Cardiff has a longstanding reputation for its vibrant live music scene and has welcomed some huge stars over the past couple of years.
The summer of 2024 is no different, with Bruce Springsteen and Pink already packing out the 74,500 capacity Principality Stadium, and the likes of Taylor Swift, Foo Fighters and Billy Joel all still to come.
As a result, Cardiff city centre will be packed full of music fans, with many heading to pubs, bars, and restaurants before and after enjoying their favourite artists.
FOR Cardiff, the city’s business improvement district (BID), is committed to providing a safe and welcoming environment for everyone living, working, and visiting Cardiff.
In 2019, FOR Cardiff announced their successful bid to make Cardiff a Purple Flag city, an accreditation they’ve held ever since.
This scheme is an international accreditation programme, recognising Cardiff as a safe and enjoyable destination with excellent city centre management.
Since then, FOR Cardiff have continued to roll out initiatives to ensure the safety of the city’s resident and visitors.
Here’s how they’re helping keep people safe:
Safe Places
In September 2021 FOR Cardiff joined the nationwide ‘Safe Places’ initiative.
Since then, FOR Cardiff has partnered with over 90 businesses across the city as part of an accessible network of support where anyone feeling intimidated, at risk or scared can take refuge.
All registered Safe Places receive support and training from FOR Cardiff, with their business engagement officers engaging in day-to-day monitoring of the initiative.
The closest Safe Place to the Principality Stadium is Pure Gym Cardiff Central, with several also located along Westgate Street and St Mary Street.
To see the full list of Safe Places in the city centre, download the Safe Places app.
Dan O Keefe, bar manager at the Philharmonic said: “The Philharmonic has been part of the Safe Places initiative for two years.
“The support from FOR Cardiff, which includes training and regular monitoring of the scheme, has been great.
“During our time as a registered safe place, we have seen first-hand the positive effect it has on safety within the city centre.
“It is particularly important during these busy times of the year with so many great events happening.”
Night marshals
FOR Cardiff has employed extra night marshals for Taylor Swift’s performance on Tuesday, June 18.
These night marshals are employed to ensure everyone gets into a taxi safely on Friday and Saturday nights. You can find them at Mill Lane, Wood Street and Greyfriars Road taxi ranks.
Over the three nights of Ed Sheeran’s performances in June 2022, the night marshals helped 4252 people get into taxis safely.
Women’s Safety Charter
Alongside the Safe Places initiative, FOR Cardiff has implemented another two city centre schemes in their bid to make Cardiff as safe a city as possible: The Women’s Safety Charter and Ask for Angela.
Launched at the end of 2023, The Women’s Safety Charter supports businesses to train staff and encourage the public to create a zero-tolerance culture to sexual harassment in shops and public spaces across Cardiff.
The Cardiff scheme stands out from other city-wide charter initiatives, such as those in London and Bristol, because it operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week – a first of its kind.
Ask For Angela
Ask for Angela is a scheme found in pubs and bars across Cardiff offering a discreet way for someone to ask for help if something just isn’t quite right with their date.
The concept revolves around a simple ask – ‘is Angela here?’.
Staff members are trained and prepped on how to respond to this and will take appropriate action to ensure your safety.
Carolyn Brownell, Executive Director at FOR Cardiff said: “Here at FOR Cardiff, we are thrilled that some of the world’s biggest music artists are coming to the city this summer.
“Safety across the city is at the core of everything we do here at FOR Cardiff.
“Implementing these three initiatives along with extra night marshals ensures Cardiff remains a safe and welcoming place for everyone, particularly during these busy periods.”
