Cardiff’s arcades to mark 70 years of capital city status

Cardiff city centre is set to come alive this autumn as the 2025 City of Arcades campaign launches a 70-day celebration to mark 70 years since Cardiff became the capital of Wales.

Now in its 8th year, the campaign will bring together businesses of all sizes and sectors to shine a spotlight on the city’s historic Victorian and Edwardian arcades, alongside St David’s Dewi Sant.

City of Arcades is delivered by FOR Cardiff – the Business Improvement District (BID) of Cardiff city centre, a private, not-for-profit membership organisation voted for by the businesses of Cardiff city centre in June 2016.

These businesses pay a levy to FOR Cardiff and invest over £1.5 million of additional benefits to the city centre annually; FOR Cardiff delivers these through award-winning projects, campaigns and events.

Five themed fortnights of activity

Running from 5 September to 14 November 2025, this year’s City of Arcades campaign is divided into five themed fortnights, each designed to highlight a different side of Cardiff’s unique offering:

Foodie Fortnight (5–19 Sept): celebrating Cardiff’s diverse food scene, kicking off with a Foodie Night Market launch event in Cardiff Market, with live DJ sets and pop-up food stalls.

Discovery Fortnight (19 Sept – 3 Oct): shining a light on Cardiff’s hidden gems, independent shops and unique finds.
Arts & Music Fortnight (3–17 Oct): showcasing Cardiff’s creative spirit with exhibitions, performances, and the Cardiff Music City Festival.

History Fortnight (17 Oct – 1 Nov): marking 70 years of Cardiff as capital, with a Time Traveller’s Arcade Trail on Wednesday 29th October – an immersive family-friendly journey through the decades.

Health & Beauty Fortnight (1–14 Nov): encouraging wellbeing in the city centre with yoga pop-ups, beauty experiences and special offers.

This year’s campaign will be unmissable on the streets of Cardiff thanks to striking new creative from local design studio I Am Sam Creative.

Inspired by Cardiff’s 70 years as a capital, each arcade has been given a unique identity drawing on vintage / heritage style with a contemporary twist, which will be showcased across billboards, posters, and digital ads. A City of Arcades 2025 map is also being produced that will highlight landmarks and each of the arcades, acting as a guide for visitors and locals alike.

A foodie start to the celebrations

The 2025 City of Arcades campaign will kick off with a Foodie Night Market on Friday 5 September at Cardiff Central Market. Visitors will be able to visit the market ‘after hours’ from 5.30 – 9.30pm, enjoy music and live entertainment, sample exclusive dishes from resident traders, and discover some of the best independent street food that Cardiff has to offer.

This is the third time the night market has formed part of the City of Arcades campaign, and last year there was a 71% increase in attendance compared to the same event the year before.

FOR Cardiff CEO Carolyn Brownell said, “Once again, our City of Arcades campaign will celebrate the unique spirit of Cardiff’s arcades and their role at the heart of our city centre. As we mark 70 years of Cardiff as the capital of Wales, we want to encourage people not only to discover the independent businesses within the arcades, but also to explore everything the wider city centre has to offer – from national brands to local favourites – making Cardiff a truly unmissable destination.”

Full details of the City of Arcades 2025 campaign, including events, offers, and pop ups, can be found at www.thecityofarcades.com – the website will be updated regularly as more events and activities are added to the schedule.