There's nothing better to take our minds off the recent cold weather than the thought of summer and partying in the sun. Luckily, in Cardiff there will be plenty of opportunities to enjoy yourself with some of the biggest names in music coming to the capital later this year to get the party started.
Last summer saw the likes of Stereophonics, Sir Tom Jones, Ed Sheeran, Diana Ross and Rammstein all play huge shows at venues around the city, with massive crowds drawn to the Principality Stadium, Bute Park and Cardiff Castle.
This year will be no different with some of the world's biggest stars appearing on stage in Cardiff this summer. Sir Tom is one of them, having announced his first headline show in the capital in decades, while the likes of Beyoncé, Harry Styles and Sting will also be in town.
But who else can you expect to see in the city this year, and when will they be here? Here's everything you need to know.
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Tom Jones
The legendary Welsh singer will be playing his first headline show in the capital for more than 20 years when he takes to the stage at Cardiff Castle later this year. The gig on Friday, July 21 forms part of his Transatlantic Ages and Stages tour and is also the standout show of popular Cardiff-based event organisers DEPOT Live's exciting summer schedule.
Due to overwhelming demand, a second date for Monday, July 24 was later added, while a third was announced weeks later, with the 82-year-old also performing at the castle on Saturday, August 5.
There is low availability for both of the first two dates but you can still find some tickets on Ticketmaster. Meanwhile, tickets for the August date start at £65 and go on general sale Friday, March 31 at 10am also via Ticketmaster.
Where: Cardiff Castle
When: July 21 & 24
Beyoncé
The pop superstar is bringing her Renaissance tour to Cardiff in May. The tour, which marks the Single Ladies' singer's first solo shows in six years and follows the release of her seventh studio album of the same name, will also take her to London, Edinburgh and Sunderland.
Beyoncé last performed in the Welsh capital in 2018 with her husband Jay-Z opening their combined world tour On The Run II, bringing the city to a standstill. Tens of thousands of fans joined online queues to secure tickets for this year's gig at the Principality Stadium, with more than half a million waiting across the UK, but they didn't come cheap, with some being sold for over £2,000. You can still find some resale tickets for the huge gig on Ticketmaster by clicking here.
Where: Principality Stadium
When: May 17
Coldplay
Coldplay are returning to the Principality Stadium six years after they wowed crowds in the capital on their Head Full of Stars tour. They are bringing their latest world tour, Music of the Spheres, to the city for two nights in June.
There is very low availability for tickets, with only a few remaining on Ticketmaster. You can find them and more info here.
Where: Principality Stadium
When: June 6 & 7
Harry Styles
Coming off a sold-out 43-date arena tour in 2021, and two special One Night Only shows in New York and London last year, Harry Styles returns to the UK on his Harry's House tour this summer. The former One Direction star, who won album of the year at this year's Grammy Awards, will perform in Cardiff over two nights in June as part of his first full European stadium leg.
The As It Was singer will be supported in the capital by Grammy and Brit Award-winning band Wet Leg. There is low availability for both dates but you can find any remaining tickets on Ticketmaster by clicking here.
Where: Principality Stadium
When: June 20 & 21
Hozier
One of several artists performing at Cardiff Castle this summer, the 'Take Me to Church' singer will be arriving in the capital in July. Also known for hits including 'Cherry Wine' and 'Someone New', the Grammy-nominated, award-winning multi-platinum singer-songwriter and his band will be performing songs old and new for fans at the unique outdoor venue.
Hozier has had more than 22 billion global streams, numerous platinum album certifications, multiple award nominations and wins,and is recognised as one of the foremost songwriters of our generation. Tickets went on sale on Friday, March 24, priced from £40. There is low availability but they are still available to buy from Ticketmaster here.
Where: Cardiff Castle
When: July 6
Blondie
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame icons who have sold more than 40 million albums worldwide over the course of their career will also play at Cardiff Castle in June. The ground-breaking band, responsible for hits including Heart of Glass and One Way or Another, will perform in the capital after playing a raft of live shows last year. You can find tickets and keep an eye on resales on Ticketmaster by clicking here.
Where: Cardiff Castle
When: June 16
Busted
Noughties heartthrobs Busted have announced their comeback in celebration of their 20th anniversary, with the trio of Charlie Simpson, Matt Willis and James Bourne reuniting for a Greatest Hits concert across the UK. The band, known for hits including 'Air Hostess', 'Crashed the Wedding' and 'That's What I Go to School For' will be performing at Cardiff International Arena in September
The group disbanded in 2005 when Charlie quit, but reformed 10 years later. In that time, Matt and James had joined forces with fellow noughties boyband McFly to form the supergroup McBusted.
Tickets for the CIA gig will be released on Friday, March 31. They are available to buy on Ticketmaster here
Where: Cardiff International Arena
When: September 3
Queens of the Stone Age
American rock stars Queens of the Stone Age will be playinga headline show at Cardiff Castle as one of only three UK dates on their upcoming 2023 tour. The band have not played a UK show since 2018 and haven't performed a headline gig in the capital since 2002.
The show will be held on June 23, with Isle of Wight "indie-grunge" band Coach Party supporting them on their tour, which is also stopping off in Halifax and Margate. Tickets went on general sale on April 21 and there is limited availability, but those remaining tickets are still available to buy from Ticketmaster here.
Where: Cardiff Castle
When: June 23
Michael Bublé
The Canadian singer is coming to Cardiff later this year to celebrate 20 years since the release of his debut album. Bublé will be stopping off in the capital in May as part of his Higher tour, which will also see him play shows in Manchester, Leeds and Glasgow.
It will be the first nationwide arena tour the Haven't Met You Yet singer has embarked upon in more than four years but will be the second time the singer has visited Wales in the last year following his performance at Cardiff Castle last summer. Announcing the show, Bublé said he wanted to "connect with [his fans] and spread some goodness," adding: "That's it!". There is low availability for tickets but you can find them on Ticketmaster by clicking here.
Where: Cardiff International Arena
When: May 4
Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds
The Britpop legend is bringing his High Flying Birds to Cardiff later this year, with the band performing at the Cardiff International Arena as part of a string of gigs across the UK. The 2023 arena tour announcement followed the release of Dead to The Word, the band's latest single from their fourth studio album, Council Skies, which is set to be released in June.
Gallagher and the High Flying Birds will also be performing in Hull, London, Birmingham, Leeds, Glasgow and Liverpool during the tour, with a busy summer schedule also seeing them play several outdoor gigs across the country. Among these is a performance at Caldicot Castle on August 19.
General onsale tickets for the CIA gig go on sale on Friday, March 31 at 9am and are available to buy from Ticketmaster.
Where: Cardiff International Arena
When: December 17
Westlife
The boyband are heading to the capital this summer to play a massive headline gig at Cardiff Castle, but will be making more than one stop in the city over the course of the year. The pop giants will also be at the Cardiff International Arena for two nights in December, as part of their The Wild Dreams tour.
Tickets for the show at the castle went on sale on March 10, but are still available to buy through Ticketmaster.
Where: Cardiff Castle / Cardiff International Arena
When: July 5 / December 11 & 12
The Streets
Mike Skinner and co will perform in Cardiff Bay in September as part of the successful Bay Series which will also see N Dubz and the Chemical Brother play gigs there in the same week. With a catalogue of hits including Fit But You Know It, Dry Your Eyes and Blinded By the Lights, they'll be suppoorted by special guests Kojey Radical, Zed Bias & Emmeline. Tickets are on sale here.
Where: Alexandra Head
When: September 7
Bastille
The fifth Depot at the Castle will see Bastille headline the summer festival at the iconic city centre landmark. The indie band, who have six UK Top 40 singles including Pompeii and Of the Night, performed in Cardiff last year but will make their castle debut in July, playing the same stage as Kaiser Chiefs, Tom Grennan, Ella Eyre, Clean Bandit and The Fratellis at past events. You can find tickets on Ticketmaster by clicking here.
Where: Cardiff Castle
When: July 8
Rag 'n' Bone Man
Singer-songwriter Rag 'n' Bone Man is also set to perform at Cardiff Castle later this year having pulled out of performing at the venue last year. The Human singer had been due to play at Depot in the Castle last July but pulled out due to ill health, later being replaced at the event by Craig David's TS5.
However, in December, the singer, real name Rory Graham, confirmed he would be playing a date at the castle this summer after last year's disappointment. Find tickets on Ticketmaster here.
Where: Cardiff Castle
When: June 25
Ben Howard
Also appearing at Cardiff Castle this summer is Ben Howard, with the singer-songwriter set to perform in Wales for the first time in five years. Known for tracks including 'What A Day' and 'Only Love', the 35-year-old announced he was heading back out on tour after the success of his UK number one album Collections from the Whiteout.
Tickets went on sale on Friday, March 24 and are still available to buy from Ticketmaster.
Where: Cardiff Castle
When: July 23
Scooter
The techno legends are promising to bring the 'biggest rave ever' to Cardiff in September, when they play at Alexandra Head in Cardiff Bay. They'll be supported by DJ Shugz and Will Atkinson with more acts due to be announced.
As well as the classics, they will bring new releases God Save the Rave and Waste Your Youth to Cardiff shores. The German trio have racked up a whopping 30 million single and album sales through their expansive career, with a staggering 100 gold and platinum records globally.
Tickets went on sale on Friday, March 3, but they are still available to buy through Live Nation.
Where: Alexandra Head, Cardiff Bay
When: September 8
JLS
The chart-topping boyband are back with a huge new tour across the UK and Ireland this Autumn. Known for hits including 'Everybody in Love', 'Beat Again' and 'One Shot', the band shot to fame on The X Factor in 2008, before going on hiatus in 2013.
However, they announced their reunion in 2020 with a new tour, which is being followed by a string of arena gigs this year. The 15-date Everybody Say JLS: The Hits Tour will be stopping off at the Cardiff International Arena on October 30.
Announcing the tour, the band said: “We couldn't be more excited to announce another UK and Ireland arena tour! Last time out was totally surreal and we’ve been eagerly awaiting the right time to do it all over again. Playing live and seeing our amazing fans is definitely the best part of being JLS!"
Tickets went on sale on Friday, March 3 and are still available to buy from Ticketmaster, although there is low availability.
Where: Cardiff International Arena
When: October 30
S Club 7
A week before JLS's performance, S Club 7 will be in the capital as part of a massive tour in celebration of their 25th anniversary. All seven members of the band will be coming to Cardiff International Arena in October as part of their 11-date tour, following performances in Liverpool, Sheffield, Dublin, Manchester and more.
The group, also known as Bradley McIntosh, Hannah Spearritt, Jo O'Meara, Jon Lee, Paul Cattermole, Rachel Stevens and Tina Barrett, have four multi-platinum selling albums, two BRIT Awards, and nine number-one international hit singles to their name.
Tickets went on sale in February and there is low availability. However, you can still purchase some at Ticketmaster by clicking here.
Where: Cardiff International Arena
When: October 23
Pulp
'90s legends Pulp are bringing their first tour in more than 10 years to the capital in July after reuniting. Last autumn, frontman Jarvis Cocker announced: "Three months ago, we asked, 'What exactly do you do for an encore?' Well…An encore happens when the crowd makes enough noise to bring the band back to the stage."So… We are playing in the UK & Ireland in 2023. Therefore… Come along and make some noise. See you there.”
The shows come 10 years after the band, famous for tracks including Disco 2000, Common People and Babies, last reunited. There is limited availability for tickets but you can find them here.
Where: Cardiff International Arena
When: Wednesday, July 12
The Chicks
The 13-time Grammy award-winning, multi-platinum-selling group's latest global tour will include a headline date at Cardiff Castle. The biggest-selling U.S. female band of all time, they'll be playing the venue at the end of June, supported by Grammy winner Maren Morris.
The Chicks, made up of Martie Maguire, Natalie Maines, and Emily Strayer, released their debut album Wide Open Space in 1998. In 2020, they dropped 'Dixie' from their original name due to its connotations with slavery.
Tickets for the Cardiff Castle gig went on sale on Friday, February 17. However, they are still available to buy here.
Where: Cardiff Castle
When: June 27
Sting
Another big name heading to Cardiff Castle this summer is award-winning singer-songwriter Sting. The former frontman of The Police is stopping off in the capital on his new tour, My Songs, which will see him perform tracks from his 13th solo studio album of the same name.
The album was released in 2019, with parts of the tour having to be postponed and rescheduled due to the coronavirus pandemic. Sting will also appear at the castle with special guest Norwegian singer-songwriter Dagny. There aren't too many tickets left but those remaining can be found here.
Where: Cardiff Castle
When: July 9
Madness
The legendary band are making two stops in Wales this year and will take over the Cardiff International Arena on December 4. The band, famous for tracks including Our House, It Must Be Love and House of Fun, will be joined by special guests Lightning Seeds as they hit the road on their new tour, C'est La Vie.
Their gig in the capital will come months after a show at Swansea's Singleton Park, having also played at Cardiff Castle last year. Tickets for the CIA gig are set to go on general sale at 9.30am on April 28 and are available to buy from Ticketmaster here.
Where: Cardiff International Arena
When: December 4
N-Dubz
Following their lively UK reunion tour, Tulisa, Dappy and Fazer will be back in Cardiff in September for an outdoor show in the Bay. Before that, they will playing another gig at Colwyn Bay on July 22. If you fancy going along, you can find tickets through Ticketmaster by clicking here.
Where: Alexandra Head
When: September 8
Chemical Brothers
The day after N-Dubz perform at Alexandra Head, the same stage will be taken over by the Chemical Brothers who will get Cardiff Bay raving with their biggest smash hits. Expect to hear the likes of Hey Boy Hey Girl, Galvanize and Block Rockin' Beats as you see out the summer in style.
There are still tickets remaining for this one and you can find them here.
Where: Alexandra Head
When: September 9
Let's Rock
Let’s Rock Wales 2023 will be headlined by Soft Cell and Wet Wet Wet in an incredible line-up which also includes former Spandau Ballet star Tony Hadley, Imagination, Nik Kershaw, Go West, Jo Boxers, Heather Small, Heatwave, Hue & Cry, Five Star and many more. Tickets are still on sale from letsrockwales.com
Where: Bute Park
When: May 27
Jack Savoretti
The chart-topping singer songwriter will be playing in Cardiff in May in an open-air performance including all his biggest hits. Savoretti, who has two UK number one albums, 2019's Singing to Strangers and 2021's Europiana, will be playing in Bute Park having brought his Europiana Tour to Cardiff International Arena in March 2022.
Announcing the performance, the indie singer said: "Nothing beats playing to a live audience, outside under the stars, which is why I can’t wait to see everyone in Cardiff next May. I’ll make it a show to remember." You can find tickets here.
Where: Bute Park
When: May 28
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