A triumphant, hometown celebration from one of Wales' most enduring rock voices.

Even the hottest day of the year wasn't going to stop fans flocking in to Cardiff's Principality Stadium for the second night of a double sell-out homecoming from Cwmaman’s finest. On a sweltering July evening, the Stereophonics returned to the Welsh capital with something far bigger than just a show - they came bearing a sense of belonging, of roots rediscovered, of a band still capable of filling out a stadium not only with sound but with rich, undying soul. 

Frontman Kelly Jones, wrapped in his trademark shades and black leather jacket - undeterred by the punishing heat - prowled the stage like a man entirely at home. His voice as coarse and compelling as ever. And as the first notes of “Vegas Two Times” rang out, it was clear this wasn’t going to be just another trip through the hits. This was a love letter to Wales with more than 60,000 in attendance - families, old friends, lifelong fans and new generation converts - it felt less like a concert, more like a reunion. A stadium-sized gathering of kin.

The band wasted no time, tearing straight into “I Wanna Get Lost With You” and “Have a Nice Day”, the latter unleashing the first full-stadium singalong of the night with a sea of voices lifting together in euphoria, shaking the stands and setting the tone for what was to come.

Spanning from 1997’s Word Gets Around to 2025’s Make ’Em Laugh, Make ’Em Cry, Make ’Em Wait, the two-hour set was both a retrospective and a reaffirmation. Not just a celebration of past glories, but proof the band still had plenty to say. Tracks like “There’s Always Gonna Be Something” and “Seems Like You Don’t Know Me” slotted in effortlessly amongst the classics, songs tinged with introspection, delivered with a rawness that’s grown richer with age. Kelly’s voice, a little rougher now, carries more depth than ever, weathered in the best way, telling stories with every phrase.

Midway through the night, as the sky dipped into twilight and the stage bathed in amber light, Jones pulled from the emotional core of their catalogue. “Maybe Tomorrow” and “Local Boy in the Photograph” arrived back-to-back with a one-two punch that had every voice in the building singing at full volume, hearts wide open, phones held high.

Where some bands reinvent to stay relevant, Stereophonics have refined. Their secret? Not trying to be anything they’re not. No flashy gimmicks. No overproduction. Just honest songwriting, grounded performance, and a clear understanding of who they are and what they mean to their fans. There were no lasers, no showy theatrics, save for the odd fireball erupting from the stage, and yet it felt epic.

Principality Stadium Crowd, 2025

As the night rolled on, the atmosphere deepened. Strangers sang with arms wrapped around each other. Welsh flags waved with passion. Pints spilled. The air thick with heat and happiness. And everyone all the more merrier for it. Cardiff has always been good to Stereophonics but tonight felt a step above. 

At 51, Kelly Jones remains one of British rock’s most quietly commanding frontmen. He doesn’t strut. He doesn’t sermonise. Instead, he leads with weight and warmth. His voice raw and magnetic. There’s a husk to it, a weathered soulfulness that made moments like “Step On My Old Size Nines” land with even greater poignancy.

The emotional momentum continued into their stripped-back acoustic segment, where Jones held the stadium in the palm of his hand. All before the band returned and launched into a blistering rendition of “Traffic” from 1997’s Word Gets Around.

Oasis might have played the stage last week, but Ending on fan favourites “A Thousand Trees” and “Dakota”, the crowd became a Champagne supernova as they erupted in to the biggest sing-along of the night. 

Stereophonics might not be the flashiest band on the planet, but they’ve never needed bells and whistles. Their strength lies in songs that stick, performances that connect, and a career built on authenticity. And here, in their home country, in front of thousands, they showed exactly why they’ve endured.

A beautiful, heartfelt reminder of what rock and roll sounds like when it grows older, grows wiser and still knows exactly how to move you.

Stereophonics played:
Vegas Two Times
I Wanna Get Lost With You
Have a Nice Day
There's Always Gonna Be Something
Just Looking
Pick a Part That's New
Do Ya Feel My Love
More Life in a Tramp's Vest
Seems Like You Don't Know Me
Superman
Geronimo
Maybe Tomorrow
Local Boy in the Photograph
I Wouldn't Believe Your Radio
Mr. Writer
Mr and Mrs Smith
Fly Like an Eagle
Graffiti on the Train
C'est la vie
The Bartender and the Thief

Encore:
Step on My Old Size Nines
It Means Nothing
Handbags and Gladrags
Traffic
A Thousand Trees
Dakota

*****