Principality Stadium โ Stadium Anthems Tour โ July 2025
โStill got it? They never lost it, mun.โ ๐ด๐ฅ
๐ THE WARM-UP โ CARDIFF BAKES FOR THE PHONICS
The sun had clearly clocked the setlist and fancied a mosh โ Cardiff was roasting! Temperatures soared into the high 20s, and 60,000+ fans flooded the streets in merch so faded it could only mean one thing: this crowd had been riding with the โPhonics since Word Gets Around. From students to silver foxes, bucket hats to cowboy boots, the energy was peak Cymru. ๐งข๐ธ
As the Stadium Anthems Tour rolled into town, fans knew they were in for a greatest-hits showdown. But even by Stereophonics’ standards, this was a homecoming masterclass.
๐ฅช FOOD, DRINK & WALLET TEARS
Weโll keep it real โ stadium prices still sting harder than an encore cut short. Hereโs the damage:
- Pints: ยฃ7.50 for standard lager / ยฃ8.50 for โcraftโ options (if you could call it that)
- Water: ยฃ3.50 (yes, for HโO โ we were tamping!)
- Hot Dogs: ยฃ8.00
- Burgers: ยฃ10.50 (add ยฃ1.50 for cheese โ capitalism, eh?)
- Loaded Fries: ยฃ7.00
- Vegan Wraps: ยฃ8.50
- Ice Creams: ยฃ4.00 โ yes, people were melting fast enough to justify it ๐ฆ
Top tip: Refill stations were available (thankfully), but hidden away like an Easter egg hunt from hell. Ask a steward near the lower tier blocks โ theyโll point you in the right direction.
๐ถ THE SETLIST โ WALL-TO-WALL BANGERS
Hereโs what went down, in all its stadium-shaking glory:
- Cโest La Vie
- Local Boy in the Photograph
- Have a Nice Day
- Graffiti on the Train
- Maybe Tomorrow
- Do Ya Feel My Love?
- Just Looking
- Hanging On Your Hinges
- Fly Like an Eagle
- Mr and Mrs Smith
- A Thousand Trees
- Traffic
- Superman
- I Wanna Get Lost With You
- Pick a Part Thatโs New
- Handbags and Gladrags (Rod Stewart cover โ emotional punch to the chest)
- The Bartender and the Thief
- I Wouldnโt Believe Your Radio
๐ ENCORE:
- Maybe Tomorrow (acoustic reprise)
- Dakota (If you didnโt scream this, are you even Welsh?)
๐ถโโ๏ธ GETTING TO (AND FROM) THE GIG
The Principality Stadium is smack in the middle of Cardiff โ a blessing and a curse depending on your exit planโฆ
๐ By Train:
- Cardiff Central Station is just a 5-minute walk from the stadium. Trains were rammed post-show โ no surprise.
- If you’re from Newport, Bridgend, or anywhere Valleys-adjacent โ book an early return or risk standing next to the loos. Again.
๐ Driving?
- You brave fool. Roads were carnage. Park and Ride at Leckwith or Pentwyn was your best bet โ still traffic-heavy though.
- NCP and stadium-area car parks hit max capacity by 6pm.
๐ถโโ๏ธ On Foot:
- If you’re local, fair play. Walking back across the bridge with thousands of fans all singing Maybe Tomorrow was lush, honestly. Gave us goosebumps.
๐ค THE VERDICT โ KINGS STILL REIGN
Kelly Jones didnโt just show up โ he owned the night. Smooth as ever, belting out classics with that gravel-and-honey voice we all love. His connection to the crowd was pure Cymru magic: โNice to be home again… you lot still sing better than me, mind.โ
Every moment felt personal. Every lyric hit like it was written yesterday. And every chorus had 60,000+ backing vocalists. Only in Wales, mun. ๐ฅน๐ด
Best Moment?
That ridiculous roar during Dakota. We swear the stadium shook. Even the seagulls did a lap of honour.
Worst Moment?
Trying to find a second bottle of water without remortgaging your house. But thatโs stadium gigs for you.
๐งป THE FINAL RIFF ROLL-UP:
Atmosphere: ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฅ
Setlist: ๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ
Sound Quality: ๐ง๐ง๐ง๐ง
Toilets: ๐ฝ (bit grim by 10pm)
Overall Vibe: TIDY! ๐ค๐ด
๐ธ Got photos from the gig?
Tag us @theriffreportuk on Instagram and Twitter! Weโll feature the best ones in our gallery.
๐ค Stereophonics, diolch for making Cardiff sing again.
Letโs not wait another few years for the next one, yeah?
#Stereophonics #CardiffGig #StadiumAnthemsTour #WelshRockRoyalty #CymruAmByth #TheRiffReport #GigReview #LiveMusicWales
