Pontypridd is about to rewind the clock to the glorious ’90s this weekend — and with thousands of music fans expected to descend on the town, motorists are being warned to expect road closures and disruption. 🚗⚠️🎶
The RCT 90s Summer Party takes over Ynysangharad War Memorial Park in Pontypridd on Saturday 22 August 2026, bringing a proper nostalgia-loaded line-up to South Wales.
We’re talking pop anthems, questionable dance moves, tunes you haven’t heard since somebody recorded them off Radio 1 onto a cassette, and enough ’90s nostalgia to make you start looking for your old Tamagotchi.
And yes, mun — East 17 are coming to Ponty.
What a time to be alive. 😂
🎤 Who’s Playing the RCT 90s Summer Party?
The festival has pulled together a cracking collection of names from one of music’s most gloriously chaotic decades.
The line-up includes:
- Heather Small
- Kenny Thomas
- East 17
- Whigfield
- S Club
If you’ve already started singing Saturday Night in your head after reading Whigfield, congratulations — you’re officially the target audience.
The event takes place at Ynysangharad War Memorial Park, right in the heart of Pontypridd.
Gates open at 3pm, with entertainment scheduled from approximately 4pm until 10:30pm.
That means several hours of wall-to-wall ’90s tunes before thousands of people simultaneously attempt to remember where they parked.
Which brings us neatly onto…
🚧 Pontypridd Road Closures
With a large crowd expected in the town centre, temporary traffic restrictions will be introduced around the event.
Several roads are expected to close during two separate periods on Saturday:
⏰ First closure
3pm – 5pm
🌙 Second closure
9pm – 12:30am
The evening closure is particularly important for anyone planning to collect festival-goers after the show, as it coincides with thousands of people leaving Ynysangharad Park.
🚗 Which Roads Are Closing?
The affected roads include:
- Taff Street
- Penuel Lane
- Gas Road
- Temperance Place
- Market Street
- Church Street
- Mill Street
If you’re travelling through central Pontypridd during those periods, give yourself some extra time and don’t blindly trust the sat-nav when it tells you to drive straight towards a barrier.
Sat-navs have confidence.
They don’t always have wisdom.
😂
🅿️ What About Gas Road Car Park?
Gas Road Car Park is expected to remain open, although access around the surrounding streets will obviously be affected by the temporary traffic arrangements.
Diversions are expected to operate using roads including:
Crossbrook Street → Gelliwastad Road → Catherine Street → Sardis Road Gyratory → Sardis Road
Anyone unfamiliar with Pontypridd should definitely plan their journey before setting off rather than attempting some last-minute Welsh Valleys navigation while simultaneously arguing about whether East 17 were better than Take That.
That debate can wait.
Probably.
🚆 Public Transport Could Be Your Best Bet
With road closures surrounding the town centre and a big crowd expected, public transport could be the easiest option for many festival-goers.
Pontypridd railway station is within walking distance of Ynysangharad War Memorial Park, making the train an obvious option for anyone travelling into town.
As always with large events, it’s worth checking your return journey before you start drinking, dancing or shouting every word to songs you haven’t heard live since Smash Hits was still a thing.
Don’t wait until 10:31pm to suddenly discover that transport logistics exist.
We’ve all been there.
🎶 Pontypridd Is Going Full ’90s
There’s something brilliantly Welsh about thousands of people piling into Pontypridd for an afternoon of ’90s nostalgia.
For one day, Ynysangharad Park is effectively becoming a gigantic time machine.
Expect massive choruses.
Expect questionable dancing.
Expect people wearing outfits they absolutely wouldn’t have worn in 1997 but are now convinced are “authentic ’90s fashion”.
And somewhere in that crowd, somebody is absolutely going to hear the opening seconds of their favourite tune and scream:
“OH MY GOD, THIS WAS MY SONG!”
Before immediately recording the entire thing vertically on their phone.
Technology may have changed.
People haven’t.
⚠️ Plan Ahead If You’re Heading Into Pontypridd
Even if you’re not attending the festival, it’s worth knowing about the closures if you’re travelling through Pontypridd on Saturday.
The two closure periods — particularly 9pm until 12:30am — could create additional congestion as festival-goers leave the park.
Give yourself extra travelling time, follow temporary signage and check the latest transport information before heading out.
If you’re attending the RCT 90s Summer Party, meanwhile, get there early, sort your journey home before the first tune kicks in and prepare yourself for several hours of absolute nostalgia.
Because East 17, Whigfield, S Club, Heather Small and Kenny Thomas playing in Pontypridd on the same day sounds less like a festival line-up and more like somebody found an old Now That’s What I Call Music CD and accidentally summoned 1997.
And frankly?
We’re here for it. 😂🔥
🎤 RCT 90s Summer Party 2026 – At a Glance
📍 Where: Ynysangharad War Memorial Park, Pontypridd
📅 When: Saturday 22 August 2026
🚪 Gates: 3pm
🎶 Entertainment: Approximately 4pm – 10:30pm
🚧 Road closures: 3pm–5pm and 9pm–12:30am
🎤 Featuring: Heather Small, Kenny Thomas, East 17, Whigfield and S Club
So dust off the bucket hat, find the most ridiculous pair of sunglasses you own and prepare to party like dial-up internet is still considered cutting-edge technology.
Pontypridd is going back to the ’90s, butt. 🤘🎤🔥🏴
Proudly Welsh. Proudly Loud.
The Riff Report 🤘
