One of Britain’s most popular indoor motorsport events roars back into Cardiff on Saturday, September 2, when the FM British Speedway Grand Prix brings some of the world’s top riders to the Principality Stadium.
Road closures
Westgate Street and Wood Street, which border the stadium, will be closed in their entirety between 2.30pm and 9.30pm with the following roads also completely closed:
- Quay Street
- Guildhall Place
- Golate
- Despenser Gardens
- Central Square
- Scott Road
- Havelock Street
- Park Street
- Wood Street (from Fitzhammon Embankment through to the St Mary Street junction of Mill Lane (Walkabout bar)
- Tudor Street (from its junction with Clare Road
In addition, the Civic Centre in Cardiff will be closed from 5am on Saturday with access allowed only for event-day parking, limited commuter parking, loading and access to private car parks. Road affected include:
- King Edward VII Avenue, Museum Avenue, City Hall Road, College Road and Gorsedd Gardens Road
Train disruption
The biggest rail union, the RMT, has announced strike action that will affect rail services on Saturday, September 2, and Aslef has announced a strike for Friday, September 1.
On strike days, a reduced, revised timetable will operate across several train operators, including GWR. Many parts of the GWR network will have no service at all. Services will only operate for a limited period, starting later in the morning and finishing much earlier in the evening
Those travelling to and from Cardiff should note there will be no GWR return services on Saturday evening and customer should seek alternative means of travelling. Visit GWR.com/strike for more details.
There are no Transport for Wales (TfW) services all day between Treherbert and Pontypridd due to engineering work for the South Wales Metro. The rest of the TfW timetable will be operating as normal but trains between Newport, Cardiff and Swansea are expected to be busier than usual as a result of the industrial action taking place at other operators.
TfW is advising people only to travel by rail if their journey is essential on the South Wales main line between Carmarthen and Newport and between Cardiff and Lydney. Please plan ahead and check full times on the TfW website and online journey planners before you travel. Where services are running, they may be subject to late-notice changes.
Civic Centre Event Day Parking
To find the Civic Centre, leave the M4 at Junction 32 and head south on the A470 towards the city centre and follow signage to the civic centre. The cost is £15 payable on the day at the car park – card payments are also now available. The car park will open at 8am and closes at midnight.
Civic Centre Event Day Parking (Coaches)
The cost is £30 payable on the day (cash only). The car park will open at 8am and closes at midnight.
Park & Ride facilities
The event park and ride facility for these events will be at County Hall car park in Cardiff Bay, with the drop-off and pick-up at Callaghan Square. The facility is easily accessible via the M4, leaving at junction 33, and travelling down the link road (A4232).
Buses will be running to and from the city centre every 10 minutes. Cost: £12 payable on the day – card payments are now available.
The car park opens at 9am and the first bus will leave at 9.30am. The last bus from the city centre will be at 10pm and the car park will close at 10.30pm.
Event Day Parking at Sophia Gardens
Sophia Gardens (cars). This is a 0.5 mile walk to the Principality Stadium, Gate 2. To find Sophia Gardens, exit junction 32 off the M4 and head south, following signs. The cost is £15 payable on the day at the car park – card payments are now available. The car park opens at 8.00am and closes at midnight.
Please note: All vehicles are left on site at the owner’s risk. Cardiff Council will not be held responsible for any theft or damage to motor vehicles or personal possessions. Any vehicles left in the car park after closing time will be fined.
Bus
Bus services will be diverted while the city centre road closures are in place. Please visit the relevant bus operator’s website for more information about your specific bus routes.
For Stagecoach services, please visit: stagecoachbus.com
For Cardiff Bus services, please visit: cardiffbus.com/principality-stadium
For Adventure Travel services, please visit: adventuretravel.cymru
National Express coaches will use Sophia Gardens as usual.
Can you cycle or walk?
Those who live locally in Cardiff may want to travel by bicycle or walk. Research shows that 52% of car trips made in the Welsh capital are less than 5km. This is a distance that can be comfortably cycled in 20 minutes.
We also know that 28% of Cardiff residents who currently do not cycle would like to do so.When the roads are congested this makes cycling an even more attractive option as travel by bicycle would be quicker than a car during rush hours or during big events.
Shopping Parking
Shoppers are advised to make use of the dedicated Shopping Park & Ride sites at Pentwyn or County Hall. City centre car parks are also available: North Road Car Parks, St David’s Shopping Centre, John Lewis, Capitol Shopping Centre, and NCP (Adam Street, Dumfries Place and Greyfriars Road.)
Disabled parking
Disabled drivers are advised to use Sophia Gardens. Disabled parking is also available at various private car parks. Please check individual websites for availability.
Taxis
St Mary Street taxi rank (outside the old House of Fraser store) will not be affected by these events.
