According to Peter Shuttleworth, BBC News
Taylor Swift fans have been warned they could face hours on the motorway if they don’t make it to a sold-out Cardiff show on Tuesday.
More than 70,000 fans are expected at the only concert of the American superstar on the 152-night Eras Tour, which is at the Principality Stadium.
Some of them went to Ed Sheeran’s Cardiff concert two years ago they were caught in a 15-mile queue on the M4 to south Wales – with some missing the gig completely.
So Swifties have been told to expect severe delays driving to the Welsh capital and advised to use public transport instead.
Postcode data suggests the Cardiff Tay Tay concert will attract music lovers from a wider area than the Principality Stadium event.
One of Ed Sheeran’s fans is from Berkshire it took seven hours instead of the anticipated two to drive to one of the three 2022 gigs in Cardiff.
So anyone heading to Swift’s only Welsh date on her massive 21-month tour has been advised to plan ahead, travel early and expect delays.
Roadworks and rail engineering works in south Wales have been suspended to help fans attend the event.
But drivers have been warned of a 15% increase in traffic on the already congested M4 around Cardiff and Newport.
Cross Wales has said the motorway around south Wales is likely to be very busy and drivers are advised to check on it its website before leaving to avoif Cruel Summer.
“For those attending and traveling a long way, make sure your journey is well planned,” said South Wales Police Supt Arabella Rees.
both sides Transport for Wales and GWR will provide extra capacity on trains in and out of Cardiff but be warned rail services across south Wales will be very busy.
GWR, which operates the main train service between Cardiff, London, Bristol and Swansea, said it will put 10 more trains after the Swift show – adding a total of more than 15,000 extra seats – for fans to return home.
One fan who braved the delay and traveled to Cardiff by train was Swiftie Bella Thorn.
“We’re planning a long queue and waiting at the train station because we’re coming from Bristol,” said the 16-year-old who was traveling with his two sisters and a friend.
“We’ve never met her before and we’re all really excited about it. We’ve been making a lot of bracelets for the past few months and have been coordinating outfits.”
Cassie Evans, a 14-year-old cancer survivor, will also see her musical hero and hope to get a hat that Swift gave to the audience during her 22-song performance.
“I’m really looking forward to getting the 22 hat,” said Cassie, who is going to the Cardiff concert with her mum.
“I’m recovering from a four-year battle with relapsed leukemia, then a bone marrow transplant and have missed it.
“I hope Taylor thinks I’m special enough to accept after everything I’ve been through.
“Listening to his music got me through the days and nights of treatment and recovery at Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospital Cardiff where I chatted with the nurses about my favorite songs.
“It means the world to me to be chosen to meet him and receive the 22nd hat.”
Fans have be warned against parking in restricted areas around Cardiff or face fine when collecting has said People should not camp around the stadium.
There will be a downtown road closures in Cardiff from 12:00 BST on Saturday – ahead of doors opening at 15:00 for VIP guests and 16:00 for general admission – until midnight.
Police have told anyone going to see Swift in Cardiff that extra officers – including armed police, mounted officers and facial recognition technology – will be deployed so people can expect a “safe and welcoming environment”.
“There will be an increased number of local officers who will be highly visible on foot patrols before, during and after the event,” Supt Rees added.
“They will be supported by our specialist colleagues … to ensure that people who come to the city have a safe and enjoyable environment.”
“This is when it sends a clear message to anyone who might consider attending for the purposes of criminality that it will not be tolerated, it will be recognized and dealt with.”
The American superstar has played three nights in two Edinburgh and Liverpool in England.
Then after playing Cardiff, the 34-year-old singer will head to London for three nights at Wembley Stadium at the weekend.