Cardiff Council to Decide on Controversial Blackweir Live Gig Series
Cardiff Council is set to make a crucial decision this week regarding the proposed Blackweir Live gig series at the popular Blackweir Fields park. The event, slated for June and July 2025, would feature prominent artists such as Kings of Leon, Alanis Morissette, and Stevie Wonder, drawing crowds of up to 35,000 people. While the council believes hosting live music events at Blackweir Fields would enhance the city’s entertainment offerings and aid in park maintenance funding, concerns have been voiced by park users and sports teams regarding access to green spaces and potential disruptions to grassroots sports activities.
The controversy surrounding the Blackweir Live events began in 2024 when announcements were made about large-scale gigs at Blackweir Fields. Park users and local community groups expressed worries about the impact on the park’s accessibility and the preservation of nature. Cardiff Council’s decision to cut down trees at the park to create a new entrance for the events further fueled the debate on park management and event planning.
DEPOT Live and Cuffe and Taylor, the organizers behind Blackweir Live, have planned a lineup of renowned artists, including Kings of Leon, Alanis Morissette, and Stevie Wonder. Despite the lack of a licensing application at the initial announcement, the council later submitted an application to host events for up to 35,000 attendees. The contentious issue will be deliberated at a council licensing subcommittee meeting this week.
While the council emphasises the potential benefits of the Blackweir Live series, highlighting the success of previous events at the park, critics, including the Friends of Bute Park group, argue that the proposed events could restrict public access to parkland during the summer months. Concerns have been raised about the lack of public consultation and transparency in the event planning process, with community groups feeling inadequately informed about the proposed gigs.
The tree felling activities at Blackweir Fields, carried out by Cardiff Council, have added to the dissent among parkgoers and environmental advocates. The Council defends the clearance work as necessary for risk management and ecological purposes, stressing that the selected trees were either dead or affected by disease. However, residents and ecologists remain sceptical about the timing and extent of the tree removal.
Local sports teams, particularly cricket clubs like Cardiff Bay Dragons, express apprehension about the long-term impact of hosting large-scale events at Blackweir Fields. Concerns include potential damage to cricket pitches and limited access to playing grounds during the event periods. The Cardiff Midweek Cricket League, with over 1,200 players across 36 teams, faces challenges in securing alternative venues if Blackweir Fields become unavailable for cricket matches.
As the debate intensifies over the Blackweir Live events, stakeholders on all sides continue to voice their opinions on the matter. While the council aims to balance the benefits of hosting major gigs with preserving parkland and supporting sports activities, the concerns raised by park users, sports teams, and environmental groups underscore the complexities of managing public spaces for diverse community needs. With the licensing decision pending, the future of Blackweir Fields as an events venue remains a subject of contention and deliberation in Cardiff.