Cardiff Students' Union

Name: Cardiff Students' Union
Address: Park Place, Cardiff, CF10 3QN, GB
Telephone: 029 2078 1412

Cardiff

Courtesy of Cardiff Students' Union

WHERE

Cardiff

What it’s like

Live gigs, sports taster sessions and society events at Cardiff University's student union, with a café and accessible lifts throughout.

This is student union territory, built for the university crowd rather than families with young children, so it's really one for older teenagers weighing up student life or anyone visiting a student who wants to see what the building's about. The site lists live music gigs and performances, "Give It A Go" sports taster sessions where you can try a club before committing, and a steady run of society events. There are also study spaces and collaboration areas if you just want somewhere to sit with a laptop.

Getting around is well thought through. A university lift from Park Place and the SU's own passenger lifts mean every level is reachable, and there's a bookable accessible balcony for live music events that comes with a complimentary carer ticket. The catch is that this balcony often fills up, and requests made on the night may not be sorted in time, so if accessible viewing matters it's better to book that in advance rather than turn up and hope.

Timing has its quirks too. The Senghenydd Road entrance shuts between 11pm and 7am, and after that you'll need to use the Park Place entrance and ring the bell to get in. After 11pm and across weekends, the student lounge also needs an ID card, which makes sense for a union building but is worth knowing if you're not a student yourself.

There's a café and a restaurant on site along with a gift shop, so a quick bite or a browse is easy enough between events. Toilets, including an accessible one, and baby changing facilities are all there too, which suggests family visits aren't unheard of even if the main draw is student life.

Facilities

Accessible toilet

Baby change

Café

Gift shop

Restaurant

Toilets

Wheelchair accessible

Need to know

Wheelchairs: Bookable accessible balcony at live music events with complimentary carer ticket

Senghenydd Road entrance shuts at 11pm; ring the bell at Park Place after that
ID card needed for the student lounge after 11pm and on weekends
Book the accessible balcony ahead of a gig rather than asking on the night
Baby changing facilities are on site despite the student-focused setup

Plan your visit

Is this suitable for young children?

It's really built around student life, gigs, sports taster sessions and society events, so it suits older teenagers or adults more than young kids.

Can wheelchair users get around easily?

Yes, the university lift from Park Place and the SU's own passenger lifts reach every level.

What if I need accessible seating at a gig?

There's a bookable balcony with a complimentary carer ticket, but it often fills up and requests made on the night might not be sorted, so book ahead.

Is there anywhere to eat?

There's a café and a restaurant on site, plus a gift shop if you want to browse.

Can I get in late at night?

The Senghenydd Road entrance closes at 11pm, so after that you use the Park Place entrance and ring the bell. The student lounge needs an ID card after 11pm and at weekends.