WWE wrestling event heads to Glasgow as Cardiff misses out

There were 62,296 fans at the Principality Stadium in 2022, where Drew McIntyre took on Roman Reigns in the main event

A high-profile wrestling event which previously made £21.8m for the Welsh economy will this year move to Scotland.

Over 60,000 grapple fans attended the WWE's Clash at the Castle at Cardiff's Principality Stadium in September 2022.

The lucrative showdown was also watched by a global audience of millions.

But its 2024 UK return will instead happen in Glasgow, it has been announced.

• WWE at Principality brings £21.8m to Welsh economy

• WWE: Clash at the Castle to come live from Glasgow

The show will take place at Glasgow's OVO Hydro on 15 June, with the WWE's flagship weekly TV show Friday Night Smackdown also being broadcast from the 14,000-seat arena the day before.

The Welsh government said this year's event in Glasgow and Clash at the Castle were "not comparable" events due to the difference in crowd size.

Research showed 2022's Clash at the Castle generated more cash than even a Six Nations fixture played in the Welsh capital.

An economic impact study issued at the time of the event also showed three quarters of wrestling fans who descended on Cardiff had come from outside Wales.

And more than half of those non-locals questioned said the event made them want to explore other parts of the country.

Backed by the Welsh government, Clash at the Castle was described by First Minister Vaughan Gething, who was then economy minister, as having "provided us with a huge boost to our profile internationally."

The event generated more cash than even a Six Nations fixture played in the capital

He added the event, which was the WWE's first major UK show in 30 years, was a valuable opportunity "to showcase Wales' vibrant language and culture through bespoke content creation shared globally on WWE's social media channels".

However, tourism consultant Prof Terry Stevens suggested there was no need to get "too pessimistic" about the fact the event would be at a different UK city in 2024.

"I wouldn't get too down about it, it's just the way of things" he said, calling it "simply indicative of the swings and roundabouts nature of the entertainment industry".

"Over the the decades Cardiff has been the beneficiary of numerous large events," he added, acknowledging that the coming months will see the likes of globally-renowned artists such as Taylor Swift, Pink and Billy Joel attract huge crowds to the capital.

"It's a city that is well equipped to host major shows and will no doubt long continue to do so," he added.

The Welsh government said: "Cardiff hosted 62,000 fans and this event announced for the in the OVO Hydro will host around 12,000.

"The 2022 event in Wales was a huge success and we would remain open to discussions about a WWE event of that scale returning to Wales in the future."

Meanwhile, wrestling fans can enjoy watching their favourite stars of the ring when WWE:Live comes to the city's Utilita Arena later this month.

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