The 85-year-old told crowds “Wales lives in me”
21:49, 20 Aug 2025Updated 21:55, 20 Aug 2025
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Tom Jones thrilled fans in Cardiff on Wednesday evening(Image: John Myers)
Tom Jones has kicked off two nights of brilliant music at Cardiff Castle as he entertains crowds with hit after hit from his famous repertoire. As he thanked the crowds who gathered in the historic grounds he claimed “Wales lives in me”.
As the crowd went silent, the Welshman started the concert with I’m Growing Old, a song about ageing. The emotional start to the concert left the crowd speechless and there wasn’t a dry eye in the outdoor venue as he went into the second hit of the night, Tower of Song.
As the Welsh legend greeted crowds, he said: “Thank you very much, is everyone feeling alright? Are we going to have a good time tonight?”
Tom then went on to speak about his Welsh roots, saying it was “fantastic to be back”.
Crowds gathered in the castle grounds ahead of the highly-anticipated show(Image: Jon Myers)
He said: “Diolch yn fawr first of all I would love to say, which I have to say, it’s good to be home. Yes, Cardiff or as they say in Cardiff ‘Cehdiff’. But actually I was born in Treforest a suburb of Pontypridd, which is only 12 miles down the road.”
Though Tom hasn’t lived in Wales for many years, since his career went stratospheric in the 1960s and he travelled the world and had residencies in Las Vegas and a home in LA, he still sounds like he’s walked Taff Street in Ponty daily for decades.
The proud Welsh man put paid to the doubters and said: “”It always feels fantastic to be back in Wales. People tell me, but you don’t live in Wales do you?”
He explained: “But Wales lives in me.”
The singer then broke into a chant of ‘Oggy oggy oggy.’
Later, the 85-year-old also told a story about his old school friend called Brian who he we wound up an old school teacher with. The singer remembered how the teacher smacked him so hard his ear drum burst, confessing that he still has problems with it today.
Tom Jones is performing the first of two Cardiff Castle concerts which will take place tonight, August 20, and on Thursday, August 21.
Tom Jones put on a passionate performance at the castle(Image: Indigo Jones)
The gigs are the first time he has performed in the Welsh capital since he played in front of 30,000 fans across three sold-out shows at the same venue back in summer 2023.
Thousands of fans queued for a while to enter the castle earlier in the evening, with our reporter on the scene saying she waited for 30 minutes before being allowed in.
There had been some concerned fans prior to the Welsh concerts after Tom recently cancelled two shows in Germany due to illness.
Tickets for Tom Jones at Cardiff Castle on Thursday, August 21
There are also tickets available for Tom Jones at Cardiff Castle on Thursday, August 21, on Ticketmaster.
Premium viewing platform standing tickets start at £218.90.