Last weekend, thousands of metal fans packed Cardiff’s Principality Stadium to watch  American rockers Metallica perform.

Ahead of their sell-out concert, Metallica donated £20,000 to Cardiff Foodbank through their charity, All Within My Hands. The donation will provide the equivalent of around 9,000 meals for local people facing food insecurity, arriving at exactly the right moment after the charity revealed its warehouse shelves were running dangerously low.

Just weeks before the concert, Cardiff Foodbank had issued an urgent appeal for donations, explaining that it had never seen its shelves so empty. With food donations falling by 27% while demand remains stubbornly high, the charity was struggling to meet the needs of the 20,000 people it supports every year. Around one in three of those receiving help are children.

Rachel Biggs, Chief Executive of Cardiff Foodbank, described the gift as transformational, allowing the charity to replenish essential supplies and continue supporting families throughout the year.

The donation was made through All Within My Hands, Metallica’s charitable foundation, which was established in 2017. The organisation was created by the band and its management to give something meaningful back to the communities they visit. A proportion of ticket sales from Metallica’s tours helps fund local charities, with a particular focus on tackling food insecurity, supporting workforce education and funding critical community services.

The foundation has now donated millions of dollars to charities around the world, regularly supporting foodbanks in the cities where the band performs. Rather than simply arriving, playing a show and moving on, Metallica has made community giving part of every tour.

The band’s commitment in Wales didn’t stop with the foodbank donation. Working alongside the Welsh Blood Service, they also encouraged fans to donate blood and plasma before and after the concert, helping boost supplies that save lives across the country.

Foodbank volunteer Eddie Cawston, who had tickets for the concert on Sunday said: “It shows that people who can make a difference are prepared to make a difference. They’ll make a phenomenal amount of money from the tour and they’re giving to us and other foodbanks as the tour goes along. It’s brilliant.”