Stereophonics and Sir Tom Jones Cardiff concert travel warning

Fans have been warned to plan ahead and leave extra travel time, with 60,000 people expected to descend on Cardiff for two nights of concerts.

Rail upgrades and routine roadworks will be suspended to avoid disruption.

The Welsh government and travel firms have told people to leave in good time.

More than 60,000 fans are set to attend the two Stereophonics concerts at Principality Stadium - where Sir Tom Jones is supporting - which were rescheduled after the initial dates before Christmas were postponed amid growing concerns about the Covid Omicron variant.

Public transport operators have warned people services will be "very busy" on both Friday and Saturday with fans going to the two Stereophonics' homecoming shows - with Saturday's event being broadcast live on BBC TV and BBC iPlayer.

People attending the gigs have been advised to leave extra time for the journey to Cardiff with the M4 motorway across south Wales also expected to be congested, especially with Friday afternoon rush hour traffic.

Roads in Cardiff city centre will be shut for the afternoon before both stadium concerts on "health and safety grounds to ensure people can safely enter and leave the stadium".

Rail passengers have also been told that all services around Cardiff will be busy on both days and that trains will be at full available capacity.

"There's no doubt it will be very busy on Friday and Saturday as it always is when big, sold-out events happen in the Principality Stadium," said Transport for Wales (TfW) boss Jan Chaudhry-Van der Velde.

"Every single carriage will be in operation, we've altered our maintenance schedule and have capacity for 20,000 people to get to various locations - 6,000 to the Valleys, 6,000 to Bristol and 5,000 to west Wales."

While TfW acknowledged it faced "challenges" on Friday and Saturday, location data from concert ticket sales suggest that about "70% of concert-goers and coming from the "Cardiff, Valleys and Swansea area."

"We have plenty of capacity to move people based on estimates provided by the stadium," Colin Lea of TfW told BBC Radio Wales.

Railway upgrade work and unnecessary roadworks on the network in south Wales have been suspended for event weekends at the Principality Stadium but travellers have been urged to plan ahead.

"We plan and work to minimise travel disruption on the trunk road network," said the Welsh government.

"As with all large events, we would advise people to plan ahead before starting to travel and to allow plenty of time for their journey."

All bus services into the city centre - including Cardiff Bus, Stagecoach and NAT services - will be affected and diverted.

Forecasters predict it will be the hottest day of the year so far in Cardiff on Friday - with temperatures reaching 26C (79F) - but the Principality Stadium roof will be shut.

The Welsh band, whose hits include Maybe Tomorrow, The Bartender And The Thief and their 2005 No 1 Dakota, played the Cardiff city centre venue in 2001 and 2003 but this year they are doing two 60,000-capacity shows after an extra date was added due to demand.

"A few of the boys I went to school with said "it'll sell out within half an hour" but I said it'd take weeks because it's a hard venue to sell out," said Kelly.

"Then at half past nine on the day the first date went on sale, I had a phone call to say we've sold out. So the demand was so big, the advice was we could definitely do good numbers on both nights.

"It's been an idea to play the Millennium Stadium for a couple of years so do it with such amazing special guests and after a global pandemic it couldn't have come at a better time for people to have something to look forward to."

"I think this may be the best two weeks to be Welsh in history," said Ashton, who grew up near where the Stereophonics are from in Cwmaman, Rhondda Cynon Taf.

"What's brilliant is the absolute timing of this gig, we've got the traditional Welsh music festival in the castle, whilst Welsh legends play the stadium, on the back of the Welsh football, it's just the best time and it's incredible.

"It's been long awaited and we've all been through a hard time with Covid so it'll be great to have live music back. It makes you feel like the world's getting back to normal."

Feeder, whose hits include Buck Rogers, Just A Day and Just the Way I'm Feeling, will also be on Friday's bill while Super Furry Animals frontman Gruff Rhys will also support on Saturday - with Sir Tom Jones starting his set at 18:15 BST while the Stereophonics will be on at 20:00.

Gates to the Principality Stadium will open at 15:00 and the first act is Welsh group Buzzard Buzzard Buzzard who will start the show on both days at at 15:40.

Take That are currently the only group to have played three headline shows in different years at the Principality Stadium but Stereophonics, whose 12th studio album earlier this year was their eighth number one record, will emulate that this weekend.