Heading to a Wales international or another big event at Principality Stadium in the centre of Cardiff? A little planning on transport, gates and the bag policy makes matchday much easier.
Getting there and through the gates
Train is the simplest way in: Cardiff Central station is around a five-minute walk from the stadium. From the station, bear left along Wood Street for Gates 5, 6 and 7, or head right towards Westgate Street for Gates 1 to 4. The stadium sits in the city centre and has no dedicated spectator car park on matchdays, so anyone driving needs to arrange parking well away from the ground in advance.
Enter through the turnstile at the gate printed on the ticket. Rules on bags, food and drink can change between events, so check the official Principality Stadium website in the days before travelling rather than relying on a previous visit.
What to expect at the gate
Security checks and bag searches happen at every gate. As a general rule only small bags are allowed inside, and there is no cloakroom or storage for anything larger, so it is worth travelling as light as possible. Exact size limits and the current list of restricted items are published on the stadium's safety and security page and are worth checking close to the event, since they can be tightened for high-demand fixtures.
The venue also publishes a downloadable access statement covering step-free routes, accessible toilets, hearing support and blue-badge parking; anyone with access needs should read this before travelling.
Roof, capacity and the ground itself
Principality Stadium holds 73,931 spectators for rugby and is the largest stadium in Wales. It opened in 1999 as the Millennium Stadium, built for that year's Rugby World Cup, and was renamed Principality Stadium in 2016 under a sponsorship deal, so both names still turn up online. It is a separate ground from Cardiff Arms Park, the smaller stadium next door that is home to Cardiff Rugby, rather than an old name for the national stadium itself.
The stadium has a retractable roof. In January 2025 the Welsh Rugby Union and Six Nations Rugby agreed that the roof would default to closed for all of Wales's fixtures for two years. At the time of writing (2026) that arrangement can still change, so check the stadium's news pages for the current policy before assuming either way. Whatever the roof does, Cardiff's weather is changeable, so bring layers regardless of the forecast.
The short version: arrive by train, allow time to walk from Cardiff Central, travel with a small bag or none at all, and check principalitystadium.wales for the latest rules on security, access and the roof before setting off.
