1.5.25

I've heard there are plans to hold concerts on Blackweir Fields. Can you tell me more?

Live music is central to our vision for Cardiff.

Local promoters Depot Live, working in partnership with Cuffe & Taylor, approached the Council last year about the possibility of hiring Blackweir Fields to hold a series of outdoor, green field concerts, similar to those held in Hyde Park in London during the summer months.

Spread over five separate dates in June and July, the concerts will feature world renowned acts including Noah Kahan (June 27^th), Kings of Leon (June 29^th), Alanis Morissette (July 2^nd), Slayer (July 3^rd) and Stevie Wonder (July 9^th).

The events will help cement Cardiff's status as a must-play destination for major artists, delivering significant economic benefits for the city, and providing the Council with vital income to enable us to continue investing in the city's parks. Income from the events will also help us to deliver on our music city ambitions, support our grassroots venues and continue to promote the city as a music destination.

Why use Blackweir Fields? Couldn't these events be held in a stadium?

Blackweir Fields is an established events space and has been available for commercial hire for many years. It has successfully hosted large-scale events in the past, including fireworks displays and activities as part of the Olympics and the Eisteddfod.

The event promoters approached the Council with a proposal to hire Blackweir Fields for a series of outdoor, green field concerts. This type of event is popular with the ticket-buying public and offers a very different experience to stadium-based gigs.

Have these events got a licence to go ahead?

Yes. A premises licence for Blackweir Fields as part of the wider Bute Park licence, has long been in place.

A new premises licence specifically for Blackweir Fields was approved by the Licensing Sub-Committee on 16^thApril. To grant a licence the committee has to consider four licensing objectives, which are:

• the prevention of crime and disorder, 
• public safety, 
• the prevention of public nuisance, and ​
• the protection of children from harm.

The licence was granted subject to the following conditions:

• The licence can only be used for 6 events per year.
• All events must have the approval of the Highways Authority.
• Alcohol can only be sold after midday.
• All music events must adhere to the guidelines and criteria within the Noise Council ‘Code of Practice of Environmental Noise Control At Concerts' (known as the ‘Pop Code'),or any future replacement guidance document.
• A Noise management plan shall be submitted in writing for approval by the Pollution Control department at least 28 days prior to each event or start of a series of jointly managed events. The management plan shall include but not be limited to;
• Proposed Sound Levels for the event this must be expressed in terms of dB over the proposed monitoring duration and location(s). 
• The plan shall document the methodology to be implemented to monitor, control and manage the impact of noise disturbance from each event.  
• The plan must incorporate a complaint management process for which site management should detail the available process should a complaint arise.
• The plan must be completed by a suitably qualified acoustician.

Why did tickets go on sale before a licence was granted?

The decision to sell tickets prior to a full licence being granted was taken by the event promoter and is common practice in the music industry. Events were publicised by the promoter as ‘subject to licence.'

As an established events area there has long been a premises licence in place for Blackweir Fields as part of the wider Bute Park events licence. Subject to final approval by South Wales Fire and Rescue Service, the 25,000 capacity Bute Park licence would have allowed the Blackweir Live events to take place, albeit with a lower capacity than planned, even without the new Blackweir Fields licence which has recently been approved.

Why was a new licence needed?

Applying for a new licence specific to Blackweir Fields allowed more stringent controls to be put in place around the management of large-scale events in this particular area of Bute Park, while avoiding placing unnecessary administrative and financial burdens on the smaller events that take place in the wider park - many of which are community led or held in support of charities.

What will the capacity of these events be?

The new premises licence for Blackweir Fields was approved on the basis of a capacity up to a maximum of 35,000 people.

This does not necessarily mean that 35,000 people will be able to attend the Blackweir Live concerts. Different events have different safe capacities - for example a fireworks display would likely have a lower capacity than a concert.

Under The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 the final decision on capacity for the Blackweir Live events (and any subsequent events that may take place at Blackweir Fields) will be determined by South Wales Fire and Rescue Service on a case-by-case basis. Their assessment for Blackweir Live will be made in due course, on the basis of operational plans for the events.

This is standard practice for all events in Cardiff and elsewhere in Wales.

Why does the licence allow music from 9am in the morning?

Although primarily aimed at hosting music events, the new premises licence is designed to be flexible enough to cover a range of other possible uses, if required.

Currently there are no other events planned at this site, however if in future a daytime event was proposed - for example a fanzone for a sports tournament or a food festival - this licence condition would mean that if live music formed part of the proposal, a new licencing application would not need to be made.

The Blackweir Live concerts are not scheduled to begin until 5pm and there will be no live music before this time.

Will the public still be able to access Bute Park during the concerts?

Yes. A large proportion of the 130 acres that make up Bute Park will remain accessible to the public throughout this period. 

Public access to Blackweir Fields will be restricted during the concerts and for a limited period either side to allow for set up and break down. Full details of any changes to access will be advertised in the park, in advance.

All Depot Live concerts originally scheduled take place on Coopers Field later in the summer have been moved to Cardiff Castle.

Significant public green space is also available in close proximity to the Blackweir event space. 141.60 acres of public green space is available at nearby Pontcanna Fields with a further 68.89 acres available to the public at Llandaff Fields.

How long will Blackweir Fields be inaccessible for?

The event build is currently expected to start on 12^thJune 2025. The event breakdown is currently expected to be completed by 21^stJuly.

Maps giving full details will be on display in the park, ahead of the events.

Bute Park was gifted to the people of Cardiff and these events restrict access to paid ticket holders. How can that be fair?

Public access to green space is important. The Council understands this concern and the temporary impact these events have on other park users.

However, parks are non-statutory services and after significant and well-documented budget cuts over the last decade, and continuing pressures on local government budgets we have to balance public access with generating income that ensures we can continue to maintain and invest in the city's parks.

We fully acknowledge that this is a balancing act - not just between income and access, but also Cardiff's role as a capital city, renowned worldwide as an events city.

If all the Depot Live events that were due to take place in Coopers Field are moving to the Castle, why can't the Blackweir Live events just move to Coopers Field?

Coopers Field is not large enough to accommodate these shows. Coopers Field covers an area of 26,000 square metres. This is significantly smaller than the 64,000 square metre space available at Blackweir.

What will happen to the cricket matches that are normally played on Blackweir Fields?

Following dialogue with local cricket leagues and Cricket Wales, all cricket fixtures due to take place during these summer events have been relocated to other locations.

One cricket pitch at Blackweir Fields will remain in use for the full season, except for on the five concert dates.

As a direct result of the need to accommodate matches at alternative venues, a new artificial cricket pitch is being installed at the Marl in Grangetown. This is a permanent facility that has been long called for by the cricket community in the area. It will be funded entirely from income generated by the events.

What about the cricket pitches? How are they being protected from damage?

Holding concerts on sports pitches is not unusual and special care is being taken to protect the cricket squares from damage. The technology used at Blackweir will be the same as used when high profile cricket grounds such as Old Trafford host events.

A full turf-restoration plan will be in place for the outfields including aerating compacted soil and reseeding any worn patches.

As part of the bond agreement with the event operator, the costs of ‘making good' any damage will be covered by the event operator.

What if it rains? How are the outfields being protected from long-term damage?

Ground conditions will be monitored daily and if extreme weather renders conditions untenable, a ‘last resort' clause is in place in the contract with the event promoter that would allow for a reduction in the event footprint, or potentially cancellation, if judged to be necessary to prevent significant long-term damage.

Isn't Bute Park listed? Has that been considered?

Yes, Bute Park is a Grade 1 listed park.

Since 2014 Bute Park has held a Green Flag Heritage Award in recognition of the high standard of management and interpretation of a site with local or national historic importance, highlighting how seriously we take the protection of this unique green space.

As good practice, an independent heritage impact assessment is being completed ahead of the events.

This independent assessment has indicated that "with well-planned mitigation, the proposal can be delivered in a manner that is compatible with the conservation of the site's heritage values" and that "the long-term impact on the registered historic park will be negligible."

The assessment also states that "hosting cultural events in parks is not antithetical to their historic value; parks like Bute Park were historically venues for public gatherings and recreation, so this can be seen as part of the evolving social history of the place."

CADW have also been consulted on the proposals and have advised that the events will not impact on the park's heritage features.

In order to ensure safe access to and egress from the concerts, a small section of park railings will need to be removed temporarily. The railings will be replaced after the events and CADW have confirmed that they do not form part of the park's listed status.

What about the potential impact on wildlife and the wider park environment?

The event promoters take their responsibility for working in the park's unique and valuable setting very seriously.

Careful consideration has been given to any potential environmental impact these concerts could have and although urban wildlife typically recovers once disturbance passes, measures recommended by independent arboricultural experts and independent ecologists as well as through the independent Heritage Impact Assessment are being put in place, where required, to ensure that any impact on flora and fauna is minimised.  

For example, tree protection zones will be in place around any vulnerable trees, and the stage orientation and lighting design will avoid shining powerful lights into tree canopies continuously, with downward directed lights focused on stage and crowd and with minimal overspill into the sky or woods. The use of lower colour-temperature lights near the periphery of to reduce any potential ecological impact is also being looked at.

What about the trees that have already been cut down?

In order to ensure public safety for the events, five diseased Ash trees suffering from Ash die back and one dead Elm tree have been felled. Due to the proximity of these trees to a cycleway and pedestrian footpaths it would have been necessary to remove them regardless of the planned Blackweir Live event.

10 to 15 singular Ash tree stems have also been removed due to Ash die back.

12 trees have been coppiced to create access points for the Blackweir events. This work is only being done on suitable, healthy trees which can recover and regrow. Coppicing involves cutting trees back to ground level. This process encourages regeneration and regrowth over time. Coppicing does not kill trees, and it can result in overall improvements in biodiversity.

A range of scrub clearance works also took place to remove bramble and invasive non-native rhododendron. Standard tree maintenance works, which do not impact on tree health, such as crown lifting and dead wood removal also took place.

To ensure there were no adverse impacts on wildlife and to maximise biodiversity benefits, these works were all carried out by qualified, experienced and approved Arboricultural Association tree contractors, under the close supervision of an independent tree consultant and ecologist.

All works were carried out ahead of the bird-nesting season and the trees were checked for any signs of nesting and other wildlife before work was undertaken.

These types of works are part of ongoing maintenance and conservation management programmes in various parks, woodlands, and green spaces.

The trees were not part of Bute Park's nationally recognised arboretum.

More information on these works is available here:https://bute-park.com/planned-grounds-maintenance/

Will any trees be replanted?

Yes. As part of our ongoing commitment to increase the tree canopy across the city, trees will continue to be planted under the councils Coed Caerdydd initiative.

Over the past four years, the Council has planted more than 100,000 new trees and remains committed to increasing the overall tree canopy coverage in the city from 18.9% to 25% through its Coed Caerdydd urban forest project.

Will the Blackweir Live events impact on the Bute Park Community Orchard site?

No, the Community Orchard is outside the footprint of the event. Arrangements will be made to ensure that the orchard is protected with protective fencing.

What about the noise?

Bute Park is a city centre park which hosts regular events, many of which feature live music.

Neighbouring residents and businesses will be considered - for example, the stage will face south so that sound is directed towards the park and the city centre - and noise levels at the Blackweir Live events will be monitored at all times.

Noise considerations formed part of the licencing process. It is a condition of the premises licence that:

• all music events must conform to the Noise Council's ‘Code of Practice of Environmental Noise Control At Concerts' also known as the ‘Pop Code.'
• a noise management plan must be submitted to the Pollution Control department at least 28 days prior to each event, or start of a series of jointly managed events.

The noise management plan must be completed by a suitably qualified acoustician and:

• include proposed sound levels for the event.
• document the methodology that will be used to monitor, control and manage the impact of noise disturbance from each event.
• incorporate a complaint management process for which site management should detail the available process should a complaint arise.

How will event traffic be managed?

Blackweir Fields is in a city centre location, easily accessible on foot and with good public transport links and audiences will be encouraged to use these.

In terms of vehicle traffic, city centre event management and parking arrangements will be put in place for these concerts.

These arrangements will be finalised in coming weeks.

Will the North Road cycleway be closed?

These arrangements will be finalised in the coming weeks however, it is possible that there may be some short-term temporary diversions of the cycleway to facilitate the event set up and break down, and during peak times for people entering and exiting the site on event days.

Will the concerts have any impact on the Taff Trail?

No. The Taff Trail will remain open throughout, however Blackweir Bridge and paths in the northern section of Bute Park will be closed on concert dates. Maps giving full details of any closures will be displayed in the park, ahead of the events.

What will the concerts be doing to support sustainability?

A comprehensive sustainability policy is available on the Depot Live website.

Will the Council make money from these concerts?

Yes. Bute Park is one of Cardiff's best-loved parks and holds a prestigious Green Flag Award, the highest honour there is for parks in the UK, on account of its quality. Since 2002, when Roath Park became the first Cardiff Council managed site to receive a Green Flag, nineteen other parks have been awarded this status.

Today Cardiff holds more green flags than most other comparable UK cities, but maintaining those high standards in the face of ongoing pressures on council budgets is challenging.

Alongside other popular and well-established events which already take place in Bute Park, the Blackweir Live events will provide vital income to enable us to continue investing in the city's parks and maintaining the high standards in our green spaces that residents deserve.

Income from the events will also help us to deliver on our music city ambitions, support our grassroots venues and continue to promote the city as a music destination.

What will the benefits of these concerts be to Cardiff's economy?

The globally-renowned artists playing at Blackweir Live will draw visitors to the city and result in significant economic benefits.

As well as helping make the city a vibrant, exciting place to live, work and visit, figures prior to the first series of the Castle concerts showed live music contributed in the region of £100 million to Cardiff's economy every year.

Outdoor, greenfield concerts are popular with the public and last year's Depot Live concerts at Cardiff Castle brought over 80,000 visitors to Cardiff from outside Wales. Coupled with an extensive local supply chain and 300 additional part-time jobs during the period, they contributed £26.3 million to the city's economy.

The Blackweir Live concerts are expected to create a further 300 local jobs during the concert period.

How will these concerts help support Cardiff's music scene?

The concerts form part of our ongoing work, alongside Cardiff Music Board, to help create a vibrant, all-year round music city where every level of the music sector - from emerging artists and grassroots venues upwards - thrives.

Examples of this wider work include:

• Delivery of the recent multi-venue Cardiff Music City Festival - Cardiff's biggest ever music festival.
• Helping to secure the future of Clŵb Ifor Bach.
• Helping find new homes for venues like Porters and Sustainable Studios.
• Introducing new capital funding grants - available to all grassroots venues in Cardiff.
• The introduction of a musician ‘loading zone' in Womanby Street.
• The appointment of Cardiff's first ever Music Officer - dedicated to working with the music industry.
• Delivery of a new ‘Little Gigs' school talent development scheme.

Cardiff-based promoters Depot Live are working alongside international promoters Cuffe & Taylor, who work with some of the biggest names in the global music industry - this partnership will build on the success of last summer's series of Castle Concerts as we look to cement Cardiff's status as a must-play destination for major artists ahead of the delivery of the new arena in Cardiff Bay.

The Blackweir Live concerts will also showcase the best homegrown talent in support slots, providing them with valuable exposure to new audiences.

How do I get tickets?

Tickets are available here: https://www.blackweirlive.com/