Cardiff University runs undergraduate open days on campus, most recently on Friday 26 and Saturday 27 June 2026, with the next round expected in autumn. You book a free place in advance through the university's open days page. Each day includes subject talks, campus and city tours, accommodation viewings, and the chance to speak to current students and staff.
An open day is the moment a university stops being a website and starts being a place you can imagine yourself in. If you're weighing up Cardiff, walking Cathays Park campus, wandering into the city, and picturing where you'd actually live changes the decision entirely. That last part matters more than people expect: figuring out Student Accommodation in Cardiff early, even on your visit, takes a lot of the panic out of results day later. This guide covers the open day dates, how to book, the term and semester dates you'll want alongside them, and how to spend the day so it's actually worth the trip.
| Event | Dates | Times | Level |
| Undergraduate open days (most recent) | Friday 26 & Saturday 27 June 2026 | 09:00–16:00 | Undergraduate |
| Next undergraduate open days | Autumn 2026 — dates to be confirmed | TBC | Undergraduate |
| Campus visits & tours | Throughout term time | Morning or afternoon | All |
The June 2026 open days have taken place. Cardiff University has said its next open days will run in the autumn, but hadn't published exact dates at the time of writing. The reliable move is to sign up for open day reminders on the university's site so you're told the moment booking opens, rather than relying on a date you saw in a blog.
If you can't make a scheduled open day at all, you're not stuck. Cardiff runs campus visits throughout term time, with a morning or afternoon session that includes presentations and a student-led tour. There are also self-guided walking tours and 360-degree virtual tours of the campus and accommodation, which are genuinely useful if you're an international applicant who can't easily travel.
How to book a Cardiff University open day
Booking is free and done in advance. Head to the university's undergraduate open days page, choose your date, and register. A few practical tips that make the day smoother:
- Book early. Popular subject sessions fill up, and booking secures your place and usually gets you a schedule tailored to what you want to see.
- Pick your subject talks first, then build the day around them. The academic sessions are the part you can't replicate online.
- Register for reminders even if you're not ready to book. That's how you'll catch the autumn dates the second they're released.
For anything specific, the university lists an open day contact (openday@cardiff.ac.uk) for questions before you arrive.
What actually happens on the day
Cardiff open days are built to answer the questions a prospectus can't. Expect a packed schedule rather than a wander. On a typical undergraduate open day you can:
- Sit in on subject-specific talks and presentations from the school you're interested in.
- Join guided campus and city tours, often led by current students who'll give you the unfiltered version of student life.
- View accommodation and see the difference between a room in a photo and a room in person.
- Get answers on student finance, support services, and applications from staff who do this daily.
- Have informal chats with tutors between sessions, which is often where the most honest information comes out.
Cardiff University is made up of two main campuses. Cathays Park is the central campus where most students are based, in the heart of the city and easy to reach by bus or train. Heath Park, about a mile north, is home to the healthcare schools and sits on the University Hospital of Wales site. If you're applying for medicine, dentistry, or a healthcare course, check which campus your open day sessions are on, because the School of Medicine also runs its own dedicated events through the year.
Cardiff University term dates and semester dates
If you're visiting on an open day, you're already thinking ahead to when you'd actually start, so here's the shape of the year. Cardiff runs a two-semester structure: an Autumn Semester and a Spring Semester, with a Christmas break and an Easter break in between, and exam periods that follow each teaching block.
For the 2026/27 academic year, the year is expected to open with Enrolment Week in late September 2026, with teaching beginning in early October 2026 [VERIFY exact dates on the official semester dates page]. Autumn Semester exams typically fall shortly after the Christmas break, with the main examination period towards the end of the Spring Semester.
A few things worth knowing about Cardiff University semester dates and course dates specifically:
- Health-related programmes (and some postgraduate and non-modular courses) often have different, extended session dates. If you're on one of these, your school sets your dates, not the standard undergraduate calendar.
- Postgraduate course dates vary by programme. Your school notifies you of your specific session dates.
- The authoritative source is the university's official semester dates page. Any blog (including this one) should be treated as a signpost, and you should confirm the exact days there before booking travel, accommodation, or anything with a deadline attached.
I've deliberately not printed a full day-by-day calendar here, because those exact dates get updated by the university and a stale calendar in a blog is worse than no calendar. Bookmark the official semester dates page and check it directly.
Why the open day is also a housing decision
Here's something students often realise too late. The Cardiff housing market for the following September moves early, sometimes over the previous winter, so the visit where you fall for the university is also a good moment to scope out where you'd live. Walk from Cathays Park campus into Cathays and Roath and you'll quickly get a feel for the student streets, the walk to lectures, and the areas that suit you.
You don't have to decide anything on the day. But knowing your options, whether that's a shared house or bills-inclusive purpose-built accommodation, means that if you get your offer, sorting somewhere to live is a quick decision rather than a scramble. Plenty of applicants use open day travel to view accommodation at the same time.
Quick tips to get the most out of your visit
- Plan your route. Cardiff is compact and walkable, and both Cardiff Central and Cardiff Queen Street stations are close to the city centre, so getting between the campus and the city is easy.
- Write down your questions beforehand. Student finance, contact hours, work placements, and accommodation are the ones people forget to ask and regret later.
- Talk to current students, not just staff. They'll tell you what the course is really like and where they actually live.
- Give yourself time in the city. You're choosing a city as much as a university. Bute Park, the castle, the arcades, and the food scene are all part of the decision.
- Take photos and notes. After three open days at three universities, they blur together. Your notes are what you'll actually compare later.
Conclusion
Cardiff University open days are free, held on campus (most recently 26–27 June 2026, with autumn dates to follow), and easily the best way to decide if Cardiff is right for you. Book in advance, sign up for reminders so you catch the next dates, and treat the visit as a chance to sort both the university question and the where-will-I-live question in one trip. For anything with a deadline, the official Cardiff University pages are the source of truth for open day and semester dates.
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FAQs
When are Cardiff University open days?
Cardiff University's most recent undergraduate open days were on 26 and 27 June 2026, and the next round is expected in autumn 2026. Sign up on the university's open days page for reminders when new dates and booking open.
Do you need to book a Cardiff University open day?
Yes. Open days are free but you register a place in advance through the university's website, which also lets you plan the subject talks you want to attend.
What happens at a Cardiff University open day?
You get subject talks, guided campus and city tours led by current students, accommodation viewings, and the chance to ask staff about finance, support, and applications.
When does the Cardiff University academic year start?
The 2026/27 year is expected to begin with enrolment week in late September 2026 and teaching in early October 2026. Confirm exact dates on the university's official semester dates page.
How many campuses does Cardiff University have?
Two main ones: Cathays Park in the city centre, where most students are based, and Heath Park about a mile north, home to the healthcare schools.