Cardiff International Arena

Went here as had free tickets for Mc Fly. Other than the groups of screaming 15 year olds it was a good night.

I felt the security was quite poor as i saw people wandering in and out without being asked for tickets at the smoking area.

Easy to get to as a short walk from the station and high street.

Could do with a re vamp soon as does look quite dated.

As always with a place like this, what you're seeing here will have an impact on your view of it. i've seen so many shows here from pearl jam and queen live, to wwe, the mighty boosh and thriller live. always been a great night, only problem is the price of food and drink, not good.

We had a great evening listening to Mark Knopfler, however the acoustics were not great. The venue was 90% full, we were sitting a little right of centre stage ten rows back. During quieter vocal and/or instrumental passages there was a really annoying echo from the back wall of the arena. The echo arrived about half a beat after the original and became increasingly tiresome.

There are many hard and bare vertical surfaces in the arena causing the echo.

I would not rush back to the CIA due to the annoying acoustics. Chris

P.S. I travelled two hundred miles to the CIA.

Great place to see a music event. Ok food and drink prices but still not too kind on the wallet. plenty of seating at the back, and always well attended dance floor. over all pretty good for gigs

The CIA is really handy to get to as it is situated in the centre of Cardiff, so you can walk or get a bus. There are loads of different types of concerts and events held here. The comedy gigs i have been to were great and the rock gigs had great sound. I don’t think the beer is to overpriced for a concert venue.

I’ve seen quite a number of concerts here over the years, and haven’t really had a terrible experience. I’ve sat nearly everywhere in the venue, from right at the back, to the side, to standing at the front, and my experience has been just as enjoyable.

The staff on the door are always quite helpful, and do their job professionally. I’ve never really experienced a big queue here; whether that’s because I turn up late or because the staff are quick at their job, I don’t know!

The food and drink prices are extortionate, I might add. Although in my experience concert places like this always are!

It is a bit of a trek to the concert hall from the train station, and the car parks can get very busy - don’t always rely on the shuttle bus. The queues for it can be massive after a concert!

Cash points are quite plentiful around the venue which is always a bonus!

Pros: I have been to the CIA on a number of occasions and have seen bands such as Texas and Kaiser Chiefs. This is a large arena in the centre of the city. It is in easy walking distance to the train station and has car parks nearby. The arena is large and has the advantage of being indoors so no worries about getting wet. There is plenty of space inside for seating and standing. Very enjoyable venue. Always crowded when I have been which surely is a good indication of how popular it is.

Cons: Gets very hot when crowded which is always the case when I have been.

A pretty good venue for some of the bigger shows that come to the City (rock bands, conferences, wrestling etc). The drinks are, of course, extortionate but you can take your drink to your seat unlike some places which won’t allow food and drink inside. They do sell food even in the midst of big gigs so you can get a panini if you forgot to eat beforehand.
It is a bit odd for more formal concerts where its all seating as there are no structured seats, just rows of chairs set out by hand with the numbers chalked on the back but a chair’s a chair and generally its a pretty good venue.

The CIA is the main venue of gigs and live entertainment in Cardiff. It is home to musical gigs, comedy shows and sporting events (such as Boxing and Wrestling). The stewards are very helpful in finding your seat, and they ensure your visit is as comfortable as possible.
My only gripe is the fact that tickets usually sell out very fast.

The CIA is great since the smoking ban, prior to that it seemed even when it became 'non smoking’ to not be very well enforced! Luckily it now is a far more comfortable environment to be in and acoustics were great for the concerts I’ve attended. As a relatively small venue(at least compared to the Millenium Stadium) it makes for a great atmosphere. It attracts some great performers, I’ve been lucky enough to see Dido, David Grey, French and Saunders, Damien Rice and James Blunt here and each perfomance was fantastic.
On the negative side the drinks are very overpriced, extortionate even for soft drinks and seating is generally very cramped.

The CIA is a great venue although it is fairly small in comparison to other arenas throughout the UK. Ive seen some fairly big bands and singers here including Pussycat Dolls, Kanye West, Nickelback and Funeral for a Friend. It is also a good venue for comedy acts and I have seen Ricky Gervais fame tour here and more recently The Mighty Boosh! Other events that often happen here is WWE Wrestling!

This arena is one of the smaller across the UK, but still attracts a host of big name bands touring as well as pantomimes, sporting and other events. This venue has 2 big drawbacks for me. The first is the temperature, it is by far the hottest venue I’ve been to for a gig hosting a band with more than a couple of lights on stage. Secondly, the stage is probably a foot too low down, meaning that if you’re below 6 foot (which I am), you’ll struggle for a good view of the stage more so than at comparable venues I’ve been to.

I been to this venue to see a number of concerts plus little briton, and it is ok if you get seating seats in the middle but if you are unlucky enough to have seats on the sides, the view is not great. The beer is expensive, but then again it always is at a concert. I have been to several christmas partys here too and they have always been good.

Great concert venue, i used to work there and thouroughly enjoyed it. Was a great venue for our uni student Ball too .Easy to get too .Plenty of hotels around it too .

Cardiff international arena is the best to hold a concert for any type of music, especially pop groups

I have only been here once to see a band, who were great! The CIA is a great venue situated in the heart of cardiff so its easy to get to & the halls are great.