Cardiff Castle hosts its own brand of Bastille Day

Dave Broome
2 hours ago
4 min read

Photo credit Dave Broome

Cardiff Castle, Cardiff - 10th July 2026

WORDS / IMAGES DAVE BROOME

We have missed the French national holiday, Bastille Day by just four days. I had a vision of covering Bastille on Bastille Day, but I’m afraid it wasn’t to be, the stars haven’t aligned for me this time. However, it’s not all doom and gloom. Bastille are here at the Castle as part of Cardiff’s Summer Series. Bastille are a British indie pop band formed in 2010. The group began life as a solo project by lead vocalist, Dan Smith. This soon expanded to include Kyle Simmons on keyboards, Chris Wood on drums and Chris Farquarson on guitars and a traditional band format materialised.

The release of Bad Blood and subsequent single “Pompeii” launched a successful career spanning over a decade and achieving notoriety on both sides of the Atlantic. Today their music is streamed by the millions, used in Tv and Film and they have awards by the cupboard full. They have become legitimate pop royalty.

At precisely 6:30 Sofia Camara kicks us off with her own brand of R&B pop. The Portuguese-Canadian singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist rose to fame through viral social media performances. She has an amazing voice and is engaging with the crowd. In fact, she has brought her own fan club. The front row is packed out with teenage girls knowing all the songs and showing their enthusiasm for each and every track. It’s warm today and Sofia often refers to how hot it is. “I prepared for typical British weather”, she says, “by bringing long sleeve tops and sweatshirts, and now its 35 degress”. For “Best Friend”, a song about letting someone go, she sits on the edge of the stage and sings directly to her fans. It’s a beautiful moment and leaves some of those in the front row in tears.

Next up is Arthur Hill, a TikTok sensation. When I say sensation, I’m not exaggerating, he has 1.7M followers. If we’re talking “likes” then it’s a staggering 84.7M. However. he’s not “match fit” today and was advised by medical experts to cancel the gig. He has torn his achilles, “not by playing football or anything cool like that”, he tells the enthusiastic crowd. But it does mean he is not his usual energetic self. He mostly presents the set stood statuesque at the mic stand and even delivers a cover of Dual Lipa’s “Be the One” sat on a stool. It’s a brave and solid performance which everyone at the castle has enjoyed. What he may have lacked in agility he has made up for with amazing vocals. He closes out with the popular track, “Appetite” and thanks everyone for their support and patience.

A good friend of mine is a huge Bastille fan and saw them last year at the O2. He loved the show and when I told him I was here this evening he couldn’t stop telling me how much I was going to enjoy it. As they take to the stage, my expectations are pretty much up there with the height of the castle tower.

They kick off with a single from Bad Blood, “Things We Lost on The Fire”. “Good Grief” comes soon after, with the “every minute of every hour” singalong chorus. Fans now are fully on board. “Blame” has a thumping keyboard bass and echoes around the Castle grounds. Dan doesn’t stand still; he is truly at home on a large stage and covers every bit of it. His step count must be at record levels. Just in case we need something else to look at, “What You Gonna Do” has cool Roy Lichtenstein style graphics filling the screen.

The band share a heartfelt cover of Bonnie Tylor’s “Total Eclipse of the Heart”, who sadly passed away the previous day. She was Welsh and we’re in the Welsh capital. It’s a nice touch. “Of The Night” is a mash up of “The Rhythm of The Night” and “Rhythm is a Dancer” and now even the crowd get a workout. Smith tells us all to crouch down until the chorus and then we’re all up jumping around and dancing at his command.

For recent single “Save My Soul”, a virtual line is drawn down the middle of the crowd, and we all share vocal responsibilities. The left-hand side get the “ohohohoho” bit, and the right-hand side get “Save My Soul”. It’s an incredible song and a highlight of the evening for me, I find myself getting a little emotional with both the sentiment and melodic structure of the song. The big hitters, “Happier” and “Pompeii” are left for last.

Bastille have become a much-accomplished band and looked every bit a worthy headline act. Their songbook is strong, the stagecraft is up there with the best and Dan Smith is one of the most confident and accomplished frontmen I have seen in

some time.