Millennium Stadium, Cardiff

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It sounds so much like a cliché, but it really seems that the people of Cardiff are so proud of this stadium! It seems to be the icon of Cardiff, even more than Cardiff Castle. And it certainly is a great sight, looming over the city and very often visible when you walk somewhere and suddenly see one of its big pylons (or whatever they are called) rising up out of the surrounding buildings.

The stadium seats 72,500 people, has a sliding roof, and was built in time to host the Rugby Worldcup in 1999. I don't know anything about rugby, so I won't go into detail here!
If you are interested, guided tours run mondays to saturdays from 10.00am to 05.00pm every hour, and sundays and bank holidays from 10.00am to 04.00pm. You can book your ticket online.

I left Cardiff on the 10th of March 2012, on the day when the Six Nations Cup match against Italy was taking place - fortunately I left in the morning and so could just escape the big fan crowds. I had already been in Edinburgh during their Six Nations Cup match against France!

The stadium, though, looks quite nice in my opinion, and I found it surprising that it was located directly in the city centre, between the castle and the train station.

Even if you are not interested in rugby and do not want to take a tour to see the inside - just go and have a look at this huge, iconic building!

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Someone has described the Millenium Stadium as a huge spaceship that has landed right in the middle of the city - and you can't avoid noticing the contrast between the modern 74.500 seater stadium and the almost neighbouring Cardiff Castle. That's Cardiff in a nutshell really - the unique mix between new and old. The stadium was finished in 1999 and is most known as the home of the Welsh National rugby pride and as a venue for the greatest names in music. I was lucky to be able to watch a couple of rugby games at this amazing stadium when I lived in Cardiff in 20007, and even though it wasn't sell-out games (about 50.000), it was a huge experience! I also had the pleassure of going on the Stadium Tour where you get to see "behind the scenes" stuff as locker rooms and VIP lounges. The stadium also holds a rugby souvenier shop that's worth visiting.

If you know rugby or not - try to catch a game if possible! If not, the tour is recommendable.

Bouns-info: The Millenium Stadium will be a part of the 2012 London Olympics, being used for soccer games.

The Millenium Stadium, built in 1999 in time for the Rugby World Cup, is currently the home of the Welsh Rugby Union and Assosciation Football national teams.
See the my other Millenium Stadium tip in the Sports Travel section for more information on the sporting aspects of the stadium.
As well as sports events, the stadium has also hosted music concerts by artists such as Madonna and Paul McCartney, and bands such as U2 and The Rolling Stones, and also the Tsunami Relief Concert in 2005.

Visitors can book a tour of the Stadium by visiting their website, www.milleniumstadium.com/tours.
Tours run on the hour, Monday to Friday between 10am - 5pm, and on Sundays and Bank Holidays between 10am - 4pm.
Prices as as follows:
Adult - £6.65
Child - Age 5-15 - £4.65
Child - Age Under 5 - FREE
Concession - £4.65
Family (2 Adults, 3 Children) - £18.45

Visitors can also get a bite to eat in the cafe bar and browse the Cardiff Arms store.

Note: Tours do not run on Christmas Day, Boxing Day or New Years Day, and visitors should check whether or not tours are running if attempting to book on match days.
For information call 029 2082 2228 or email tours@milleniumstadium.com

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The Millenium Stadium was inaugurated as the home of Welsh Rugby in June 1999.

With the first retractable roof in the UK, the Stadium is a multi-purpose, all round venue.

It hosts both sport and music events and has a seating capacity of 74.500.

Directions:
The Millennium Stadium is located on the site of the old Cardiff Arms Park, only about 500 m from the Central Train station.

Address: Millenium Stadium, 101 St Marys Street, Cardiff

Website: http://www.millenniumstadium.co.uk/

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Opened in 1999 for the Rugby World Cup Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium has become a symbol of the city and is hard to miss as the enormous structure towers above the buildings and can be seen from miles away, It is the second largest stadium in the world with a fully retractable roof. Total construction cost of the stadium was £121 million. The all-seater stadium can seat up to 74,500 people but with some capacity to add extra seats. The record attendance is 74,576

You can take a tour around the Millennium Stadium which lasts an hour.

Monday to Saturday 10am-5pm
Sundays 10am-4pm
Closed Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year's Day, Bank Holidays
May be closed on Match and Event Day's

Adults £6.50
Child (Age 5-15) £4.00
Children under 5 Free
Concession £4.50
Family (2 Adults, 3 Children)£18.00

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The Milennium stadium was first opened in June 1999 ready for the Rugby World Cup. It is the second largest Stadium in the World with a retractable roof. The atmosphere inside the stadium for a rugby match is awesome, it really is a carnival atmosphere when Wales are playing; the streets surrounding the Stadium are closed off & if we win it turns into one big street party. Apart from Rugby the Stadium plays hosts to many International bands and artists like Madonna, U2 and Bruce Springsteen to name a few and also other events like Monster Trucks & Speedway - check the website below for details.

During non-event days you can take a tour of the Stadium where you get to explore the changing rooms, run down the tunnel to the roar of the crowd and also get your photo taken with a trophy.

There is a lovely gift shop situated at the Westgate Street entrance which sells Rugby jerseys and the like.

For great photo's of the Stadium take the boardwalk alongside the River Taff or better still cross the bridge on Wood Street (past the Vue Cinema) & get some great pictures from the other side of the river.

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As the stadium was built directly on the edge of the river Taff, there was no space to accommodate pedestrian route pass by. This is solved by installing a "hanging walkway" which is actually an interesting cable-supported structure made of timber, with an undulating edge over the river.

This is a nice route that leads to the Bute Park and further north along the Taff river green corridor. I hope the engineers did the right calculations for the match days when crowds occupy this boardwalk.

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It looks like an UFO and definitely does not fit into the center of Cardiff, squeezed between old buildings and the river. On the other hand, the Millennium Stadium is the perfect showcase of the importance rugby has in Cardiff and Wales.

The stadium was built in record-breaking time for the 1999 Rugby World Cup and has some striking engineering details, like the retractable roof and the grass pitch that can be easily removed and stored allowing other uses. The capacity of this monster is 75,000 spectators.

It must be a mad atmosphere in the city centre when there is an important match. (I saw notices on the main bus station saying that all routes are re-routed due to the match next weekend). I must be honest and admit that if I lived in Cardiff I would probably hate the fact that everything has to stop when there is a rugby match and would probably criticize the planners who allowed such central location for this programme.

The stadium with 72500 seats towers over the streets and the Tarff riverside. Its mission is to serve a sport and music mad nation with international rugby and football matches as well as major gigs such as Robbie Williams and the Manic Street Preachers.

Attendance at international rugby and football matches has increased dramatically since its completion in 1999 for the Rugby World Cup. Fans flood in and out of Cardiff with each event, bringing pride, passion and cheer, and swaggers and staggers to the pubs and clubs.

There is a 45 minutes tour, for which you must book in advance, gives a close-up look at the stadium. It starts from entrance 3, West Gate Street, on the city side.

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The Millennium Stadium is located in Cardiff's city centre, just across the road from the castle. This huge structure was opened in 1999, and has been described as looking like a 'lost space ship'.

The stadium has the first retractable roof in the UK, making it a multi-purpose venue that can be used all year round. The stadium turf is ingeniously grown on hundreds of palettes, which can be removed for big concerts.

It is currently home to such prestigious events as the FA Cup final and the British Speedway Grand Prix, and major music acts also perform here. You can take a tour of the stadium for a close up look from the players side of things - the change rooms and players tunnel for example, and also take a seat in the Royal Box to see how the other half watch their sport.