Road closures and rail warnings issued ahead of Blackweir Live concerts

Mark Mansfield

Motorists and rail passengers heading to a series of major summer concerts in Cardiff are being urged to plan their journeys carefully amid warnings of road closures, heavy traffic and busy train services.

Thousands of music fans are expected to descend on Blackweir Fields in Bute Park over the coming weeks for a series of Blackweir Live concerts featuring The Cure, Teddy Swims, Lewis Capaldi and Pitbull.

The concerts will take place on June 24, June 26, June 30, July 1 and July 4, with Cardiff Council warning that the city centre and surrounding road network are likely to be extremely busy.

Road closures will be in force from 4pm until midnight on each concert day, affecting major routes including North Road, Castle Street, Kingsway and Duke Street.

A section of North Road between Colum Road and Boulevard de Nantes will be closed, while Castle Street, Duke Street and Kingsway will shut completely to traffic. Cowbridge Road East will also be affected, although access to Westgate Street will be maintained.

Additional traffic restrictions will be in place around the Civic Centre from 7am, affecting roads including King Edward VII Avenue, Museum Avenue, City Hall Road, College Road and Gorsedd Gardens Road.

The council said the M4 and key routes into Cardiff were expected to be particularly busy and urged concertgoers to arrive early.

There will be no park-and-ride service for any of the events.

Instead, dedicated event parking will be available at Sophia Gardens and the Civic Centre. Parking at both locations will cost £20 for cars and £30 for coaches, with sites opening from 8am and closing at midnight.

Drivers approaching Cardiff from the north are being advised to use North Road, Boulevard de Nantes and Fitzalan Place. Those arriving from the east should use Newport Road and Glossop Road, while motorists approaching from the south and west are encouraged to use the A4232 and Central Link Road.

Rail operators are also preparing for a surge in passengers.

Extra capacity

Great Western Railway will provide additional carriages on services towards Bristol, while Transport for Wales has added capacity on routes serving Cardiff where possible and will run later services after the concerts.

Passengers are being advised to check the time of their last train home before travelling and to buy tickets in advance.

Cathays station will close from 10pm on concert nights, with passengers directed to Cardiff Central or Cardiff Queen Street stations instead. Queueing systems will be in operation at both stations after the events.

Transport for Wales has warned that services are likely to be particularly busy on July 4 due to several major events taking place in Cardiff on the same day.

A dedicated taxi pick-up and drop-off point will operate from the Civic Centre, with drivers banned from collecting or dropping off passengers on North Road because of congestion concerns.

Cyclists will still be able to use city centre cycleways during the events, although the North Road cycleway will be temporarily diverted. Secure cycle parking will be available at the Civic Centre.