Cardiff gala concert welcomes Ryder Cup

Dame Shirley Bassey performs at the Welcome to Wales concert

A gala concert at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff has welcomed the Ryder Cup tournament to Wales.

Prince Charles was among the 13,000-strong audience, which also included the tournament's Europe and US teams.

Hollywood star Catherine Zeta Jones opened the concert, starring singers Dame Shirley Bassey and Katherine Jenkins.

The Prince earlier toured the Celtic Manor Resort in Newport.

Both golf teams were to be introduced to the audience during the 90-minute Welcome to Wales concert, hosted by Rhondda-born TV presenter Steve Jones.

Performers also include Cardiff-based choir Only Men Aloud, Lostprophets and teenage singer Shaheen Jafargholi from Swansea.

Speaking before the event, producer Stifyn Parri said: "It will be a major medley of Welsh talent saluting the Ryder Cup - we're ticking every box."

The stadium was also hosting a pre-concert VIP dinner for 1,500 people.

A spokeswoman for the organisers said the 10,000 public tickets for the concerts had all but sold out.

Earlier the prince took to a golf buggy for a tour of Celtic Manor where the match begins on Friday.

He toured part of the course on foot with John Jermine, chairman of Ryder Cup Wales, and chatted to Cup captains Colin Montgomerie and Corey Pavin, who broke off momentarily from their teams' second official practice day.

Prince Charles toured the Ryder Cup venue by golf buggy with the site owner Sir Terry Matthews

Prince Charles spent a few minutes practising his putting, and also paused to taste a pint of beer belonging to one of the many golf fans lining the course.

After leaving the venue he then attended an official gala dinner at Cardiff Castle where he met all 24 golfers competing in the international tournament.

The three-day event is golf's biggest tournament and one of the largest event on the world's sporting calendar.