REVIEW: Monster Jam revved into the Welsh capital for the first time in five years – attracting thousands to Principality Stadium.

The air in Cardiff was thick with anticipation (and the sound of airhorns bought from street vendors) as Monster Jam returned to the city for the first time since 2019. The 2024 event at Principality Stadium featured an epic line-up of Monster Jam monster trucks including:

  • Grave Digger ®
  • El Toro Loco ®
  • Max-D ®
  • Megladon ®

Along with these fan favourites Monster Jam featured Marvel trucks Iron Man, The Amazing Spider-Man, Thor, and Black Panther. Me and my son went to review the experience.

Tens and thousands of people flocked to the capital for Monster Jam – no surprise, given the five-year wait since these impressive monster machines last performed in Cardiff. My introduction to the Monster Jam trucks was at the 2019 event in Cardiff – pregnant at the time I had no idea my son would grow into a monster truck mad kid, but I was delighted to finally be able to take him to see the monster trucks in the flesh (or fiberglass, if we’re getting technical).

Following a picnic outside Cardiff Castle we headed to Principality Stadium where staff were helpful – from helping us find out gate to giving directions to our seats. Despite how busy it was (the stadium has capacity for more than 70,000 people) everything was under control. Monster Jam is a loud event, so I’d recommend brining ear defenders or plugs – particularly if you’re with little ones (I brought along defenders for my son and bought myself £2 ear plugs from a vendor outside).

You could sense the excitement in the air as people took their seats surrounding the pitch – which is around 9.480m2 and had been transformed into a brilliant dirt course with the trucks lined up. These incredible machines weigh around 12,000 pounds and generate 1,500 horsepower.

Scheduled to start at 3pm, the show was delayed due to issues with The Amazing Spider-Man, but the commentator tried to keep the audience pumped up while this was resolved. Finally, the show began, and the 17-foot-long monster trucks competed in the JCB races.

A series of 1v1 races showed that despite their massive size these machines can reach great speeds. The final of the JCB races saw Iron Man defeat El Toro Loco – impressive speed from the Marvel monster truck which was driven by Brandon Arthur.

The Smyths’ best moves competition gave drivers a chance to show off their skills – an action-packed performance of wheelies, backflips, donuts and more. This excellent showcase saw Max-D win with a whooping score of 9.081 (based on audience votes).

Half-time offered visitors the chance to grab snacks or use the loo, but the momentum of the show didn’t stop. An adrenaline fuelled motocross show saw brave motorcyclists performing incredible air stunts – my son particularly enjoyed this part.

Finally came the freestyle stage with the talented team of drivers showing off their 10.5-foot-tall trucks in performances of at least 60 seconds (a point was lost for any trucks that didn’t reach the minute mark). This exhilarating competition offered insight into just how amazing these machines are – there were hiccups, such as El Toro Loco not finishing, but it was a sight to behold (and well done to all the technicians involved).

The overall winner of the event was the popular Grave Digger driven by Matt Cody who showcased his skills – not just behind the wheel but in helping hype up the crowd.

WHAT DID WE THINK?

Monster Jam 2024 was a brilliant event with amazing trucks driven by brave skilful drivers (not forgetting the motorbikes which took to great heights). However, there was a fair bit of waiting around between competitions and while trucks were cleared – while this is understandable it meant some children (my son included) lost focus or get distracted at times. The commentary helped during these “in between” bits and I think older children may have found it easier to stay engaged throughout the show (Monster Jam recommends ages 4+ but this is subjective to the child). The ear protection was a good shout as the loud noises at the stadium (and while leaving) can be quite overwhelming.

This show had the same magic and mayhem that made me love Monster Jam when I first saw it in 2019 – but there was some waiting around involved at times. While we were pleased Grave Digger (a favourite of mine) took the overall win, the highlight of Monster Jam was seeing drivers push the limits of these tremendous trucks rather than the competitive nature of it.

Find out more about Monster Jam at www.monsterjam.com/en-gb/