Highlights
- Metallica donates £20,000 to Cardiff Foodbank ahead of sold-out Principality Stadium concert
- Charity says the contribution will fund around 9,000 meals and replenish urgently needed supplies
- Donation follows the foodbank's appeal after reporting a sharp drop in food donations
Metallica has donated £20,000 to Cardiff Foodbank after the charity warned that its warehouse shelves were running dangerously low. The contribution, made ahead of the band's sold-out concert at the Principality Stadium, is expected to provide around 9,000 meals for people in need across the Welsh capital.
The donation came through the band's charitable foundation, All Within My Hands, at a time when the foodbank says it is facing rising pressure from falling donations and sustained demand.
Foodbank says donation comes at a crucial time
Rachel Biggs, chief executive of Cardiff Foodbank, said the charity was initially surprised when it received an email from the foundation, asking them to get in touch before confirming the £20,000 donation.
Just two weeks earlier, the organisation had appealed for public support on social media, saying it had never seen its warehouse so empty. Biggs said the funding would allow the charity to place a large food order and restock supplies after weeks of concern.
Cardiff Foodbank supports around 20,000 people every year through eight distribution centres and a mobile delivery service. One-third of those receiving support last year were children.
The charity estimates its operating costs will reach £700,000 this year. While demand has remained similar to last year, food donations have fallen by 27%, leaving shelves increasingly bare.
Metallica continues charitable work beyond the stage
The donation was made through All Within My Hands, the foundation launched by Metallica and its management in 2017. The charity distributes a portion of ticket sales from the band's tours to local and national organisations and has supported foodbanks in several countries.
Ahead of the Cardiff concert, the foundation also partnered with the Welsh Blood Service to encourage fans to donate blood and plasma. Special donation sessions were held across Wales before the show and are continuing until 3 July.
Cardiff Foodbank described the contribution as the largest celebrity donation it has received. Last year, Taylor Swift also donated to the charity following her performances at the Principality Stadium, enabling it to purchase one-and-a-half articulated lorry loads of food.
Volunteers praise band's support
Volunteers at the foodbank welcomed the donation, describing it as a timely boost for the charity and the people it serves.
Volunteer Eddie Cawston, who attended Metallica's Cardiff concert, said it was encouraging to see a globally successful band supporting communities in need during its tour.
Fellow volunteer Vivian Horwood added that the donation would help vulnerable people while showing the band's commitment to giving back beyond its performances.
