McFly - Live

The boys bring even more heat to Cardiff Castle on 25th June 2026.

Story by Emily Engleby

13/07/2026

McFly turned Cardiff Castle into a sun-soaked pop-rock party, proving their infectious hits and effortless charm remain as irresistible as ever.

The scorching summer heat was almost forgotten as the opening a cappella vocals of Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody pierced through the crowd gathered at Cardiff Castle. Drinks were put down, people stood up, and hands were in the air as everyone sung and danced along, united by the music. The pre-show playlist achieved its goal of hyping up the audience as it transitioned into Bon Jovi’s Livin’ on a Prayer, which sent a wave of excitement and anticipation through the venue. Having these two hard rock songs end the pre-show playlist set the vibe of the show and gave the audience a taste of what was to come from pop rock band McFly. As Livin’ on a Prayer faded out, McFly made their way on to the stage waving at the cheering crowd as they picked up their instruments. The opening riff of Where Did All the Guitars Go vibrated through the crowd and the show was on. It took the first two songs for the crowd to warm up, but by the first chorus of One for the Radio everyone was dancing, clapping, and jumping along with the band. Despite their newer songs and lesser-known songs not garnering the same enthusiasm from the crowd as their big hits did, the show never felt like it was losing momentum. Even if the crowd didn’t know the song, they were admirably watching the stage and the performance the band was giving. Songs such as Obviously, Transylvania, and Shine a Light sent an electrifying energy through the crowd, which erupted when the band did their famous ‘Star Girl Kicks’ during Star Girl. A welcome surprise during the set was a mashup that was jokingly deemed the crowds’ audition to be the fifth member of McFly. The mashup included Leonard Cohen’s Everybody Knows, Bon Jovi’s Livin’ on a Prayer, Chappel Roan’s Pink Pony Club, One Direction’s What Makes You Beautiful, The Proclaimers’ I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles), Queen’s Radio Ga Ga, and The Beatles’ Twist and Shout. It had something for everyone and had the audience screaming in delight as they sung and danced to some of their favourite hits.

Another crowd favourite was when the band bought surprise guests out. During Happiness, the band were joined by Remember Monday who was the first opening act for the band’s tour of summer shows. They looked thrilled to be there and that joy was as infectious as the song itself. During All About You, the band bought out McFly super fan and Welsh TikTok star Joel Oates. Joel makes videos with his mum and together they raise awareness about living with Down Syndrome, and the crowd joyously erupted when he came on stage to sing and dance to All About You. The show closed with their debut single 5 Colours in Her Hair, which has the same infectious upbeat energy as it did when it came out over twenty years ago. When the song ended, guitar picks and drumsticks were thrown into the audience, and the band finished thanking the audience and waved at them before heading off stage. The crowd then swarmed towards the exit, sweaty and out of breath from both the heat and dancing on the Milky Way.