The Principality Stadium in Cardiff will be swapping hosting the rugby to hosting a global superstar this May. Singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran will be taking over the stadium and performing to thousands of fans.
Ed Sheeran will be playing in Cardiff on Thursday, May, 26, Friday, May, 27, and Saturday, May, 28 bringing thousands of fans to the city. For an event this big concert goers could have a lot of questions from what you can take into the stadium, to road closures for the event to the set times and setlist.
We've compiled this handy guide, including everything you need to know, for when Ed Sheeran takes over Cardiff. Keep up to date with all the latest What's On news by signing up to our newsletter here.
READ MORE: Liam Gallagher announces outdoor Cardiff gig with support from The Charlatans
When is Ed Sheeran playing in Cardiff?
Ed will be taking over the Principality Stadium from Thursday, May, 26 to Saturday, May, 28 . His gigs come just days after he announced the birth of a baby girl with his wife Cherry.
What time is he on stage?
Maisie Peters, the support act, will take to the stage at 6pm and the concert is expected to last until 10.30pm. Once we know what time Ed will be on stage, we'll update that here. Entrances to the Principality Stadium will open at 5pm and it has been recommended that fans arrive early as there will be enhanced bags and ticket checks.
Who is the support act?
Up and coming singer-songwriter Maisie Peters is the support act for Ed's '+ - = x' tour. Maisie shot to success on TikTok with her relatable romantic songs about being a teenager in love.
This tour is one of Maisie's biggest opportunities to date and she is signed to Ed's record label.
Can I still get tickets?
There are still tickets available for the Cardiff concerts and Ed has urged fans to only book tickets through official websites which include: Eventim, Ticketmaster, See Tickets, Myticket, AXS, Principality Stadium, and Eventtravel. Tickets sold through sites like Viagogo will not be valid for entry.
What do I need to get into the stadium?
There will be a paperless ticketing system in operation for Ed's shows and no physical tickets will be issued in advance. You will need to have downloaded your tickets onto your phone before you arrive at the stadium.
Organisers are asking fans to ensure their phones are fully charged and the lead booker should also bring the booking confirmation email, either on your phone or printed out, and a government-issued photo ID that matched the name of the lead booker-either a passport or driving licence.
Should you lose your phone or it runs out of battery you can go to the box office where someone will be able to assist you.
What is the setlist?
We've taken a look at his previous UK stadium tour setlist and, if that still stands, then you can expect...
Tides
BLOW
I'm a Mess
The A Team
Shivers
Castle on the Hill
2step
Don't/No Diggity
First Times
Visiting Hours
Own It/ PERU/ Beautiful People/ I Don't Care
Overpass Graffiti
Galway Girl
Thinking Out Loud
Love Yourself
Sing
Photograph
Chasing Cars
Perfect
Bloodstream
The Parting Glass
Afterglow
Shape of You
Bad Habits
You Need Me, I Don't Need You
Will there be road closures?
Cardiff Council has issued travel advice for everyone travelling to the city for both the concert and other reasons as there will be road closures. There will be a full city centre road closure in place during the weekend.
On Thursday, May, 26, and Friday, May, 27 there will be a full city road closure from 4.30pm to 12.30 am the next day and on Saturday, May, 28 the full city road closure will take place from 2pm to 12.30am the next day. Roads closed include:
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 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.
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.
Penarth Road (back of Cardiff Central Train Station) from the junction of St Mary Street through to the entrance off Penarth Road will close between 9pm and midnight to help TfW with the queuing fans.
Local bus services will be diverted while the city centre road closures are in place and Transport for Wales are running a full train timetable plus 40 extra trains during the concert days. Cardiff Central Train Station and the train services are expected to be very busy and travellers have been advised to allow extra time for their journeys.
Where can I park?
Civic Centre Event Day Parking will be available from 8am to 12am on each concert day at the Civic Centre. Parking will cost £15 for the day.
Sophia Gardens will also have event day parking which will cost £15. The car park will open at 8am and close at 12pm.
You can also book car parking for the concert on the Principality Parking website, at the Ysgol Pwll Coch car park.
There is also an event park and ride facility running from County Hall in Cardiff Bay. Buses will be running to and from the city centre every 10 minutes before the concerts begin and the cost of this service is £10.
The car park will open at 10.30am with the first bus leaving at 11am and the last bus from the city centre will run at 12am and the car park will close at 12.15am the next day.
What items are banned from the Principality Stadium?
There will be bag checks at the stadium before the concert so make sure you are not carrying any of these items. You can not bring your own food or alcohol into the stadium and bags should be smaller than A4 in size.
These items are banned and you will not able to enter the stadium if found carrying them.
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 (small telescopic umbrellas are permitted) and Weapons.
