Principality Stadium Parking for the Wales Autumn Internationals: 2026 Guide

In short: Wales play Japan, New Zealand and Australia at the Principality Stadium in November 2026, and the stadium sits in the middle of Cardiff with no public parking and the city centre closed to traffic for hours around each kick-off, so supporters driving in pre-book with Matchday Parking at St Patrick’s School, Lucknow Street, Cardiff CF11 6NA: a 15 minute walk to the ground, outside the closure zone, staffed all day. Book your space here.

When are the Wales autumn internationals 2026?

Three Saturdays in November, all at the Principality Stadium. The kick-off times are very different, and so are the road closures that go with them.

Fixture	Date	Kick-off	City centre closed
Wales v Japan	Saturday 7 November 2026	4.40pm	12.30pm – 9pm
Wales v New Zealand	Saturday 14 November 2026	2.10pm	10am – 6.15pm
Wales v Australia	Saturday 21 November 2026	8.10pm	4pm – midnight

Is there parking at the Principality Stadium?

No. The Principality Stadium has no public car park. It sits in the centre of Cardiff, and on an international day the streets around it are closed to traffic entirely — so there is nowhere to drop a car near the ground even if you are willing to pay for it.

That makes Cardiff different from most grounds. At an out-of-town stadium you can usually find something close and walk five minutes. Here the question is not how near you can get, but whether you can still drive out afterwards.

Where to park for the Wales autumn internationals

Matchday Parking runs a pre-booked, staffed car park at St Patrick’s School in Grangetown, a 15 minute walk south-west of the stadium and outside the city-centre closure zone.

Site	Matchday Parking Cardiff
Address	St Patrick’s School, Lucknow Street, Cardiff CF11 6NA
Walk to the Principality	About 15 minutes
On site	Marshals, signage and QR ticket scanning
Support	Real people, 24 hours a day

Prices and opening times are set per fixture, because the kick-offs are hours apart.

Fixture	Car park opens	Car	4×4
Wales v Japan, 7 Nov	11am	£25.99	£28.99
Wales v New Zealand, 14 Nov	11am	£24.99	£27.99
Wales v Australia, 21 Nov	5pm	£19.99	£22.49

Spaces are limited and prices can rise closer to each match. Van and minibus spaces for all three fixtures are already sold out.

What time should you arrive?

Earlier than you think, and the answer is different for each of the three matches, because the closures do not line up neatly with the kick-offs.

• Wales v Japan, 7 November. The car park opens at 11am and the city centre closes at 12.30pm. Arriving in that window gets you parked before the roads shut.
• Wales v New Zealand, 14 November. The closures start at 10am, an hour before the car park opens at 11am. They will already be in force when you arrive, so approach from the south rather than through town.
• Wales v Australia, 21 November. The car park opens at 5pm and the closures start at 4pm, so the same applies for an 8.10pm kick-off.

Going home, Penarth Road closes roughly 30 minutes before each match ends and stays shut for up to an hour after the final whistle. Nobody gets out of central Cardiff quickly after an international, which is the argument for being on the edge of it rather than inside it.

Which roads close on match day?

Most of the city centre. Cardiff Council closes the following to traffic during the hours in the table above:

Duke Street, Castle Street, High Street, St Mary Street, Caroline Street, Wood Street, Central Square, Westgate Street, Quay Street, Guildhall Place, Golate, Park Street, Havelock Street and Scott Road. Kingsway closes from North Road to Duke Street, Cowbridge Road East from Cathedral Road to Westgate Street, and Tudor Street from Clare Road to Wood Street.

Scott Road and Park Street close earlier still, from 7am on each match day. Station Terrace becomes buses only for roughly 90 minutes around each kick-off.

What are the other parking options in Cardiff?

There are two official alternatives worth knowing about, and both have a catch on international days.

Council event parking at the Civic Centre and Sophia Gardens costs £20 for a car, opens at 8am and closes at midnight, and can be pre-booked. Both sit close to the ground, which is the appeal — but they also sit beside the closure zone, so leaving afterwards means waiting for the roads to reopen. Sophia Gardens is staffed only until 7pm, which is worth weighing for the 8.10pm Australia kick-off.

Park and ride runs from the car park by the Vindico Arena, International Drive, Cardiff CF11 0JS, dropping off at Tresillian Way. Buses run 10am to 8pm on 7 November, 10am to 6pm on 14 November and 12 noon to 10pm on 21 November. Card only, no cash.

City-centre shopping car parks at St David’s, John Lewis, the Capitol, North Road and the NCPs stay open, but they are inside or hard against the closure zone and fill early on international days.

Getting to the Principality Stadium by train

Cardiff Central is a few minutes’ walk from the stadium and both operators add capacity for the autumn internationals.

Great Western Railway runs extra services from Swansea, Newport, Bristol and London, and pre-match trains are reservation only, so book a seat rather than turning up. Transport for Wales adds capacity where it can, and after each match sends Valleys and Vale of Glamorgan passengers to Cardiff Queen Street while Ebbw Vale and Maesteg queue at Cardiff Central.

Two things catch people out: Cardiff Bus Interchange is closed during the road closures, and there are ticket checks before you join the post-match queue at Cardiff Central, so buy before you get there.

Frequently asked questions

When are the Wales autumn internationals 2026?

Wales play Japan on Saturday 7 November 2026 at 4.40pm, New Zealand on Saturday 14 November at 2.10pm, and Australia on Saturday 21 November at 8.10pm. All three are at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff.

Is there parking at the Principality Stadium?

No. The Principality Stadium has no public car park, and on international days the streets around it are closed to traffic, so pre-booking an off-site space is the only practical option if you are driving.

How much is parking for the Wales autumn internationals?

At Matchday Parking Cardiff a car is £25.99 for Wales v Japan, £24.99 for Wales v New Zealand and £19.99 for Wales v Australia. A 4×4 is a few pounds more. Prices can rise closer to each match, and van and minibus spaces are sold out for all three fixtures.

How far is the car park from the Principality Stadium?

St Patrick’s School, Lucknow Street, Cardiff CF11 6NA is about a 15 minute walk from the Principality Stadium, and sits outside the city-centre closure zone.

What time does the car park open?

11am for Wales v Japan and Wales v New Zealand, and 5pm for the later Wales v Australia kick-off. The exact time is on your booking confirmation.

Which roads close in Cardiff on international days?

Most of the city centre, including Castle Street, High Street, St Mary Street, Westgate Street, Wood Street, Duke Street and Central Square. Closures run 12.30pm to 9pm on 7 November, 10am to 6.15pm on 14 November and 4pm to midnight on 21 November. Scott Road and Park Street close from 7am on each match day.

Can I drive away straight after the match?

Not from the city centre. Penarth Road closes about 30 minutes before each match ends and stays closed for up to an hour after the final whistle, and the wider centre stays shut until the closure window ends. Parking outside the closure zone is the way to avoid the worst of it.

Is there a park and ride for the Principality Stadium?

Yes, from the car park by the Vindico Arena, International Drive, Cardiff CF11 0JS, dropping off at Tresillian Way. Buses run 10am to 8pm on 7 November, 10am to 6pm on 14 November and 12 noon to 10pm on 21 November. Payment is by card only.

Book your space

Spaces for all three autumn internationals are on sale now. Book Principality Stadium parking, or read our wider guide to parking in Cardiff.