Ed Sheeran: Severe M4 delays as fans head to Cardiff

in 2018 Ed Sheeran became the first artist to play four successive nights at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff

Motorists have endured 15-mile tailbacks on the M4 as Ed Sheeran fans headed to Cardiff while others hit the road for the half-term break.

Sheeran played the second of his three-night residency at Cardiff's Principality Stadium on Friday night.

With about 75,000 fans expected, the concert could make history as the largest ever held in Wales.

But those travelling by road and public transport endured long delays.

Traffic jams were seen on the M4 westbound between J22 (M49 interchange / Prince of Wales Bridge) and J26 A4051 (Malpas Road).

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Buses in the city were also diverted due to road closures, with passengers facing longer journey times.

Ed Sheeran fans, half term holiday traffic and Friday commuters stuck in 15-mile tailbacks

A spokesperson for the Principality Stadium said before Friday's sell-out show that it should make history as "the largest concert to have ever taken place in Wales".

"The 360 degree immersive stage experience in the centre of the floor means that all three seated tiers can be taken up by fans, as well as standing tickets on the floor."

The three-night run, culminating on Saturday, is the first time Sheeran has returned to Cardiff to perform following his four shows in 2018. He played to a record crowd of 240,000 over the four nights as part of his 2018 UK stadium tour.

"I love playing in Wales, I first came here to play student house parties back in 2009 to less than 20 people at a time, so to be now playing the biggest crowd in Wales ever is pretty nuts," said Sheeran, who wore a Welsh rugby jersey for his 2018 Saturday night encore.

"I hope everyone loves the show, it's been a long process making sure it's a real spectacle and I'm really proud of my touring crew and team for the show we are bringing."