English rock band The Cult will headline Cardiff Castle for the first time on Tuesday, July 4 as part of their Under The Midnight Sun European Tour. The band is touring in honour of their eleventh studio album, Under The Midnight Sun, which was released in October last year to critical acclaim.
The album was remotely recorded for two years during the pandemic and was produced at Monmouth's Rockfield Studios, where the band had recorded their debut album Dreamtime in 1984.
The Cult originally formed in 1983 in Bradford. The band lineup has changed throughout the years; lead singer Ian Astbury and guitarist Billy Duffy are the band’s long-serving members, they are now joined by bassist Charlie Jones, keyboardist Mike Mangan, and percussionist John Tempesta.
Event and stage times
The gates open at 5pm and last entry is 8pm.
The acts go on stage as follows:
5.45pm - Lili Refrain
6.45pm - The Mission
8pm - The Alarm
9.15pm - The Cult
Show ends at 10.45pm
Support act
Welsh icons, The Alarm are supporting The Cult and are sure to give a riproaring set ahead of the headliners. Mike Peters and co are actually headlining their own special Cardiff residency in early 2024, and you can read more about that here. We spoke to Mike ahead of the gig and you can read what he had to say, here.
Also on the bill are gothic rock outfit, The Mission and Lili Refrain.
Setlist
The Cult have recently performed in
- Rise
- Sun King
- King Contrary Man
- Sweet Soul Sister
- The Witch
- Lil' Devil
- Aphrodisiac Jacket
- Vendetta X
- Phoenix
- Wild Flower
- Mirror
- Spiritwalker
- Rain
- She Sells Sanctuary
Encore:
- Peace Dog
- Love Removal Machine
Are there road closures?
No city centre road closures for the Castle gig, but traffic will be paused temporarily on Castle Street 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.
City centre car parks will be available including 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.
There's also parking at Sophia Gardens and Cardiff Arms Park.
Banned items
Gas canisters
Aerosols over 250ml
Airhorns
Fireworks
Flares
Glass
Illegal substances, drugs, ‘legal highs’ – this includes Nitrous Oxide and associated equipment including balloons, unidentified substances, new psychoactive substances (NPS)
Laser equipment/pens
Megaphones
Blowtorches
Sky or ‘Chinese’ lanterns
Petrol burners
Sound systems
Spray cans
Tabards/high viz jackets
Large bags
Cans
Alcohol of any kind
Camping equipment (including folding chairs)
Firewood
Disposable barbeques
Campsite stoves
Audio recorders
Open drinks.
Umbrellas
Tickets
There are still tickets available from seetickets, here and Ticketmaster, here. Tickets via Ticketmaster will be found on the Ticketmaster app, so download that ahead of the gig.
The box office will be open from 3pm on the day of the event and is located at the North gate entrance. This is accessible near the Castle Mews of North Road and inside Bute Park.
To get into the gig, enter via the North Gate - here's a map to show you where to find it.
General information
Under 18s must be accompanied by an adult. All bars and traders are card only.