Caerphilly Castle

Due to the ongoing redevelopment works, venue hire and trade bookings will be considered but the site may be subject to last minute closures.

Thank you.

Cadw is the historic environment service for Wales, and looks after 130 historic monuments across Wales, many of which are available for hire for third parties to hold events.

We hire our magical sites for a wide range of events from concerts and theatre performances to food festivals and family fun days. A selection of sites are suitable for indoor events and all other sites are suitable for outdoor events. Please note that some of the sites are closed over the winter, and it might not be possible to hold an event during this time.

Check our site opening times and contact details on our Find a place to visit page.

What is a commercial hire event?

Commercial hire events at our monuments are organised by third parties in compliance with Cadw’s Terms and Conditions and Cadw will charge a fee for the hire of the venue and any additional staffing costs. These types of event can vary greatly in scale and content and can involve:

  • monument opening outside of normal opening hours
  • exclusive monument hire
  • the need to restrict access to certain parts of the site
  • not available for site visitors, a private event
  • additional Cadw staff to monitor events out of hours
  • events selling tickets for commercial or fundraising
  • events taking place over multiple consecutive days
  • all commercial hire events will incur a fee for venue hire plus additional staffing required.

Examples of commercial hire events:

  • ticketed performances (concerts/music events)
  • sporting events – running / marathon events
  • special interest groups events
  • ice rinks
  • pop-up cinema (e.g. Rugby live-stream)
  • food and drink events
  • rally events, car owners’ clubs etc.
  • theatre performances selling tickets
  • private gala evenings.

Application process

We require all third parties to use our online application form to request the hire of any Cadw monument, which will enable the team to decide whether the event is appropriate for the site in question and provide guidance on fees depending on requirements. This also notifies us of any special requirements the applicant may have and allows us to advise the applicant of any concerns.

The form should be submitted a minimum of five weeks in advance of the event, and earlier if possible.

Applicants are advised not to proceed with any arrangements until email confirmation of event approval has been given by Cadw.

It will be necessary to submit a proposed event plan, risk assessment and confirmation that public liability insurance will be in place to cover the event with the application.

Commercial hire application form

For any commercial hire event enquires please email our Commercial Team cadwcommercial@gov.wales Tel: 03000 257 182

Community Events

Our sites are often located at the heart of communities across Wales and are therefore ideal locations for local events.