Cardiff Big Weekend

Your weekend, day by day

1. 1

   Day 1

   

   Rafting, coasteering & kayaking

   From about 12:00 · 4 hours

   Arrival day. Check in, then the outdoor activity, rafting or coasteering, with a briefing, wetsuits and an instructor throughout. Rafting runs on the purpose-built white-water course in Cardiff Bay, about two hours with up to six to a raft. Pack swimwear, old trainers, a towel and a full change of clothes.

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   The quickest option is rafting on the purpose-built 250-metre white-water course in Cardiff Bay: two hours, up to six to a raft, with extra rafts for bigger groups. Gorge scrambling and canyoning in the Brecon Beacons run as a half day or a full day of about 10am to 3.30pm, with waterfall jumps and caves; one operator uses a village hall for changing. River tubing covers about 5km over four to six hours. Coasteering runs April to October and canyoning March to October. Bring swimwear, a towel and dry clothes.

   Rafting puts the group in boats of six to eight with a guide steering and everyone paddling, running a graded stretch of river. Coasteering is swimming, scrambling and jumping along a rocky coast in a wetsuit. Kayaking is the calmer one, a guided paddle at a pace the group sets.

   All three include a briefing, a wetsuit, buoyancy aid and helmet where needed, and a guide who stays with the group throughout.

   You will get soaked. Swimwear underneath, old trainers that can go in the water, and a full change of clothes and a towel in the bag. Everyone needs to be able to swim.

   

   Club entry, VIP & booths

   From about 23:30 · 4 hours

   Reserved club entry back in the city centre, past the queue on the guest list. Cardiff is loud, busy and used to groups, but dress codes still apply: no sportswear and no matching shirts.

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   Cardiff's biggest club is on Greyfriars Road, holds around 1,500 and runs several rooms; guest-list entry there must be used before 11.30pm on Friday and Saturday. Most other packages are on or just off St Mary Street, where bars stay open until 3am on Friday and Saturday, with entry before 11pm or, at a couple of venues, 10pm. Reserved areas cap at ten per package, so larger groups book several. Some include a cloakroom token, which helps in winter. Dress is smart casual.

   Standard entry gets the group past the queue on a guest list, which matters because large male groups are the first ones a door turns away. A booth adds a reserved table, a set number of bottles with mixers and a host who looks after the table.

   Booths are sold on a minimum spend rather than a flat fee at many clubs, so the bottles you order count towards it. Ask what the minimum is and what it includes before you agree to anything.

   Dress code is enforced hard on stag groups. No sportswear, no trainers at some doors, no matching shirts, and nobody visibly drunk gets in regardless of the booking.

2. 2

   Day 2

   

   Stag Olympics & highland games

   From about 11:00 · 1 hour

   Stag olympics in the city: a host runs the group through short team events, such as sports-day races, dodgeball or a Welsh-themed version with rugby runs, with a prize for the winner. Sportswear, trainers and something warm for standing between events. It gets the whole group involved at once.

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   Games in Cardiff run at five-a-side centres in Leckwith and off Manor Way, where the two-hour stag bundle lets you pick two events from sports day, bubble football, dodgeball and goggle football. The local twist is a Welsh-themed version, with rugby runs, sheep-themed games and dragon suits, lasting one and a half to three hours, with photos and a prize for the winner. Fancy dress is encouraged. Sports day on a 3G pitch runs an hour, with an extra 30 minutes for groups over 32. Bring water.

   A host runs the group through a series of short events: tug of war, welly wanging, relay races, and in the highland version caber toss and hammer throw. Everything is scored, there is a leaderboard, and the events are chosen so that being fit is no guarantee of winning.

   It runs an hour or two outdoors and the host does most of the work, which is the appeal when you have organised everything else yourself.

   Sportswear and trainers, and something warm for standing between events. Most operators supply the kilts for the highland version.

3. 3

   Day 3

   

   Group dinner & restaurant

   From about 19:30 · 1.5 hours

   The booked group dinner, with one table for the whole group. Confirm final numbers and any dietary needs with the restaurant ahead of the day. If the group is heading out afterwards, dress for the bars rather than the restaurant.

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   Group dining in Cardiff is easiest in the city centre, close to St Mary Street, so the group can walk on to the bars afterwards. Reserved tables and a set menu are standard, and one popular option requires pre-orders for groups of nine or more. A two-course meal takes about 90 minutes to two hours, sometimes with sharing platters and a glass of fizz on arrival. On international weekends, book well ahead and eat early, because the centre fills from the afternoon.

   A restaurant taking a large group will usually want a set menu, a deposit and final numbers a few days ahead. That is normal and it works in your favour: the food comes out together and the bill is per head rather than an hour of arithmetic.

   Tell them about allergies and anyone who does not eat meat when you confirm the numbers, not on the night.

   Dress code is the restaurant's. If you are heading to a club afterwards, dress for the club, because the restaurant is the softer door.