We’ve compiled a list of the things we think could change our wonderful capital city for the better
Cardiff is a diverse, bustling city with lots of brilliant things on offer. It is, in my opinion, the city that has it all. The nature of the capital city attracts big names, brands, and events, while still being small enough that nothing is ever to far. You are only a few minutes from rolling hills, and some sea air is only a short car ride away.
However despite it’s strengths, of which there are many, Cardiff does have its flaws. With dust settling on the New Year we have looked at what we would like to see happen in the capital over the next 12 months to improve the city for the better.
Here’s our round-up of the things we hope Cardiff can improve before the year is out.
Better transport
The capital city notoriously struggles with heavy rush hour traffic making driving anywhere feeling quite tedious at certain times of day. It makes travelling around the city a miserable experience as the roads struggle to meet the demand of a growing population and increased road users around many historic areas.
With work on the South Wales Metro continuing, and the first of the tram-trains due to launch on the network in 2026 we are hopeful it will allow for better transport within the city and enable better connections outside of it.
The depot, which will house 36 tram-trains was opened at the later end of 2025 by King Charles. Backed by more than £1bn of investment, the project should be transformational across south Wales.
Progress with the Howells redevelopment
Since the department store which most recently housed House of Fraser in the city centre shut its doors in 2023, the huge store has been shut leaving an empty hole on St Mary’s Street. In November 2025, Cardiff Council approved plans to redevelop the historic part of the city centre.
These plans include seeing an 11-storey tower block in the middle of the site which contains 105 apartments, a new public square, and the introduction of a new 114-room hotel.
Despite some concerns about the height of the tower, the council decided the scheme struck the right balance between restoring the historic asset as well as ensuring its long-term use.
Better support for independent businesses
Cardiff has long been a place where independent businesses are celebrated. Whether they are small music venues, eateries, pubs, or stores, they are the very things which make the city unique and equally offer the most delicious food and drink.
However, despite their popularity, 2025 saw many independent businesses in the city forced to close their doors, with many citing the very real pressures of operating such a business in the current economic environment. The North Star, Sticky Fingers, The New Moon, Pettigrew Tea Rooms in Bute Park, Little Man Coffee Co are among the businesses which closed their doors in 2025 due to such challenges.
Independent Cardiff music venue, Paradise Gardens, also issued a desperate plea to customers in the autumn, warning that without an increased footfall it was likely they would have to close with “significant running costs to claw back”.
We can’t afford to lose anymore of these brilliant places which make our city great.
A cleaner city
An issue which has plagued the city for several years is one of rubbish and waste. Certain areas of the city often see litter strewn over the streets, especially around bin day and when big events are in town, leaving them susceptible to rodents. Sightings of unwelcome long brown tails are far more common in Cardiff than they should be.
In Cardiff’s notorious student heartlands of Cathays, Cardiff pest controller Gareth Davies told WalesOnline earlier in the year that 60% of properties will have a rat issue even if they don’t know it. Much of the problem in the area isn’t directly caused by lazy students but more from a lack of places to put their waste, especially as a lot of the terraced streets don’t have bins for general waste.
In November, the council launched new “seagull proof sacks” aimed at stopping birds and pests from tearing open rubbish bags and scattering litter across the streets for homes without wheeled bins. A trial reportedly saw a 16% drop in litter reports so hopefully the strategy can significantly reduce litter being strewn across the streets.
Work on new music venue
A 16,500-capacity music arena is set to open in Cardiff Bay in 2028 marking a major redevelopment project at Atlantic Wharf which will also see new homes, office spaces, leisure facilities and a hotel complex. It’s expected to create 1,000 jobs and attract thousands more visitors to the city each year bringing a major boost to the local economy.
However, the arena was originally planned to open to the public in late 2024 with plans and a ring-fenced budget for the arena in the works since as early as 2006.
A series of delays regarding changes to the design and the impact on locals has meant 2028 is now being touted as the opening date after it received the final go ahead in August.
With, other venues opening elsewhere, like Co-Op Live in Manchester, it’s important Cardiff doesn’t get left behind.
More gigs
Cardiff has established itself as a brilliant event city, having played host to arguably the biggest cultural moment of 2025 when Oasis reunited at the Principality Stadium. 2026 already looks set to welcome an array of brilliant acts to the city from Lewis Capaldi to Take That, The Cure, Metallica, Pitbull, and Neil Young to name but a few.
The acts are fundamental to bringing in money to local businesses, including the struggling ones we mentioned above, and create memorable nights in the city where no one wants to miss a bit of the action. In 2026, it would be great to see even more big name artists make Cardiff a non-negotiable stop on their tour – maybe Sam Fender, Olivia Rodrigo, or Harry Styles could take to the stage this year.
No more delays on work at St David’s Hall
Since it was first revealed that the classical music venue’s roof contains reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) in its ceiling in September 2023, the venue has seen delay after delay hinder its reopening. the closure was first supposed to only last four weeks
Work on the roof was originally earmarked to take 18 months back in 2023 but the latest update on work indicated it now wouldn’t be open until early 2027. Academy Music Group (AMG) announced recently that it had finalised an agreement with Cardiff Council to take on the running of St David’s Hall so hopefully this latest development finally sees some progress.
More sporting events
After Geraint Thomas’ homecoming and Wales’ first Hyrox event took place in the capital in 2025, it would be brilliant to see the city play host to some more memorable sporting days and nights over the course of the next 12 months.
Wales vying to seek play-off qualification at the Cardiff City Stadium in March promises to bring, hopefully two, stand out nights to the city.
It would however be great to see some different sports gracing the city and soaking up the atmosphere of a sport-loving nation.
More public art celebrating diversity
After the much-loved ‘Mona Lisa’ of Butetown disappeared from Cardiff Bay this autumn, it’s important Cardiff continues to be a place where the city’s history and diversity is continually celebrated through public displays telling the stories of communities which aren’t as represented as others.
The group Monumental Welsh Women have over the past five years erected statues across south Wales, including the Betty Campbell statue near Central Square which was the first statue of a real Welsh woman in Wales. Their work, alongside that of UNIFY, has brought more thought-provoking art installations to the city than ever before and this is something we only want to see more of.
Solution to the housing crisis
Figures released in 2025 showed that between 2020/21 and 2023/24, the number of households in Cardiff threatened with homelessness increased by more than 20% including a 24% increase in those waiting for social housing. The number of households found to be homeless, where the local authority has a legal duty to provide permanent, settled housing has increased by 66%.
With the capital’s housing emergency not seeming to have reduced, behind a backdrop of the cost-of-living crisis which has shown few signs of slowing, its obvious further steps are needed to tackle the ever growing emergency.
