Utilita Arena Cardiff

Utilita Arena Cardiff is in the city centre, a few minutes' walk from both Cardiff Central and Cardiff Queen Street stations, and has no on-site parking for audiences. It opened as Cardiff International Arena in 1993 and has carried its current name since August 2023.

What hospitality is there at Utilita Arena Cardiff?

Utilita Arena Cardiff has five premium options, and group size decides which one fits. The Suite Experience takes 1 to 18 guests, with a two-course meal and a shared suite; the Energise Club holds 16, or up to 25 on private hire; a hospitality suite takes up to 18. The L2 Restaurant and Pre-Show Bars add a meal or early bar access to a show ticket (alcohol for over-18s only; ID may be required).

The Suite Experience

The Suite Experience starts in the L2 Restaurant with a two-course meal and a drink on arrival: a pint of draught beer or cider, a glass of house wine or a soft drink. Alcohol is for over-18s only, and ID may be required. Guests then watch from seats on Level 1 and have access to a shared private suite with its own bar. Entry is through the hospitality entrance under the front canopy, with a VIP wristband and a souvenir ticket for each guest.

The Suite Experience can be booked for 1 to 18 guests, and the venue lists a host to look after the party through the event. The L2 Restaurant usually opens for it at 5pm, though the venue says that can change with the show.

Energise Club

The Energise Club, which Utilita Arena Cardiff describes as its newest premium offering, is a Level 1 club with a host and its own bar, where alcohol is served to over-18s only and ID may be required. Guests come in through the hospitality entrance and sit in allocated seats on the lower level or the Deck, with a VIP wristband and a souvenir ticket.

Doors to the Energise Club open at the same time as the main arena doors, and it has room for 16 guests, rising to 25 when one group hires it privately. The venue says its seating is accessible, apart from the Deck, which sits on a small platform.

Hospitality suites

The arena's hospitality suites hold up to 18 guests each. The venue does not publish a fixed list of what a suite includes, as it does for The Suite Experience and the Energise Club, and it offers the suites for a single show or on an annual lease.

L2 Restaurant and Pre-Show Bars

The L2 Restaurant, on Level 2, serves a bistro-style menu before the show and is sold as an upgrade once you hold a show ticket. Pre-Show Bar upgrades, available on most shows, give access to a bar before doors (alcohol for over-18s only; ID may be required) and a queue jump for the main doors. The venue notes that the queue jump excludes any VIP early entry.

What is not included in Utilita Arena Cardiff hospitality?

None of the premium options at Utilita Arena Cardiff lists parking, and the arena has no on-site audience car park. The Suite Experience lists one drink on arrival rather than a drinks package (alcohol is for over-18s only; ID may be required), and the Energise Club lists a bar, a host and seats with no meal. The L2 Restaurant and Pre-Show Bars sit on top of a show ticket and do not replace one.

What is the capacity of Utilita Arena Cardiff?

Utilita Arena Cardiff holds up to 7,500 people for a standing show and around 5,000 when it is fully seated. Its seating plans show three layouts: seated, seated and standing, and standing. The venue says "All of our shows have different seating and standing configurations", so the layout depends on the night.

Was Utilita Arena Cardiff called Motorpoint Arena?

Yes. Utilita Arena Cardiff opened in 1993 as Cardiff International Arena, later became Motorpoint Arena Cardiff, then went back to the Cardiff International Arena name. The current name dates from August 2023, when Utilita Energy took the naming rights. Older listings can carry any of the three names, and all of them mean the same arena on Mary Ann Street.

Utilita also has its name on an arena in Birmingham, a different venue, so check the city on any listing or booking.

Is there a new arena in Cardiff?

Yes. A new 16,500-capacity arena is being built at Atlantic Wharf in Cardiff Bay. It is owned by Cardiff Council, construction began in 2025, and it is planned to open in 2028. Its planned capacity is more than twice the 7,500 that Utilita Arena Cardiff holds for a standing show.

Where is Utilita Arena Cardiff?

Utilita Arena Cardiff is on Mary Ann Street, Cardiff, CF10 2EQ, in the city centre near the St David's shopping district. Cardiff Central and Cardiff Queen Street stations are both a few minutes' walk away, and Cardiff Bus runs city services from the central Bus Interchange. The venue's what3words address is ///points.famous.starts.

• Taxis: ranks on Tredegar Street and Churchill Way.
• Parking: there is no on-site parking for audiences. The venue names nearby city-centre multi-storeys, including St David's, John Lewis and Adam Street NCP.
• Flying in: Cardiff Airport is about 30 minutes' drive from the city centre, by the venue's estimate.

What can I bring into Utilita Arena Cardiff?

Utilita Arena Cardiff allows one small bag per person, no bigger than A4 (29 x 21 x 15 cm), and has a strict no-readmission policy. Its cloakroom is paid and cashless, and takes coats and bags. For food, the venue's Re:Fuel outlet serves hot dogs, chips, pies and pizza, while guests on The Suite Experience eat their two courses in the L2 Restaurant before the show.

Is Utilita Arena Cardiff accessible?

Utilita Arena Cardiff has a dedicated Access Team and a radio-frequency hearing system guests can borrow, but access differs between its premium options. The venue describes The Suite Experience as "not accessible currently". Seating in the Energise Club is accessible, but its Deck seats are not, because they sit on a small platform.

Access tickets are booked through the venue's Live Access Scheme, and proof of disability must be provided before the event. The venue works with Attitude Is Everything for its Live Access customers. It says companion tickets are "very limited", and they can only be booked at the same time as the access ticket. Live Access seating is on Levels 1 and 2, with chairs that can be moved, lifts serve every floor, and there are six accessible toilets with no RADAR key needed. Assistance dogs are welcome; the venue asks for advance notice where possible and proof of Assistance Dogs UK registration.

Blue Badge holders can park in the city-centre car parks around the arena, and the venue lists the Blue Badge spaces in each:

• St David's: 120
• John Lewis: 21
• Adam Street NCP: 20
• Pellet Street NCP: 8
• Westgate Street NCP: 4
• Rapports NCP: 3

Who has played Utilita Arena Cardiff?

Paramore have played Utilita Arena Cardiff four times, most recently in April 2023, when the building was billed as Cardiff International Arena, and the arena has also hosted Beyoncé. It opened in September 1993 with Shirley Bassey playing the first concert, and Queen Elizabeth II officially opened it on 14 October 1993.