Hotels for UEFA Euro 2028 — Cardiff (National Stadium of Wales)

A European Championship group match brings a full slate of travelling supporters into the city for the day. Fans mix songs and chants from both sides on the walk in, and the atmosphere tends to hold well past the final whistle as the result sinks in around the bars and squares nearby. A Friday fixture also means a longer, looser build-up than a midweek slot, with people arriving in good time to make a day of it.

Cardiff stages the opening match of UEFA Euro 2028 on Friday 9 June 2028, kicking off the tournament co-hosted by England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. The games in the Welsh capital will be played at the Principality Stadium — branded the National Stadium of Wales for the tournament under UEFA's clean-stadium rules — a city-centre ground holding more than 70,000 whose retractable roof, the first of its kind in the UK, makes for one of the great atmospheres in sport.

Beyond the opener, Cardiff hosts further group matches, a round-of-16 tie and one of the tournament's four quarter-finals, the others going to Dublin, Glasgow and Wembley; the final is at Wembley on 9 July 2028. Uniquely among big-tournament venues, many fans can walk from hotel to seat through the heart of the city. The group draw comes later, so the nations playing here are confirmed nearer the time; the host city, venue and dates are already fixed.

Wales's national stadium sits dramatically in the heart of Cardiff, its retractable roof rising above the River Taff, hosting rugby and football internationals plus the biggest touring concerts. Few major venues are so central, with the city's bars, shops and restaurants literally on the doorstep. Cardiff Central station is a short walk away, linking across Wales and to England. Booking a room in the compact centre means you can walk to the event through the pre-match buzz and be back within minutes afterwards.