Principality Stadium — Attraction in Castle

Visited with my family recently to watch the Monster Jam show and was extremely disappointed by the stadium and the majority of its staff.

TLDR: Accessibility is a joke. Accessible seating is ridiculous. Majority of staff aren't helpful. Security was lacking. Stadium is tired and old. Do not go here if you need accessible seating!

As the father of a disabled son who requires the use of a wheelchair and the ease with which we were able to book accessible seating, we were hopeful for this stadium's accessibility. However, within minutes of arriving it became very clear that this stadium is simply unfit to cater to disabled users compared to other stadium experiences we have had.

For starters, the majority of the staff seemed uninterested or unable to help us which is bad enough but when you have to be escorted to use the lift it makes everything that much harder. So much so that we actually ended up dragging the wheel chair down some stairs when a lift wasn't forthcoming. To rub salt in the wound we met an accessibility steward coming the other direction carrying somebodies wheelchair and just got a nod of acknowledgment so clearly this is just an accepted thing to do.

Secondly and perhaps worst of all was the accessible seating. Basically a platform with a row of seats at the back. This poses a few issues. If you are with a disabled child then your child and their wheel chair are supposed to sit about a metre in front of your allocated seat which doesn't make for a great experience and is impossible for parents of autistic children who need their parents sat next to them!

It also makes the gross assumption that the disabled person is the one who wants to watch the event and is not in fact the parent. Something which a father on the same platform as us experienced as he was told how people should be seated on these types of seats with him at the front and his children behind on the actual chairs. Needless to say that both his children and myself spent a long show kneeling, crouching and just being generally uncomfortable on the concrete floor.

Finally and by no means least. Security was concerningly lax. We arrived and followed another disabled family up the disabled gate access. Our tickets were scanned but our large but necessary bag was NOT searched at all. It might have just been an oversight but coming from Manchester I feel far better when I know I and everyone else has been properly searched before being allowed in.

There are far more things I could add but this review is long enough and these were the main points I wanted to make. Just avoid this stadium if you can. It is tired and old and needs knocking down or having some massive cash injection put into it as it isn't fit...

We attended the Principality Stadium recently. 09 August 2024. This was to attend the Billy Joel concert who was amazing I must say. He was supported by Chris Isaak who I thought was out of this world. I've since rediscovered his music after a period of absence.

Now back onto the venue. I have to say that this is one of the best stadium/arena concert venues I have visited. This year alone we have been to AO Arena (Rick Astley) in Manchester. Co-op Live Arena again in Manchester (Peter Kay) and Also Wembley Stadium more recently (Bruce Springsteen). Gaining access to the arena was an absolute breeze. We got there around 20 minutes after the gates had opened and we were in our assigned areas within no more than 10 minutes. Some of this was waiting for bags to be checked and wrist bands. We did have some issues gaining access to the arena floor due to my daughter's age. With her not long turning 14 we were asked when she received her wrist band and then again on our way down to the floor.

We walked around the arena for a few minutes trying to find the best place to stand and decided to have a bathroom break and get some snacks whilst waiting for the show to start. On our way back down to the arena floor we were then stopped again by someone new. They again queried our daughters age and were refusing to allow us onto the arena floor. I had explained that this was the 3rd time we had been stopped and no one was refusing us access previously. I even showed some photos we had taken from the arena floor. The chap didn't seem to care as he mentioned that he was only doing his job which I get but why were we allowed onto the arena floor literally 10 minutes prior to meeting them.

He explained that it was only 16+ allowed. I explained that the promoter website that the tickets were purchased from stated 14+ otherwise we'd have bought different tickets. Our daughter had been to the concerts above and previous venues also and we always buy age appropriate tickets.

He then called over a lady who explained to us that the floor tickets were for 12 plus which again met the criteria for the tickets we had purchased. The chap still wasn't happy to allow us onto the floor and it took very much to and fro until he eventually agreed that we could stay where we were. My daughter had become very upset by this as she thought that should miss the concert and this was her favourite artist.

The venue itself plus the show deserve 5 stars as it is in a great location and it has 2 amazing artists play but due to the staff I had to...

From the moment we arrived, the atmosphere was electric. The stadium itself is massive, but somehow still manages to feel intimate when you’re inside — the way the sound carries is incredible. You could feel every note in your chest, and the crowd energy was unreal.

Getting into the stadium was surprisingly smooth. Security was thorough but friendly, and once we were inside, everything was clearly signposted. We didn’t have any trouble finding our seats, and even from the upper tiers, the view of the stage was great. Big screens helped if you were further back, and the acoustics were honestly better than I expected for such a huge venue.

The roof was closed for the concert, which made a big difference — it kept the sound contained and added to the atmosphere. Plus, no worries about the Welsh weather ruining the night!

Food and drink options were what you’d expect — a bit pricey, but decent quality, and the queues moved faster than I thought they would. Toilets were clean and easy to find, even with a full crowd.

Leaving the venue was the only part that felt a bit chaotic (as it usually is after a big event), but staff were out helping direct people, and the walk back into the city centre was actually a nice way to come down from the high of the show.

All in all, if you’re ever thinking about seeing a gig here — do it. The sound, the vibe, the sheer scale of the place — it all makes for a night you...