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Wales Online

Sport

Ffion Lewis

Huge WWE 'Clash at the Castle' brought £21m to Welsh economy

WWE Economy Wales The Welsh Government Welsh Government Mark Lewis Principality Stadium Cardiff (Geopolitical Entity)

WWE's 'Clash at the Castle' event which saw the Principality Stadium transformed into a huge castle and drew mega-star wrestlers brought in over £21m for the Welsh economy, a new report has shown. The September 2022 event was the first major one of its kind in the UK in 30 years

The event was backed by the Welsh Government as part of their 'Major Events Strategy' but they never revealed how much financial backing they put into the huge wrestling soiree. The government's support for the event was well-publicised, both in ministerial comments and in official communications.

However, in a freedom of information request the government said they would not share how much funding was granted in order to protect "commercial interests".

The Welsh Government also refused to answer whether any conditions were "attached to [WWE] receiving this funding" for the same reason, reported the South Wales Argus. "Releasing information relating to the funding and costs into the public domain would negatively affect WG’s ability to negotiate with future event providers on a level playing field," they said.

Now, a post-event report has shown just how much money the event made for the Welsh Economy as well as some of the people who travelled to the city especially.

The venue was packed to capacity (Mark Lewis)

The event made £21.8m for the economy, according to the government. The study which surveyed 3,000 people found that 75.3% of spectators came from outside Wales, 57% of non-locals indicated the event experience made them want to explore other parts of Wales. Of those that said they wanted to return, they said their experience of the event was the deciding factor.

There were 62,296 attendees to Principality Stadium with nearly a quarter of spectators being female, and many of the spectators attending as family groups. The Event Impacts modeling system estimated the event supported 433 jobs within Wales

Welcoming the findings, Wales’ Economy Minister, Vaughan Gething, said: “This is great news. We partnered with a world-renowned events and entertainment company to bring a truly spectacular global event to Wales. It was the perfect opportunity for us to showcase how our cities and venues can help deliver successful and globally-recognised occasions.

“In addition to the direct economic impact the event delivered here in Wales, it provided us with a huge boost to our profile internationally. This included opportunities to showcase Wales’ vibrant language and culture through bespoke content creation shared globally on WWE’s social media channels. Coverage of the event included 9 minutes of premium footage that showcased the whole of Wales and regular references to ‘Cardiff, Wales’ throughout commentary.”

Welsh Rugby Union interim CEO, Nigel Walker has reflected positively on the outcome of the report: "The huge return as acknowledged today by Welsh Government is a significant achievement, and is reflective of the fantastic collaboration between all event partners; Principality Stadium, Welsh Government and Cardiff Council amongst others, in bringing this major event to Wales.

"The ability of Principality Stadium to attract major third-party events such as these is vital not just to the local economy but the positive ripple effects are felt far and wide, through job creation and event tourism. Clash At The Castle had a global audience of millions, and with all eyes on Principality Stadium; we stepped up to the challenge and showcased what a magnificent venue we have here in Cardiff.

"Principality Stadium remains a unique asset and continued investment in the stadium is vital to enable Wales to remain attractive to major events across sports, entertainment and music in future. We want to build on our tremendous 20-year legacy of delivering outstanding events, successfully contributing over £2.75 billion of economic output during that time; and, as the home of Welsh rugby, I’m proud that all profits made here go back into funding the game at all levels in Wales."