UB40 Featuring Ali Campbell Brings Summer Reggae Show to Cardiff Castle

Ali Campbell brought a sold-out crowd to Cardiff Castle on July 20, 2025, with Bitty McLean and Reggae Roast featuring Mr Williamz on support, delivering a Sunday night under DEPOT Live's summer banner that stacked up against anything else the season produced.

It was the first time UB40 featuring Ali Campbell had played Cardiff Castle, and DEPOT Live's Nick Saunders was clear about what the booking meant: "We're beyond excited to welcome UB40 featuring Ali Campbell to Cardiff Castle for the first time. It's an incredible opportunity to host such an iconic band in the city's most historic venue, and we know it's going to be a night to remember for fans." The castle itself, sitting in Cardiff city centre with Roman walls and Victorian interiors as the outdoor backdrop, is the kind of venue that amplifies a reggae show rather than just hosting one.

Reggae Roast featuring Mr Williamz opened the evening after doors at 6:00 PM, with Bitty McLean following before Campbell took the stage at 9:35 PM, twenty minutes behind the scheduled 9:15 PM call. The headline set ran through to 11:05 PM, roughly ninety minutes, opening with "Small Axe" and "Food For Thought" before hitting the catalogue that built UB40 into an international act. McLean reappeared during the headline slot for duets with Campbell, the kind of addition that turns a good show into an occasion.

The summer 2025 DEPOT Live series placed Campbell on the same Cardiff Castle slate as Fontaines DC, Alanis Morissette, Elbow, Sting, and The Script. That UB40 featuring Ali Campbell held its own in that company reflects the crossover reach that songs like "Red Red Wine" and "I Got You Babe" have carried for more than forty years. The band announced the summer shows on Instagram with a promise of "a massive setlist packed full of iconic hits," and on the night at Cardiff Castle, they delivered on it without much ambiguity.

What made 2025 particularly unusual for Welsh reggae fans: the co-founding members' iteration of UB40, comprising drummer Jimmy Brown, guitarist Robin Campbell, bassist Earl Falconer, percussionist Norman Hassan, and saxophonist Brian Travers, also brought a show to the Utilita Arena in Cardiff in November 2025. Two competing touring versions of the same band playing the same city within the same calendar year is a genuinely rare thing, driven by the long-running split that has seen Ali Campbell run his own lineup separate from the remaining founding members.

Cardiff is set for more. The co-founding members' UB40 has announced a major UK arena tour for June 2026 with Maxi Priest and Aswad as special guests, alongside new material from a studio album due in spring 2026. Cardiff is among the cities on the tour route, meaning the Welsh capital is looking at back-to-back years of UB40 in some form. Utilita Arena Cardiff lists an Energise Club upgrade for the June 2026 dates, offering a private bar and allocated premium seat for those who want to go properly.