Arenas, theatres and rolling fields abound in our quickfire guide to the hottest tickets of 2026, heck the last one on the list finishes in 2027 if you really feel like planning ahead. There’ll be plenty more announced throughout the year, natch – which is where Buzz will, once again, step in.
FEBRUARY
Mogwai
Infamously loud instrumental Scotrockers, regular visitors to Cardiff, debut in this particular venue.
Depot, Cardiff, Tue 17 Feb
Tickets: £36. Info: here
Deftones
Chino Moreno and compadres’ alt-metal brood is more popular than ever, it seems – this one got booked up in a jiffy.
Utilita Arena Cardiff, Wed 18 Feb
Tickets: £65 (sold out). Info: here
Kaiser Chiefs
More Employment? Chance would be a fine thing! Also that is the name of this tour, referencing Kaiser Chiefs’ 2005 debut album.
Swansea Arena, Tue 24 Feb
Tickets: £35-£45. Info: here
David Byrne – credit Shervin Lainez
MARCH
David Byrne
Erstwhile Talking Head tours recent album Who Is The Sky? – a question you won’t find out unless you have a ticket.
Utilita Arena Cardiff, Mon 2 Mar
Tickets: from £64.25 (sold out). Info: here
The Red Shoes
Or Matthew Bourne’s The Red Shoes, to give this ballet production its full title.
Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay, Tue 3-Sat 7 Mar
Tickets: £18-£69.Info: here
Mean Girls – The Musical
The stage musical of the movie, written by Tina Fey and touring the UK until next January.
Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay, Tue 10-Sat 14 Mar
Tickets: £19.50-£78.50. Info: here
Lily Allen – credit Charlie Denis
Harry Enfield And No Chums
Generator of even more catchphrases than Mean Girls, at least for British people aged 40-65, Enfield visits Wales twice in ‘26.
Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay, Sun 15 Mar; Swansea Arena, Mon 12 Oct
Tickets: from £26. Info: Cardiff / Swansea
Lily Allen
Following an emergence from the pop doldrums in 2025, Lily’s spring theatre tour sold right out so she got on the blower to the arenas.
New Theatre, Cardiff, Wed 18 Mar; Utilita Arena Cardiff, Wed 24 June
Tickets: from £41 (Wed 18 Mar sold out). Info: New Theatre / Utilita
Richard Ashcroft
Not dissimilar to Lily Allen, with a boost coming from his Oasis support slots, Richard will visit the Arena first, then the Castle.
Utilita Arena Cardiff, Tue 24 Mar; Cardiff Castle, Thurs 16 July
Tickets: from £39.50 (Tue 24 Mar sold out). Info: Utilita / Castle
Gorillaz
This show, Gorillaz’ first ever in Wales, arrives a few weeks after their latest album The Mountain is released.
Utilita Arena Cardiff, Fri 27 Mar
Tickets: £85. Info: here
Gorillaz
APRIL
Yungblud
Pop-rap Yorkshireman, a surprise contender for Ozzy Osbourne’s strongest soldier at the latter’s July farewell gig.
Utilita Arena Cardiff, Sat 18 Apr
Tickets: from £49 (sold out). Info: here
Chris Ramsey
TV-presenting everyman, literal professional wife guy and standup comic, here as the latter thing.
Swansea Arena, Sun 26 Apr
Tickets: from £34.90. Info: here
Yungblud – credit Tom Pallant
MAY
Super Furry Animals
After a decade apart, Camp Gruff Rhys and Camp The Others reconvene for a short UK tour. Next up, some new music. Right?
Utilita Arena Cardiff, Sat 16 May
Tickets: £45/£42.50 (sold out). Info: here
Hay Festival
Eleven days of Culture in all its wholesomeness, right on the border. First lineup announcements include Emerald Fennell, Ocean Vuong, Michael McIntyre and Bear Grylls.
Various venues, Hay-On-Wye, Thurs 21-Sun 31 May
Tickets: priced per event. Info: here
In It Together Festival
Featuring Madness, Aitch, Snow Patrol, The Fratellis, Rudimental, Ella Henderson, Feeder, Maximo Park, Natalie Imbruglia… Gok Wan.
Margam Park, nr Port Talbot, Fri 22-Sun 24 May
Tickets: from £149 adult weekend. Info: here
The Fratellis
JUNE
Dermot Kennedy
Sensitive Irish singer-songwriter with a global fanbase.
Utilita Arena Cardiff, Mon 1 June
Tickets: £45-£75. Info: here
Marina
Monmouthshire million-seller, no longer ‘& The Diamonds’, on her Princess Of Power tour.
Depot, Cardiff, Tue 2 June
Tickets: £53.70. Info: here
Miss Saigon
Enduring West End/Broadway smash: Madama Butterfly, but with a Vietnam War theme.
Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay, Tue 2-Sat 6 June
Tickets: £22-£95. Info: here
Dermot Kennedy
Mika
Afer almost 20 years, flamboyant pop maven Mika is bigger than ever – especially on the continent – and opens this summer’s Castle concerts.
Cardiff Castle, Fri 12 June
Tickets: £49.50. Info: here
Barry Manilow
Baz breaks a promise, in a good way, by following up his final ever Welsh date with The Last Last Cardiff Concert.
Utilita Arena Cardiff, Sun 14 June
Tickets: from £139.75. Info: here
Take That
A revival of 2009’s Circus tour, a record-breaking success for the Robbie-less incarnation of the That.
Principality Stadium, Cardiff, Tue 16 June
Tickets: from £61. Info: here
Ethel Cain – credit Dollie Kyarn
Ethel Cain
One of four June UK dates for Southern Gothic pop experimentalist, and by some distance the biggest.
Cardiff Castle, Fri 19 June
Tickets: £51.10. Info: here
Garbage / Skunk Anansie
Two survivors of the 90s alt-rock wars put their heads together and head out on tour.
Cardiff Castle, Mon 22 June
Tickets: £55. Info: here
Fawlty Towers The Play
There have been many unofficial Fawlty Towers theatre adaptions, to the chagrin of John Cleese who is overseeing this official one.
Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay, Tue 23-Sat 27 June
Tickets: £18-£88. Info: here
Fawlty Towers The Play – credit Hugo Glendinning
The Cure
Thirty-five thousand goths to hit Cardiff as big Bob Smith and his buddies belt ‘em out in Blackweir.
Blackweir Fields, Cardiff, Wed 24 June
Tickets: £75. Info: here
McFly
Following a recent tour with sparring partners Busted, enduring pop-punk boyband return to Wales.
Cardiff Castle, Thurs 25 June
Tickets: £49.50. Info: here
Teddy Swims – credit Claire Marie Vogel
Teddy Swims
The latest Big Lad With Tattoos to also be a Soulful White Boy, Mr Swims of Georgia has a big field to fill in Cardiff.
Blackweir Fields, Cardiff, Fri 26 June
Tickets: £65. Info: here
Blackbird Festival
Hard rock alldayer headlined by Alter Bridge, with Skindred, Florence Black and Cardinal Black also confirmed.
Cardiff Castle, Sat 27 June
Tickets: £80. Info: here
Metallica
Their first Welsh show for 30 years. You can probably set your watch to the Budgie cover.
Principality Stadium, Cardiff, Sun 28 June
Tickets: from £69.50. Info: here
Metallica
Katy Perry
“Her latest album 143 stormed into the Top 10 on both sides of the Atlantic,” it is noted.
Cardiff Castle, Tue 30 June
Tickets: £75. Info: here
Lewis Capaldi
Japey Glaswegian balladeer sold out Blackweir so fast they added a second date for him.
Blackweir Fields, Cardiff, Tue 30 June + Wed 1 July
Tickets: £76.20 (Tue 30 June sold out). Info: Tue 30 June / Wed 1 July
Katy Perry
JULY
Westival
Dance music fest books Shy FX, High Contrast, Antony Szmierek and scores more.
Shipping Hill Farm, Manorbier, Thurs 2-Sun 5 July
Tickets: £180. Info: westival.wales
Bowling For Soup + Frank Turner & The Sleeping Souls
Two not-obviously-matched purveyors of punk-derived anthemia.
Cardiff Castle, Sat 4 July
Tickets: £49.40. Info: here
Pitbull
In Wales on Independence Day, that’s why he’s Mr Worldwide.
Blackweir Fields, Cardiff, Sat 4 July
Tickets: £75. Info: here
Neil Young – credit Daryl Hannah
Neil Young & The Chrome Hearts
Canadian guitar titan rocks the park with his Chrome Hearts, old sidemen in a new formation.
Blackweir Fields, Cardiff, Sun 5 July
Tickets: TBC. Info: here
Billy Ocean
Caribbean Queen hitmaker, supported here by Marti Pellow.
Cardiff Castle, Thurs 9 July
Tickets: £49.40. Info: here
Bastille
Dan Smith’s brooding electronic popsters step up to ‘big Cardiff outdoor gig’ level.
Cardiff Castle, Fri 10 July
Tickets: £56.25. Info: here
Billy Ocean
David Gray
Born in Cheshire, raised in Pembrokeshire, back in Cardiff to babble on.
Cardiff Castle, Sat 11 July
Tickets: £55. Info: here
Big Love Festival
Small but extensive fest of family-friendliness and hedonism alike.
Cwm Cayo Farm, nr Usk, Thurs 16-Sun 19 July
Tickets: £179. Info: biglovefestival.co.uk
Self Esteem
Rebecca Lucy Taylor, recently occupied with a bit of stage acting, will no doubt keep it theatrical for this big summer gig.
Cardiff Castle, Fri 24 July
Tickets: £49.50. Info: here
Self Esteem
Steelhouse Festival
Hard rock and metal from the likes of Twisted Sister, The Temperance Movement and Alien Ant Farm.
Hafod-Y-Dafal Farm, nr Ebbw Vale, Fri 24-Sun 26 July
Tickets: £185. Info: here
Depot In The Castle
Nice day out aimed at families, headlined by The Wombats this year.
Cardiff Castle, Sat 25 July
Tickets: £49. Info: depotinthecastle.com
The Karate Kid
The 1984 movie, in musical form. [singing] “First you accomplish… paint feeeence!”
Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay, Tue 28 July-Sat 1 Aug
Tickets: £19-£59. Info: here
The Streets
In 2023, Mike ‘The Streets’ Skinner played an open-air gig in Cardiff – and he’s coming back.
Cardiff Castle, Fri 31 July
Tickets: £62.50. Info: here
The Streets
AUGUST
Sex Pistols
Celebrating the 30th anniversary of their 20th anniversary, with Frank Carter as Johnny Rotten.
Cardiff Castle, Sat 1 Aug
Tickets: £65. Info: here
Two Door Cinema Club
Celebrating the 15th anniversary of their debut album Tourist History, it says here.
Cardiff Castle, Sat 1 Aug
Tickets: £49.50. Info: here
Jimmy Eat World
Emo-rockers of renown from the southern US with a show centred on their best performing album, 2001’s Bleed American.
Cardiff Castle, Sat 15 Aug
Tickets: £65. Info: here
Green Man
Indie, folk etc, sold out before a ball is kicked same as every year.
Glanusk Park, nr Crickhowell, Thurs 20-Sun 23 Aug
Tickets: £296 adult weekend (sold out). Info: greenman.net
Sex Pistols
SEPTEMBER
Operation Mincemeat
The true story of a daring British WWII mission, told in musical form.
New Theatre, Cardiff, Tue 15-Sat 19 Sept; Grand Theatre, Swansea, Mon 21-Sat 26 Sept
Tickets: £33-£68. Info: Cardiff / Swansea
Anastacia
Chicagoan pop hollerer whose latest album is a collection of German rock covers.
Utilita Arena Cardiff, Thurs 24 Sept
Tickets: from £69. Info: here
Cabaret Voltaire – credit Leon Chew
OCTOBER
Cabaret Voltaire
Industrial/synthpop icons on what they’re calling their final tour.
Tramshed, Cardiff, Wed 14 Oct
Tickets: £35. Info: here
Autechre
First Welsh show in over 30 years for electronica alchemists whose ‘thing’ as a live act is turning all the lights in the room off.
Depot, Cardiff, Thurs 22 Oct
Tickets: £30. Info: here
Michael Sheen
NOVEMBER
Owain & Henry
Michael Sheen IS Owain Glyndwr in this anticipated Welsh National Theatre play.
Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay, Thurs 5-Sat 21 Nov
Tickets: £17-£97. Info: here
Interpol + Bloc Party
Postpunk of an early 00s vintage, US and UK versions.
Utilita Arena Cardiff, Sat 21 Nov
Tickets: £36-£61. Info: here
Ocean Colour Scene – credit Brian Sweeney
DECEMBER
Ocean Colour Scene
Another band making a sudden leap to arena headliner status – will it pay off for OCS?
Swansea Arena, Thurs 3 Dec; Utilita Arena Cardiff, Fri 4
Tickets: from £35. Info: Swansea / Cardiff
Matilda The Musical
Tim Minchin’s adaption of the Roald Dahl novel, in situ at WMC for six weeks.
Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay, Wed 9 Dec-Sun 17 Jan
Tickets: £23-£93. Info: here
words NOEL GARDNER