Oasis gigs see hospitality sales soar by ‘three or four times’
Oasis gigs see hospitality sales soar by ‘three or four times’
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Cardiff’s hospitality sector has enjoyed one of its strongest summers in years, thanks to a packed calendar of world-class concerts, including Oasis, Kendrick Lamar and Fontaines D.C., that have brought hundreds of thousands of visitors into the city.
Nick Newman, area manager for Croeso Pubs and a director of For Cardiff, said planning for this bumper season began late last year when a string of high-profile gigs were announced for the Principality Stadium, Cardiff Castle and the newly established Blackweir Fields.
“[Planning began] when they started to announce all these phenomenal gigs in the Principality Stadium, obviously, but also announcing Blackweir for the first time and 30,000 people gathering over there for world stars such as Stevie Wonder,” Newman said. “It goes back to there so you can start to put that in the diary in terms of planning, getting your cellars full, getting your kitchens full and getting your rotas staffed up.”
That early preparation proved vital as more events were added to the calendar. “Between Blackweir, the castle and the Principality, it’s been a fantastic summer,” Newman said.
He explained: “The more notice we can get of these events, the better, because we can factor things like the staff requirements in, as well as all the other supplies. I suppose it would be fair to say that hospitality is a bit stretched in terms of having enough people to get on the bars and in the restaurants, but we managed to get through.”
The rewards have been substantial. Major gigs such as Oasis saw trading levels soar. “On the Friday, you’re probably talking a minimum of three or four times what the normal sales would be,” Newman said. “With Oasis there were people arriving on the Tuesday and the Wednesday coming down for a few days. This is what grows the fame of Cardiff, people coming in for these great events, seeing what a fantastic city it is and then coming back again.”
Newman noted that while retailers sometimes find event days challenging, many recognise the wider benefits. “They do agree with me that overall it grows the fame of the city.” Visitors staying for several days often spend in shops as well as bars and restaurants. “They’ll be keeping the shops busy on those days,” he said.
He added that changing high street dynamics mean hospitality now plays a more central role in city centre life. “We all know that the shops are leaving. It’s all going online. So, it is becoming more and more about hospitality. It’s important that we work with the local authority, with the council on their licensing policy, liaise with agencies like For Cardiff to just facilitate what it is that customers are coming here for.”
Cardiff’s transformation into a major events city is striking compared with previous decades. “I am old enough to remember seeing Queen in the castle. I think it was 1976… These were isolated. They were one-off events. Sometimes you might have one per summer if you were lucky,” Newman recalled. “I think the council has to be complemented really on maximising its resources, bringing footfall to the city, bringing revenue to the city and growing the fame of Cardiff.”
Newman said the priority is ensuring that the momentum is sustained. “There’s a lot of joined up thinking and a lot of partnership work goes on between Cardiff Council, For Cardiff, the Licensees Forum, which I’m also chair of,” he said. “The businesses are working together to make sure that when we get these world class events, when we’ve got these tens and sometimes even hundreds of thousands of visitors, we’re fully geared up to provide what it is that they want and that they’re looking for and to give them that fantastic experience.”
With artists for next year already booked and more announcements expected, Newman hopes for a repeat performance in 2026. “What we like actually from a business point of view, is a few to be announced before we sign off the budgets for the year and then the new ones come in after the budgets have been agreed so we can all beat our targets;” He joked.
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