoy food, drink, live acoustic sets before and after the match, and the big screen showing all the matches on the day! More information available here.
Serving up breakfast rolls until noon, and a selection of pork and apple or beef and horseradish rolls until gone, is one of Cardiff’s oldest traditional pubs, Blue Bell.
Ideally situated opposite Cardiff Castle, it is the perfect place to soak up the match day atmosphere with some pub grub and local ales, with the game also being shown inside its doors. More information available here.
Enjoy a taste of Wales away from the city centre crowds at Daffodil. The relaxing gastropub is tucked peacefully away from the main junction of Queen Street, sitting prettily on the Georgian terrace of Windsor Place.
With their menu’s distinctively influenced by Welsh produce, it is the perfect place for a patriotic pre-match meal. The game will be shown on TV’s within its bar, with screening available on request in the restaurant area. Book online here.
A SHORT STROLL
Full of character, it’s a short walk to our neighbourhood matchday venues.
Everyone’s favourite place to enjoy the rugby has just gotten better in time for Six Nations.
They have extended the outside area to permanently include extra screens, extra seating, meaning extra space for everyone to come together and support Wales through the battle of the Six Nations. More information available here.
The DEPOT will be showing all five Welsh fixtures live at their Official FANHUB – expect huge screens, match day atmosphere and live entertainment!
Tickets start from £5.50 per person and are available to book here.
Away from the city centre and over to Cardiff Bay, The Dock will be showing all Wales games with live commentary.
If you’re looking for a more relaxed environment, perhaps you would prefer watching the game with serene waterside views from your dining table. More information available here.
ATTRACTIONS
Make the most of your visit to Cardiff by checking out the other attractions whilst you’re here. There are many incredible things to see just a stone’s throw away from Principality Stadium, including the iconic Cardiff Castle and the National Museum Cardiff or if you have a bit more time then bus, boat or trek it to Cardiff Bay and discover the heritage and culture on the waterfront.
You can also find more attractions on our website.
Step into the future of broadcasting at BBC’s newest and most advanced studios. Join the friendly guides for an exclusive behind-the-scenes award-winning tour of BBC Cymru Wales. Visit the state-of-the-art television and radio studios to discover the secrets of making a BBC programme. BBC Central Square has received a coveted Visit Wales gold award and Tripadvisor Travellers’ Choice award for the quality of its tours.
Each walking tour will last approximately 90 minutes. As a live and working broadcast centre, no two tours are the same, so every visit will be unique. For tickets and more information click here.
Cardiff Castle, in the heart of Wales’ capital city, was at once a Roman fort, a Norman stronghold and a Victorian Gothic fantasy palace, now a destination deserving of a match day detour. Fully encounter the Castle with a general admission ticket and upgrade to a House Tour, where knowledgeable guides will have you feeling like you’ve taken a step back in time.
If that sounds like too much thinking and not enough drinking, then the pints are pouring in the terrace cafe-bar, and if the weather isn’t, enjoy the lush Castle Green, part of the free-to-access public square.
VISITOR SERVICES
If you are unfamiliar with Cardiff, City Centre maps are available for download from our Maps page, or pop into Cardiff Castle to pick up a map and leaflets about local attractions from the information hut.
Our Tips for Tourists page also includes some useful information, including some basic Welsh phrases you can impress your friends with!
SOUVENIRS
Don’t be daff’ and make sure you get the chance to pick up a souvenir daffodil hat, a Welsh toy sheep, or even a toy dragon to ensure Wales has a roaring victory. You can also pick up a scarf to commemorate the game and get your face painted for the occasion.
For Welsh rugby shirts and souvenirs, there are a number of shops to have a browse in, including WRU Store on Westgate Street, the Cardiff Castle gift shop & Castle Welsh Crafts just to name a few.
ACCOMMODATION
Accommodation should be booked well in advance to avoid disappointment. However, if you would like a room last minute, it’s recommended to contact hotels directly. Our Places to Stay section lists options for all tastes and budgets from spa hotels to self-catering apartments.
LEARN THE LINGO
Why don’t you try (cais; pronounced kai-ss) to see if you can embrace the patriotic atmosphere and pick up a few Welsh words while you’re watching the match. So, come on (dewch ymlaen; pronounced dew-kh um-line), you can even give it a go when you’re at the bar, getting a beer (cwrw; pronounced koo-ru).
There’s no penalty (cosb; pronounced coh-sp) for not doing it but take advantage (mantais; pronounced mantais) of our guide and you’ll be feeling like a proper Welshie in no-time.
So, while you’re saying hello (shwmae, pronounced shoo-mai) to your fellow fans, you might have something to say about the scrum (sgrym; pronounced sgrum), how the captain (capten, pronounced cap-ten) is doing, and they might have some choice words about the referee (dyfarnwr; pronounced dove-are-noor).
Want to take it a step further? – try out these phrases.
Now you’re in the know, have a fantastic time wherever you’re watching the Six Nations. Come on Wales! 🏴