Metallica has donated £20,000 to Cardiff Foodbank, providing the equivalent of 9,000 meals for people in need. The donation came after the foodbank issued a desperate plea for help, reporting empty shelves for the first time.
The legendary rock band performed at Principality Stadium in Cardiff on Sunday night as part of their M72 World Tour. Through their charitable foundation, All Within My Hands, they made the largest celebrity donation the foodbank has ever received.
Foodbank CEO Thought It Was a Scam
Rachel Biggs, CEO of Cardiff Foodbank, told BBC Wales she initially thought she was being pranked. “We had an email saying 'This isn't a scam, please get in touch with the foundation'. They said 'We are going to donate £20,000 to you',” she said.
Biggs added: “It's an incredible amount of money which will make such a difference and replenish our empty shelves.” She noted that Metallica's move has helped raise the foodbank's profile and is “mobilising their fans, mobilising the local community.”
Desperate Plea Before the Donation
Just weeks earlier, Cardiff Foodbank had made a public appeal on Facebook: “We’re very worried. We have never seen our warehouse so empty, and now, for the first time ever, we’re out of crucial items – such as long-life fruit juices that make up our three-day emergency food parcels.”
Taylor Swift also donated to the same foodbank during her Eras Tour in 2024 after performing at the stadium.
Metallica’s Broader Community Efforts
The donation follows the band’s recent collaboration with the NHS, urging fans to donate blood during their UK tour. A spokesperson for Metallica said: “Wherever we go on tour, we want to give something meaningful back to the communities that welcome us.”
They added: “We’ve seen in the United States and Australia how working with blood services can help raise awareness of blood donation and support patients, and we’re excited to bring that same approach to the UK.”
The band performed at Glasgow’s Hampden Park and Cardiff’s Principality Stadium in June, with two dates scheduled at London Stadium in early July.
Blood Donation Partnership
Alan Prosser, a spokesman for the Welsh Blood Service, commented on the collaboration: “This is a truly unique moment for blood donation across the UK. Partnering with a band of Metallica’s global reach allows us to connect with new audiences and shine a spotlight on the ongoing need for blood.”
