20,000 free tickets to the event were made available to the fans online at 10am today, on a first come, first served basis, with a limit of four tickets per person.
The ‘Together Stronger’ website link allowed fans to make a voluntary donation which, added to any profit from the event, will be shared equally between WRU grassroots initiatives, FAW Trust and the Lord Mayor’s charity, Cancer Research Wales.
Ticketholders are invited to the home of Welsh rugby to cheer on Wales’ football stars for the semi-final clash – the furthest stage any Welsh team has reached in an international tournament.
Gates will open at 6.30pm for the 8pm kick off, giving supporters early access to the official city-centre celebration for all the build-up before an unrestricted view of the match on the giant screens. Fans will also have the opportunity to purchase the official Euro 2016 tournament programme, the very-same on sale at the match.
Mark Williams, Principality Stadium Manager, said: “Fans wasted no time at all getting hold of their tickets to tomorrow’s screening of Wales v Portugal – with 20,000 tickets snapped up just over 90 minutes. Tomorrow’s match is the biggest in Welsh footballing history and I am delighted the venue has stepped in to guarantee more fans can gather for the match. We’re working closely with the FAW, Cardiff Council and South Wales Police to make sure this is a great occasion. I also want to extend a huge thanks to Speedway who have made special arrangements in their own planning to make this possible.”
Jonathan Ford, FAW Chief Executive, “The fact that this event has sold out shows the magnificent support we have back home in Wales. The buzz around the city of Cardiff during the tournament has been incredible and hopefully the supporters will have another memorable night watching Wales.”
Cabinet Member Community Development, Co-operatives and Social Enterprise at City of Cardiff Council, Cllr Peter Bradbury said: “The fact that the fanzone tickets have sold out so quickly just goes to show the depth of feeling out there for what the Wales national side has achieved so far this summer in France. To reach the semi-finals of a major tournament is a remarkable achievement and I’m sure the 20,000 supporters in the Principality Stadium tomorrow evening will have a memorable experience as they cheer on Chris Coleman’s team and hopefully celebrate as Wales make it to the final on Sunday.”
The screening takes place just three days before the Speedway Grand Prix, with fans taking their places in reserved seating overlooking the spectacle that is the world-class racing track set up to host the world’s best riders on Saturday 9 July.
The motorsports track showcases the impressive transformation at the multi-event venue which has this year hosted Chris Coleman’s team for back-to-back training session ahead of their Euro 2016 campaign and Welsh rugby’s home matches in the RBS 6 Nations.
Torben Olsen, Managing Director of BSI Speedway, says: “We are delighted to be able to partner with the Principality Stadium to welcome Welsh football fans to watch the semi-final game. With thousands of motorsport fans coming to this same stadium on Saturday, we know how important it is for fans to be able to join together and therefore are glad that we could make this opportunity possible. It will be an exciting week for Cardiff. We hope that the Welsh fans enjoy the atmosphere in the stadium tonight and will also join us for some World Championship speedway action this Saturday for the Adrian Flux British FIM Speedway Grand Prix.”
Supporters are reminded that enhanced security checks will be in place and to leave large bags at home, where possible, to avoid further hold-up on arrival at the venue. To assist the public and those planning for the event, Cardiff Council recently announced transport and travel details on their website.
