Travel Advice for Bruce Springsteen & The E-Street Band on 5 May in Cardiff

Monday 29 April 2024

Bruce Springsteen & The E=Street Band will be kicking off their World Tour 2024 on 5 May at Principality Stadium in Cardiff. With gates to the stadium opening at 4pm, there will be a full city centre road closure around the stadium from 2pm until midnight on safety grounds.

The M4 motorway is expected to be very busy due to this concert – so please plan ahead – and avoid the congestion in Cardiff by using the park & ride at the former toy store site car park in the International Sports Village – CF11 0JS.

For up to date traffic information on the motorway and trunk roads go to the Traffic Wales website, or @TrafficWalesS on Twitter and Facebook.

Those attending the concert are strongly advised to plan their journey and get in early.  Please pay attention to the prohibited items listed at principalitystadium.wales, in particular the bag policy (no large bags permitted) before travelling into the city.

Road Closures

From 7am, Scott Road and Park Street will be closed because of the need to prepare Gate 5 and protect queuing fans.

The following roads will be closed as part of the full city centre road closure which will take place at 2pm until midnight.

• 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.)
• The following roads will be closed in their entirety: Duke Street, Castle Street, High Street, Saint Mary Street, Caroline Street, Wood Street, Central Square, Westgate Street, Quay Street, Guildhall Place, Golate, Park Street, Havelock Street and Scott Road.
• Station Terrace and Guildford Street from the junction with Newport Road to the junction with Churchill Way will be access for buses only during the times of the road closures. This is to ensure that there is reliable access for buses to the satellite points in Churchill Way.

Additionally, Penarth Road will be closed 30 minutes before the concert finishes and up to hour after the concert ends on safety grounds for train passengers arriving and departing from the train station.

Civic Centre: 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.

Trains – Transport for Wales (TfW)

Transport for Wales will be providing additional capacity where possible on routes in/out of Cardiff on Sunday 5 May but there are a reduced number of services on a Sunday and trains are expected to be very busy, so please allow plenty of time for your journey.

Post-event queues for mainline rail services will be on Central Square and queues for Valleys services will be to the rear of the station. Cardiff Queen Street will close at 21:30 except for accessible access and passengers that wish to travel to Cardiff Bay.

Due to the timing of the event, there are no post-event services to Birmingham or North Wales.

Visit www.tfw.wales or the new TfW app for the latest travel information.

If you have any issues on the railway, please speak to a conductor or, for more serious matters, you can text the British Transport Police on 61016 or call 0800 40 50 40. In an emergency, always call 999.

Trains – Great Western Railway (GWR)

GWR will run additional services to help customers get home after the concert. Extra trains will operate from Cardiff Central to Swansea, Newport, Bristol and Swindon; with plenty of parking available at station car parks.

Trains are, however, expected to be very busy immediately after the concert and a queueing system will be in place outside the station to help people board trains safely.

Those travelling from further afield should check connecting services, and the time of their last train home, at www.gwr.com/check.

Park & Ride facilities

The event park & ride facilities will be at the former toy store in the International Sports Village, Cardiff Bay – CF11 0JS.

The drop of point in the city centre is Callaghan Square.

The park & ride site will open at 8.45am, with the first bus leaving at 9am. The last bus from the city centre will be at midnight with the site closing soon after.

The cost is £15. Cash only.

Civic Centre Event Day Parking (Cars and Coaches)

Getting there: Exit Junction 32 of the M4, head south on the A470 towards the city centre and follow signage to the civic centre.

Cost: £20 payable on the day for cars and £30 for coaches – card payments are also now available.

Parking time: The car park will open at 8am and closes at 12 Midnight.

Event Day Parking at Sophia Gardens (Cars)

(Approximately, 0.5 mile walk to the Principality Stadium, Gate 2).

Getting there: Exit junction 32 off the M4

Cost: £20 for cars and £30 for coaches – card payments are now available.

Parking time: Car park opens at 8am and closes at 12 midnight.

Please note: Sophia Gardens car park will be staffed until 7pm 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.

Local Buses

Bus services will be diverted while the city centre road closures are in place.

Please visit the relevant bus operator’s website for more information about your specific bus routes.

For Stagecoach services, please visit: Welcome to Stagecoach (stagecoachbus.com)

For Cardiff Bus services, please visit: https://www.cardiffbus.com/principality-stadium

For Adventure Travel services, please visit: Home | Adventure Travel

National Express

National Express coaches will use Sophia Gardens as usual.

Can you cycle or walk?

Those who live locally in Cardiff may want to travel by bicycle or walk. Research shows us that 52% of car trips made in the Welsh capital are less than 5km. This is a distance that can be comfortably cycled in 20 minutes.

We also know that 28% of Cardiff residents who currently do not cycle would like to do so.

When the roads are congested this makes cycling an even more attractive option as travel by bicycle would be quicker than a car during rush hours or during big events.

Shopping Parking

City centre car parks are also available: North Road Car Parks, St David’s Shopping Centre, John Lewis, Capitol Shopping Centre, and NCP (Adam Street, Dumfries Place and Greyfriars Road).

Disabled parking

Disabled drivers are advised to use Sophia Gardens. Disabled parking is also available at various private car parks.

Please check individual websites for availability.

Taxis

St Mary Street taxi rank (outside the Howells building, formerly home to House of Fraser) will close at 2pm and will re-open at midnight.