The direct economic impact of the WWE’s ‘Clash at the Castle’ event, which was held at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium last September, has been revealed. The UK’s first major WWE stadium event in 30 years, hosted by Wales and which saw a specifically designed set that mirrored Cardiff castle, attracted a global audience of millions.
It also delivered £21.8m into the Welsh economy, a 10:1 return on investment and supported an estimated 433 jobs, according to a new report from the Welsh Government.
The independent economic impact study, generated via a post-event online survey of over 3,000 people, found that, of the 62,296 attendees to the event, 75.3% of spectators came from outside Wales. While 57% of those non-locals indicated the event experience made them want to explore other parts of Wales.
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The event also attracted a diverse audience, with nearly a quarter of spectators being female, and many of the spectators attending as family groups.
A total of 93% of attendees said they would attend another WWE premium live event in Cardiff and 56% would return to Cardiff for a future holiday.
Nigel Walker, interim chief executive of the Welsh Rugby Union, which owns and operates the stadium, said: “The huge return as acknowledged today by Welsh Government is a significant achievement, and is reflective of the fantastic collaboration between all event partners; Principality Stadium, Welsh Government and Cardiff Council amongst others, in bringing this major event to Wales.
“The ability of Principality Stadium to attract major third-party events such as these is vital not just to the local economy, but the positive ripple effects are felt far and wide, through job creation and event tourism.
“Clash At The Castle had a global audience of millions, and with all eyes on Principality Stadium; we stepped up to the challenge and showcased what a magnificent venue we have here in Cardiff.
“Principality Stadium remains a unique asset and continued investment in the stadium is vital to enable Wales to remain attractive to major events across sports, entertainment and music in future.
“We want to build on our tremendous 20-year legacy of delivering outstanding events, successfully contributing over £2.75 billion of economic output during that time; and, as the home of Welsh rugby, I’m proud that all profits made here go back into funding the game at all levels in Wales.”
Wales’ Economy Minister Vaughan Gething said: “This is what supporting events is all about. We partnered with a world-renowned events and entertainment company to bring a truly spectacular global event to Wales. It was the perfect opportunity for us to showcase how our cities and venues can help deliver successful and globally-recognised occasions.
“In addition to the direct economic impact the event delivered here in Wales, it provided us with a huge boost to our profile internationally. This included opportunities to showcase Wales’ vibrant language and culture through bespoke content creation shared globally on WWE’s social media channels. Over 9 minutes of premium footage that showcased the whole of Wales and regular references to ‘Cardiff, Wales’ throughout commentary."
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