It's March already (somehow) and as we start to see the first signs of spring, many of us are finally starting to get out of tat post-Christmas slump and think about what we want to do with the rest of our year in Cardiff. Those of us living in or near the capital are blessed with a city where there's always something going on - sometimes so much that it's impossible to keep track. That's why we've tried our best to collate some of the biggest stuff happening in Cardiff in what's left of 2024 - from restaurants opening to old buildings getting a new lease of life, and from the biggest stadium concerts to some brilliant independent theatre. There's undoubtedly some stuff we'll have missed; while it would be amazing to list every local gig and event, we're not quite able to. Hopefully, though, this gives a flavour of what there is to look forward to and the ways in which our city will change as the year goes on. READ MORE: Taylor Swift's Eras Tour named cheapest to see in Cardiff as tickets go on resale READ NEXT: I went cold water swimming for the first time and felt something I wasn't expecting New bars and restaurants opening, including the return of some cult favourites No details have been spared in a painstaking recreation of the Vulcan (and it's moved on a lot since this photo was taken) (Image: WalesOnline/ Rob Browne) It's no secret that Welsh restaurants are in a really, really difficult spot at the moment, and Cardiff has been a case study. Restaurateurs have spoken to WalesOnline about the 'hurricane' of problems they're facing and a pending increase in business rates could add insult to injury . But there's always reason for optimism and this year it could come from a new wave of independents giving it a go. Well-known Cardiff hairdresser Ken Picton is planning to open a bar, deli and cookery school alongside his Mermaid Quay salon. A number of independents are opening further afield, too, with many in Swansea - you can read about those here . For lifelong Cardiff residents, the biggest stories might be the reopening of two firm favourites in two very different ways. Firstly, the Vulcan Hotel , which once stood on Adam Street near the city centre will open its doors at St Fagans National Museum of History after being dismantled in 2012. Another familiar pub is opening its doors again in 2024, in something closer to its original form. In January it was announced that The Westgate, which was sold by Brains in 2016 and turned to a family home, will be a pub once more. The Grade II listed building was taken over in late 2023 and, with a formal opening date yet to be confirmed, we're expecting for it to make its return very soon. Across the city in the Civic Centre, plans for an old toilet block to be turned into a smart cafe - put forward by Lezzet Kitchen owner Hakan Sir - have taken a step forward. With the designs slightly altered from those originally submitted to the council, the cafe could start to take shape as early as June. Elsewhere some big chains are coming to Cardiff - with Coppa Club expected to open their first Welsh venue, The Cardiff Townhouse in early May , and Giggling Squid opening another branch towards the end of March . Elsewhere, popular chain Pizza Pilgrims (which has more than a dozen
London locations and several others) looks set to open in Cardiff but an exact opening date is not known . All the big gigs and global superstars coming to our city
Taylor Swift is among a huge catalogue of stars bringing tours to Cardiff (Image: Rich Fury/Getty Images for iHeartMedia) The capital will be graced by some of the biggest names in
music in 2024. Anyone who went through the ticket presale frenzy and lived to tell the tale will be well aware that Taylor Swift is on the way; up in
Liverpool, her Anfield gigs have been given a special codename - such is the scale of her fandom. Cardiff is said to be the cheapest place to attend the concert , and you can still pick up some resales on Ticketmaster . The Principality Stadium will be well-used over the summer, as P!nk and Bruce Springsteen (E Street Band in tow) and Foo Fighters arrive in June, with Billy Joel following them in August. Some brilliant acts will also be playing the Utilita Arena and Cardiff Castle, too - especially when Depot at the Castle arrives, headlined by Anne-Marie, and when Catfish and the Bottlemen make their return in July after a years-long break from touring and recording. Plus, let's not forget Pride Cymru - not only a celebration of the LGBT+ community and inclusivity in Cardiff but also a massive festival headlined by Vengaboys , with more acts yet to be announced. Read more about the big gigs coming to Cardiff and how to get tickets, here . One of the world's best musicals bringing a two-month run to Wales Millennium Centre... Hamilton is coming to Cardiff in 2024 (Image: Getty Images for The National Lo) There are always some amazing touring productions to be seen in Cardiff - with Come From Away, Hairspray and Wicked among them at Wales Millennium Centre this year. Shows like A Chorus Line and David Walliams' Awful Auntie will also be calling in at the New Theatre . But it's arguably Hamilton - winner of 11 Tony Awards, a Grammy, a Pulitzer Prize and seven Oliviers, among other accolades - which really catches the eye. Lin-Manuel Miranda's smash-hit musical is touring the
UK and
Ireland on tour (currently in Manchester) and it'll be in Cardiff a little later in the year - from November 26, 2024 to January 25, 2025. Plenty of tickets are still available for the two-month run here . And some incredible home-grown original theatre Housemates was one of the true highlights of 2023 at the Sherman Theatre and there's plenty more to come in 2024 (Image: Photo by Mark Douet) As well as the world's biggest productions we have some of the world's best here in Cardiff, and there's more than enough to keep you going throughout the year. The programme at the Sherman Theatre in particular is already shaping up to be a good one. In March, one-woman play The Wife of Cyncoed depicts a newly-divorced woman finding a new life for herself in Cardiff - and in May and June, The
Women of Llanrumney takes a stark look at Wales' colonial past, exploring the lives of two women enslaved by a Welsh family as they face up to the horror and trauma of slavery. Odyssey '84 , a retelling of the 1984 miners' strike inspired by Homer's Odyssey, is on in October, and the award-winning Iphigenia in Splott returns, translated to the Welsh language as Iphigenia yn Sblot (with English captions available). Original theatre can be found all across the capital - with Michael Sheen starring in Aneurin Bevan biopic Nye at Wales Millennium Centre and performances at Chapter Arts Centre ranging from A Brief History of Difference , an exploration of identity and belonging through interactive dance theatre, Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama's production of A Very Expensive Poison and a puppet-based performance of classic children's tale The Little Prince . There's so much more we haven't mentioned, but in short: Cardiff's theatre scene is absolutely buzzing and there are some honest-to-goodness gems to be found for a modest price, so get some of these in your diary. A bus station - finally The bus station saga has dragged on longer than expected (Image: WalesOnline/Rob Browne) The saga of Cardiff's bus station has been a frustrating one, with Wales' capital city going without one since it closed in 2015. Its replacement, at the base of the new Wood Street House building, has been long-anticipated but has faced more than a couple of delays along the way. It was meant to welcome its first services in late 2023, but we were since told there will be a further delay. The good news is, when it opens, it will open fully rather than in stages. A TfW spokesperson confirmed spring 2024 is still the plan, with details to be revealed soon. Get the best user experience with WalesOnline’s Premium app on
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Android New routes from Cardiff Airport Ryanair is adding some new routes to Cardiff Airport (Image: South Wales Echo) While the potential route to Doha - which Cardiff Airport's boss is confident will go ahead - is a little way off and not yet confirmed, other routes being added to the airport's roster are more certain. Ryanair are adding routes to Tenerife and Alicante for summer 2024, with the airport in talks with the airline over what could be added for the winter. Meanwhile, Loganair is adding capacity on its route to Edinburgh and Tui on various holidays from Cardiff . It's no secret that the airport has had a hard time, with the Welsh Government having invested over £172m in it, but this at least is some decent news for passengers. The revitalisation of some big buildings We could also see the first bit of life breathed back into the historic Howells department store this year. Property developer Thackeray Group is planning a huge upheaval of the site including a new public square linking to Cardiff Market, thousands of square feet of retail space, build-to-rent apartments and a 120-bed hotel, but some of this (the hotel especially) is a little further away. This year, though, we could see the first occupants - either offices or retail - in the 25,000 sq ft Percy building (on the corner of St Mary Street and Wharton Street) as well as the continued refurbishment of the Bethany Chapel nearby. Down the road, we could start to see progress on the Castle Quarter food court. Previously planned to be an outdoor courtyard, this is now planned to be a mostly indoor venue with spaces for bars and restaurants to sell their goods. The site's owners are now looking for an occupier and, all being well, we could see some real progress this year. International football, rugby,
Cricket and more Cardiff is arguably one of the world's great cities for the variety of sport on offer (Image: PA) For the Wales men's
Football team there's a catalogue of home fixtures to follow - starting with the Euro 2024 play-off semi-final and a potential final to follow. Later in the year Cymru will face Türkiye, Montenegro and Iceland on home soil although the exact venue of these games has not been confirmed (the Wales women's team will also have home games in Euro 2025 qualifying, but with fixtures split between Wrexham and Llanelli . The Women's Six Nations kicks off with a home game at Cardiff Arms Park on Saturday, March 23 with two more home games tomorrow - one, against
Italy on Saturday, April 27 - at the Principality Stadium. The men's rugby team will also be in Autumn Internationals action at the Principality Stadium with the exact fixtures yet to be confirmed. There's also a huge raft of cricket to enjoy at Sophia Gardens, with Glamorgan fixtures in the County Championship through the year and the Vitality Blast from May to July. The Hundred will also return this year, as will Welsh
fire with a number of women's and men's home fixtures from July to August . With enough time to catch the remainder of the Cardiff Devils' ice hockey season if you're quick enough to snap up tickets , rugby regions' Judgement Day on June 1 at Cardiff City Stadium and netball team, Cardiff Dragons on home soil at the House of Sport and Utilita Arena until June A zip wire over our famous stadium It might be overkill to give this its own entry in our list, but doesn't it look brilliant? (Image: WRU/Principality Stadium) On a very different note, we're expecting the planned zip wire attraction across the roof of the Principality Stadium to be operational by March, according to the WRU who have partnered with Wire & Sky (the minds behind similar attractions at Wembley Stadium,
Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and others) to deliver the adrenaline-fuelled attraction. WRU director Richard Collier-Keywood said in August that work was underway. He added: "Principality Stadium is a magnificent world class venue and now fans, if they dare, will be able to experience it from a whole new perspective, as well as take in the spectacular city panorama from the roof. We have long been a must see destination for international rugby supporters as well as a must play venue for the world’s biggest acts. "Now this ambitious project will help us further utilise one of the major assets in Welsh rugby to reach its full potential as a major visitor attraction for thrill seekers and those who want to see Cardiff from a totally different perspective." Read more about this project here . The skyline changing as some big developments take shape They say cranes in the sky are the sign of a thriving city; Cardiff has too many to count (Image: WalesOnline/Rob Browne) For better or worse (and no doubt, there would be some debate about that), the shape of Cardiff will continue to change in 2024. From an 18-storey building for Wales' highest-achieving school to a remodel of the Howells building and adjacent Bethany Chapel, many of the big projects we've been writing about for months could finally get underway. Others are bigger question marks - work is nearly complete in the bus station, a building already a familiar part of the city centre - but we've been waiting for a concrete opening date for years now. Transport for Wales says it will be operational in 2024, which would make it the first time in nine years that the city has had a functional bus station. Even more controversial is the Guildford Crescent tower, set to rise above the former home of Gwdihw and the Madeira and Thai House restaurants - the frontages of which were controversially demolished last year. Although there is no known completion date, work is set to continue on this. And of course, Central Quay and a gaggle of other developments south of the city centre will mean a section of skyline once dominated by the Brains brewery tower will be populated with bigger, shinier buildings; these won't be finished in 2024 but they are already taking shape. You can read all about these and more here .