Sting at Cardiff Castle: Rocker's touching tribute to father as he returns to land of song
Sting paid a touching tribute to his late father as he rolled back the years with a performance full of his career's biggest hits in front of a packed Cardiff Castle crowd.
Walking onto the stage about 15 minutes ahead of schedule, wearing skinny black jeans, a printed t-shirt and sparkling bracelets, the former The Police frontman proved that, even at the age of 73, he had not slowed down at all, opening with a rousing rendition of Message In A Bottle that set the tone for the evening.
Addressing the crowd, the Wallsend rocker, whose real name is Gordon Sumner, recalled how he had performed at the historic venue two years ago in 2023, describing Wales as the 'land of song'.
This time, returning with his Sting 3.0 tour, he came armed with a set full of classics, including the much-loved Englishman In New York, Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic, Fields of Gold and Every Breath You Take.
But it was his performance of his 1978 The Police hit Can't Stand Losing You which received the most passionate response by the rocker's Welsh following, which he acknowledged: 'You probably know this one better than me'.
(Image: Getty Images)
His engagement with the crowd was great throughout, at one point joking: 'We are in Cardiff. You guys can sing, I know that.'
The most poignant moment of the evening was when Sting dedicated Why Should I Cry For You? to his late father, recalling how he would tell him 'son, go see the world'.
'This is a song for my daddy,' he told the crowd.
(Image: Getty Images)
(Image: Getty Images)
The star also made sure to recognise the work of those behind him, stating 'a band is only as good as the drummer'. He described one drum solo from Chris Maas as his favourite part of the set as he just 'gets to listen to the drummer playing the songs.'
Saving one of his best until last, he sent the crowd home happy by performing Roxanne during his encore, before finishing on Fragile.
Sting's performance in Cardiff proved what a timeless performer he is, now four decades into his music career. He has a timeless classic voice which is undeniable, and the mix of young and old in the crowd shows that despite his advancing years, his performances and songs have transcended generations.
Sting heads to Luxembourg on Tuesday and will then perform around Europe, but he will be back in the UK at Latitude Festival on Friday, July 25. You can see his full touring schedule by clicking here.
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