Iconic rock band Queens of the Stone Age are coming to Cardiff Castle this Friday (June 23). The American band are making a pitstop in Wales as part of its UK tour before heading onto Somerset to play Glastonbury festival at the weekend. This show will mark the band's first headline show in Cardiff since 2002 - 21 years ago. So it's set to be a pretty special night indeed!
Fans will be able to sing along and rock out to timeless hits like Little Sister, If Only, No One Knows, Regular John, Feet Don't Fail Me, Mosquito Song, Make It Wit Chu, In My Head, Go With The Flow and so many more.
The band was founded in 1996 in Washington by lead vocalist and guitarist Josh Homme, who has remained a constant figure in the set up for the last twenty plus years. In 2004, the band saw Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl join the band (among other instrumentalists) to record drums for its third album. He left the band a year later to focus on other projects.
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For the last decade, the lineup has consisted of Josh alongside Troy Van Leeuwen - who plays guitar, lap steel, keyboard, percussion and does backing vocals - Michael Shuman, aka Mikey Shoes, on bass and backing vocals, keyboardist and occasional guitarist Dean Fertita and drummer Jon Theodore. You can get more story updates straight to your inbox by subscribing to our newsletters
The event is being run by Orchard Live and with the option to only 'get updates' on the band's website, it seems that tickets have sold out!
Queens of the Stone Age aren't the only big names to grace the capital this year. To find out who else will be serenading Wales this year, see here for all the big gigs happening around the country.
Here's everything you need to know if you're planning on going to the gig.
Event timings
Gates for the event will open at 5.30pm with last entry at 8pm. The event is set to finish at around 10:30pm.
Box Office to collect tickets will be open from 3.30pm.
We have requested stage times from the event organisers, but they have not yet confirmed. As soon as we find out stage times we'll update it here.
The organisers have requested that fans get their early to avoid queues.
Is there a support act?
Yes! The rock band will be supported by Isle of Wight-based "indie-grunge" band Coach Party - who will be Queens of the Stone Age's warm-up act for all three of its UK dates.
DJ-ing from doors open, too, is Press Play With Stacey.
What could the set list be?
From a little look at Queens of The Stone Age's most recent gig, Halifax on June 20, and various festival performances (according to setlist.fm), the band are likely to be performing the following songs:
- Go With the Flow
- The Lost Art of Keeping a Secret
- Smooth Sailing
- My God Is the Sun
- Negative Space
- Paper Machete
- The Evil Has Landed
- Little Sister
- Made to Parade
- Battery Acid
- Carnavoyeur
- The Way You Used to Do
- I Appear Missing
- No One Knows
- In the Fade
- God Is in the Radio
- A Song for the Dead
Can you still buy tickets?
Unfortunately, you're out of luck. According to both the band's tour website and Ticketmaster, no tickets are available for the Cardiff date.
For its November dates - in Manchester, London, Birmingham and Stockton-on-Tees - it looks like there are a few still remaining. See Ticketmaster for more details.
What do you need ticket-wise?
Ensure you have your tickets downloaded on your phone or printed off prior to arrival.
If you need to collect your tickets the box office opens on gig day from 3.30pm and can be found at the north entrance of the castle.
Site map
Are there road closures?
No city centre road closures for the Castle gig, but traffic will be paused temporarily on Castle St as people leave the gig.
Where to park
There's no parking at the castle, but Cardiff has plenty of parking in the city centre. This includes Sophia Gardens and the Civic Centre.
City centre car parks include North Road car parks, St David's Shopping Centre, John Lewis, Capitol Shopping Centre and the NCP car parks at Adam Street, Dumfries Place and Greyfriars Road.
Banned items
A fan-pack from Orchard Live has stated the following as being prohibited from the venue:
- Anything that could be considered a weapon.
- Aerosols
- Airhorns
- Megaphones
- Gas canisters
- Psychoactive substances aka ‘legal’ highs
- Paper lanterns
- Glass items
- Pyrotechnics such as fireworks, flares or smoke bombs. It is illegal for a persons to let off the firework, flare or smoke bomb in a public place.
- Umbrella
- Do not arrive with any form of professional audio or visual recording equipment.
- Furniture of any kind.
- Food and drink into the event.
Food and Drinks stalls
A range of catering, offering a variety of street food and drink will be available within the event arena from the time the gates open. We have requested this information from the event organisers. Once we have this, we will update it here*.
General information
This is a standing concert and while there is no seating available, ticket holders are not permitted to bring camping furniture of any kind into the event - with the exception of medical aids.
Accessible toilets will be available within the event grounds.
With regards to drinking water, You are allowed to bring a bottle of water with you (that is less than 500ml), as long as it is unopened/sealed upon arrival.
If it can be helped, it is recommended to avoid bringing a bag. If you must, one the size of a A4 sheet of paper is permitted.
No children under 5 years old are allowed into the event and those aged 5 to 16 years old must be accompanied by an adult who is over 18+.
As the site operates a strict no re-entry policy, once you leave the event, you it is likely you will not be permitted to enter again.
To find out more information on the tour, see the Queens of the Stone Age website.
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