Metallica have donated €23,000 to a struggling Cardiff foodbank following their sold-out show at the Principality Stadium, in a contribution that will help provide around 9,000 meals for people in need.
The donation was made through the band’s charitable foundation, All Within My Hands, ahead of their performance in the Welsh capital on Sunday evening, according to the BBC and Cardiff Foodbank.
The gesture came at a critical time for the charity, which had recently warned that its warehouse shelves were at their lowest level in years.
CEO of Cardiff Foodbank, Rachel Biggs, said the organisation was initially surprised by the unexpected outreach from the band’s foundation.
“We had an email saying ‘This isn’t a scam, please get in touch with the foundation’,” she said. “They said ‘We are going to donate £20,000 to you’.”
She added that the funding would make an immediate difference in restocking supplies.
“It’s an incredible amount of money which will make such a difference and replenish our empty shelves.”
The foodbank supports around 20,000 people annually across Cardiff, operating multiple centres and a mobile service delivering pre-packed food parcels. The charity has said around one-third of those it supported last year were children, with demand remaining high amid ongoing cost-of-living pressures.
Metallica. Bill Raymond, Shutterstock
The donation from Metallica is being described by the charity as its largest celebrity contribution to date, arriving during a period when food donations have fallen significantly despite stable demand.
The band’s charitable foundation, All Within My Hands, was launched in 2017 with a focus on tackling food insecurity, workforce education, and disaster relief. It has since supported numerous foodbanks and community organisations across the world, often linked to the band’s touring schedule.
Ahead of their Cardiff show, Metallica also partnered with the Irish Blood Transfusion Service (IBTS) and the Northern Ireland Blood Transfusion Service (NIBTS) to encourage blood donation across the island of Ireland as part of the European leg of their M72 World Tour.
The initiative coincided with the band’s highly performances at Dublin’s Aviva Stadium on June 19 and June 21.
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Foodbank volunteers in Cardiff welcomed the donation, with Eddie Cawston, who is also a Metallica fan, praising the band’s approach.
“It shows that people who can make a difference are prepared to make a difference,” he said.
“They’re thinking about people less fortunate than themselves.”
Volunteer Vivian Horwood also highlighted the impact of the support on the ground.
“Metallica are helping people in the community to stay well and this donation shows they are sharing and caring,” she said.
The band’s foundation has increasingly become a major part of their touring identity, with Metallica integrating charitable partnerships into stops across Europe and beyond, aiming to support local communities in the cities they perform in.
For Cardiff Foodbank, the donation is expected to provide a significant boost heading into the summer months, helping replenish stocks at a time when costs remain high and donations have been under pressure.
