Another huge summer of live music has filled Cardiff Castle and Blackweir Fields, building on new figures showing the city's visitor economy reached £1.86 billion in 2025.
Cardiff recorded 18.69 million visitors last year, up 4.4 per cent on 2024, while tourism's economic impact rose by 6.7 per cent. More than 12,100 full-time equivalent jobs were supported by the visitor economy.
This summer has brought major shows from artists including The Cure, Lewis Capaldi, Katy Perry, Pitbull, David Byrne and Richard Ashcroft, alongside Metallica's return to Wales after three decades.
The full economic figures for the 2026 concert season are not available yet, so it would be premature to put an exact pound sign on the summer. What is already clear is that Cardiff has turned music into part of its wider city offer, filling venues while restaurants, hotels and other local businesses share some of the footfall.