Cardiff is the capital of Wales, its largest city, and the centre for many cultural events and institutions.

It began in 75 AD as a small Roman fort, which was expanded into Cardiff Castle during the 11th century. The castle was expanded during the Victorian era, but still has visible Roman and Norman remains.

Cardiff expanded rapidly during the 19th century as the docks became a popular trading destination. It became a city in 1905, and became the capital of Wales in 1955.

A popular tourist destination, Cardiff boasts a number of landmarks including the Wales Millennium Centre, Millennium Stadium and the National Museum and Gallery of Wales. Since the 1990s Cardiff Bay has been extensively redeveloped, and is the location of the Senedd, home to the National Assembly for Wales.

Cultural Cardiff

A range of concerts and music festivals are held each year in Cardiff. Performing arts venues include St David's Hall, New Theatre, Wales Millennium Centre and Chapter Arts Centre. Occasionally music events are also held at the Millennium Stadium. It also has a number of smaller venues which mostly cater for modern music, the best-known of which is perhaps Clwb Ifor Bach.

If you're visiting the capital city of Wales, take a look at our Cardiff minisite on the BBC Local site for South East Wales, for a wealth of information and useful links. The BBC Wales Music site has information on the variety of musicians who have come from the city and elsewhere in Wales.

Useful Addresses

St David's Hall
The Hayes
Cardiff
CF10 1SH
Box Office: +44 (0)29 2087 8444

New Theatre
Park Place
Cardiff
CF10 3LN
Box Office: +44 (0)29 2087 8889

Cardiff Gateway Visitor Centre
The Old Library
The Hayes
Cardiff
+44 (0)29 2022 7281
visitor@thecardiffinitiative.co.uk
www.visitcardiff.com
Open 9.30am-6pm Monday-Saturday, 10am-4pm Sunday