As part of my world stadiums tour, the most recent visit was to the Wales Millennium Stadium (now renamed the Principality Stadium). So let’s take a look at the Millennium Stadium tours and show you what’s to expect.
Why Do the Millenium Stadium Tour?
This is an extremely unique and special stadium when you consider the fact that the stadium is the only one of its kind in Europe, which is built in the middle of a city centre.
Every other major sports stadium in Europe is on the outskirts or outside the city it is in.
With the Millennium Stadium, it is placed smack bang in the middle of the city centre, placed between the train station and the castle.
From Cardiff Central train station it is literally a one minute walk to the stadium! In other words, it’s very accessible and very easy to find.
Is It Called the Millennium Stadium or the Principality Stadium?
The original name is the Millennium Stadium and in reality, a lot of people still call it by this name. In recent years though, the name officially changed because it is now sponsored by the Principality Building Society, hence the name change.
From having lived in Cardiff for 10 years myself, I found that more people tend to call it by its original name, the Millennium Stadium, but this might perhaps change over time.
Our Experience
Rugby and Football at the Millennium Stadium
The stadium was built and finished in 1999 and is now home to the Welsh national rugby team.
The Welsh football (soccer) team do not use this stadium and play their home games at the Cardiff City ground, because it is believed that not enough fans would fill and use the stadium for football games, given the stadium’s capacity of just under 75,000 fans.
The stadium tour itself is fascinating, one example being the definite differences in design between the home and away changing rooms.
The home changing rooms have been designed to create a den-like atmosphere so that players can psyche themselves up.
The away changing rooms, on the other hand, are quite different in design and somewhat more basic in style, designed to give the away team less comfort.
Speedway at the Stadium
The stadium hosts a number of different events annually and, on the day we visited, the stadium was set up ready for the annual British Speedway Grand Prix.
The stadium also hosts the Wales Rugby 6 Nations home games, concerts and the Monster Jam big truck series.
Brief History of the Stadium
The stadium itself had to be turned around to fit in between the existing buildings, making the job of making this sizeable stadium very costly and a complex project.
The final cost was over GBP £120 million, with around 1/3rd of that cost private funding. It was in September 2015 that the name change came about to the Principality Stadium.
Personally, despite all of the money, this will bring into the stadium, I wonder how much money is lost in not leaving the name as the Wales Millennium Stadium, given how strong that is as a brand name.
Do the tour and you will have a chance to sit in the same seats as the managers and players do for the press conferences.
This normally hectic and crowded room after a match is a part of the guided tour and worth seeing and a great photo opportunity.
The tour overall took approximately one hour and the tour guide was clearly very knowledgeable and very informative. Whatever your mobility, this is a relatively easy tour to do and I would certainly recommend it!
How to Get Tickets
- You can book tickets here directly online.
Location
- Westgate Street, Cardiff, CF10 1NS
Where to Stay in Cardiff to Visit the Stadium
1. The St David’s Hotel & Spa
(Havannah Street, Cardiff Bay, CF10 5SD) – This hotel is located in the beautiful Cardiff Bay area and a 15-minute walk to the city centre or a 5-minute cab ride.
With lots of bars and restaurants located in the bay, this is a popular place to stay with many sports fans visiting Cardiff.
The hotel itself is a 5-star hotel with outstanding facilities also it has a nice view overlooking the bay. –> BOOK HERE TO STAY
2. Radisson Blu Hotel, Cardiff
(Meridian Gate, Bute Terrace, Cardiff) – If you want to be able to walk directly between the Millennium Principality Stadium and your hotel, the Radisson is a very good option and at a very reasonable price normally.
This 4-star option is right in the heart of the city center and only a few minutes walk from the central train station. –>BOOK HERE TO STAY!
3. Riverside Bed and Breakfast
(1 Coldstream Terrace, Cardiff, CF11 6LJ) – This B&B is just around the corner from the stadium, i.e. no more than a leisurely 5-minute walk.
The train station, shopping areas, castle, and stadium are all within easy walking distance.
This is a great low-budget option, although on match days do book early for availability! –> BOOK HERE TO STAY!
Further Information
Some extra resources which you might find very useful on your visit to Cardiff, Wales.
Booking.comSports Travel Booking Resources
Traveling around the world to watch & experience sports, I tend to always use the same resources for booking trips. These are the ones I use most frequently and that I find to have great customer support and competitive prices.
- Sports Event Tickets – Tickets for all sporting events
- Get Your Guide – is an excellent site as a one-stop shop for booking attractions, local tours, activities, and excursions. Great customer service and an easy-to-use site.
- Booking.com – The best site I have found for hotel and accommodation bookings.
- Flights – are also now offered by booking.com and as I love the brand this is my first port of call now for flights.
- Safety Wing Travel Insurance – I love Saftey Wing as they cover everything I need to be covered and they have a simple-to-use site, and again, I have found their customer service very good, when I needed to ask questions.
- Hostelworld – Book backpacker hostel rooms around the world with Hostel World.
