Pink in Cardiff: Travel warning as Summer Carnival tour restarts

Superstar US singer Pink has kicked off the European leg of her Summer Carnival Tour by getting the party started in front of a sell-out crowd in Wales.

Despite suffering food poisoning shortly before the show, Pink delighted thousands in Cardiff with fan-favourite tracks and her now-famous circus routines – and even witnessed an engagement.

Partway through the concert, she spotted the proposal in the crowd and excitedly said: “She said yes? Congratulations!”, before the camera panned to the couple embracing.

“I love love,” added Pink.

Pink opened the show with Get This Party started, quickly followed by hits Raise Your Glass and Who Knew.

Posted to Instagram earlier on Tuesday evening, she said she had been unwell, but added: “Wales, freaking love it here… a little food poisoning can’t stop us.”

“Thank you guys for coming to play with us, you look amazing,” she told the Cardiff crowd.

She later brought out her 13-year-old daughter Willow to sing Cover Me In Sunshine, the song they released together.

Tens of thousands of fans arrived in Cardiff ahead of Tuesday’s gig, with authorities warning of travel disruption.

The singer returned to Cardiff’s Principality Stadium for the first time in five years to begin her European leg, before heading to London, Dublin, Liverpool and Glasgow before nine gigs on mainland Europe.

Daughter and mum Sinead, 34, and Justine, 52, travelled from Swindon to see Pink.

They have seen her several times live and have set up camp all afternoon outside the stadium with deckchairs and a picnic, hoping to be among the first in.

Ten years ago Sinead left a Pink concert with a special memento – a drumstick from the set.

She said: “I’m hoping this year I get the second one!”

Catherine Williams, her daughter Ellie, and Kelly Walters were particularly looking forward to seeing the singer, having failed to get tickets the last time Pink played in Cardiff in 2019.

“I do love her older songs like Just Like a Pill, So What – but we love them all,” Catherine said.

“I’ve never been to watch Pink so I can’t wait, really excited,” said Kelly.

Summer, 14, Emily, 18, Briony 17, Tori 22, and Rachel, 36, travelled from Birmingham to watch Pink in Cardiff.

Tori has been before, and said the show was “insane”, while Emily could not wait to see Pink live for the first time.

Friends Julie Jones, 58, from Carmarthen and Theresa Owen, 62, from St Clears were watching Pink in concert for the first time.

Julie was looking forward to the acrobatics, and Theresa agreed.

“We’ve watched some clips of it already and it looks fantastic. We can’t wait to see her,” Julie said.

Lauren, 25, from Carmarthenshire, said: “I’m definitely looking forward to the swinging from the ceiling,” of the acrobatics in the show.

Another highlight, she added, would be to see The Script perform as one of the warm-up acts.

Triple Grammy Award winner Pink, 44, said she was excited to be back in Wales during the month that the Principality Stadium celebrates its quarter-century.

“It’s been way too long since I’ve been in Wales,” added Pink, whose hits include Get The Party Started, Just Give Me a Reason and So What.

The Summer Carnival tour is in support of the singer’s ninth studio album, Trustfall, which was released last year, and her first gig since her show in Queensland, Australia, in March.

Irish rock band The Script, American singer songwriter Gayle, and the DJ KidCutUp were the warm-up acts for Pink.

Her Summer Carnival tour dates last year saw her singing beside a giant rainbow beach ball while dancers bounced on trampolines.

Pink’s Cardiff date is the first of her 18 shows in Europe, with nine in the UK and Ireland, before she returns to the United States in August.

So other than Cardiff, where else and when is Pink playing in UK and Ireland in 2024?

• 15 and 16 June, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London
• 20 and 21 June, Aviva Stadium, Dublin
• 24 and 25 June, Anfield, Liverpool
• 28 and 29 June, Hampden Park, Glasgow