Key Points
- Cardiff City FC has announced a new multi-year partnership with British performance sportswear brand Castore.
- Castore will become the club’s official kit partner from the 2026/27 season.
- The agreement covers match kits, trainingwear and off-pitch apparel for the men’s first team, women’s side and academy.
- Cardiff City says the first collection will be built around Castore’s “Into the Elements” concept and will focus on performance, resilience and heritage details.
- Ken Choo, the club’s executive director and chief executive officer, said the deal opens up “exciting opportunities” for the club, fans and teams.
- Castore chief commercial officer Danny Downs said the company is delighted to work with Cardiff City and serve its fanbase.
- The club is returning to the Championship for the 2026/27 campaign, making the timing of the new kit deal commercially significant.
Cardiff City (Cardiff Daily) May 5, 2026. The agreement, announced by the club on 5 May, will see the British sportswear brand supply kits and apparel across the men’s first team, women’s team and academy as Cardiff begins a new chapter after promotion.
What has Cardiff City announced?
Cardiff City Football Club said it is “delighted” to confirm a new multi-year partnership with Castore, which will become the club’s official kit partner from the 2026/27 season.
The announcement means the Bluebirds will enter their Championship return wearing Castore-produced match kits and training ranges, ending the current partnership cycle and marking a fresh commercial deal for the club.
As reported by Cardiff City FC in its official statement, the agreement is not limited to first-team matchwear. It also includes trainingwear and off-pitch apparel for the women’s side and academy, indicating that the partnership will extend through several parts of the football programme rather than being a narrow first-team arrangement.
Why does the timing matter?
The timing matters because Cardiff City has already secured a return to the Championship for the 2026/27 campaign.
That places the new kit partnership alongside a major sporting reset, with the club moving up a division and preparing for a more demanding commercial and football environment.
The deal also gives Castore a high-profile Welsh football platform at a moment when Cardiff’s profile is likely to rise again in the second tier.
For the club, the partnership offers a chance to align its on-field reset with a new retail and brand identity ahead of the season.
What did Ken Choo say?
Cardiff City executive director and CEO Ken Choo said:
“We’re thrilled to be partnering with Castore as our new technical kit partner on a multi-year deal, starting this summer.”
He added that Castore is “a global brand, synonymous with quality” and said the partnership will provide that quality to the club’s teams and fans alike.
Choo also said he was “very excited about the opportunities ahead”, signalling that the club sees the agreement as part of a wider commercial and sporting direction.
His comments place the deal in the context of the club’s longer-term planning rather than as a short-term supply arrangement.
What did Castore say?
Castore chief commercial officer Danny Downs said everyone at Castore was “incredibly excited” to have been chosen as Cardiff City’s kit partner from 2026. He said the company is pleased to begin work
Downs also described Cardiff City as “a cornerstone of Welsh football” and said the club “proudly represents one of the most avid fanbases in football”.
He said Castore is looking forward to serving that support base with new ranges, which suggests the company views the deal as both a sporting and retail opportunity.
What will the kits look like?
Cardiff City said the first collection will be developed under Castore’s “Into the Elements” concept. The club said the design approach will focus on athlete resilience across the football calendar, with performance pillars including activity, environment, and physiological and psychological demands.
The club also said the range will reflect technical fabrics and heritage detailing. That language suggests Castore will be asked to balance modern performance requirements with Cardiff’s visual identity and tradition, especially as the club prepares for its Championship return.
How does this fit Cardiff’s wider plans?
This partnership adds another commercial layer to Cardiff’s preparations for 2026/27. Kit contracts matter because they shape not only what players wear but also the retail products sold to supporters, making the deal important beyond the pitch.
The move may also signal that Cardiff expects greater demand around the club after promotion, particularly if the return to the Championship triggers increased interest in merchandise and season-ticket sales. While the announcement does not spell out financial terms, the wording indicates a multi-year relationship designed to support both performance and brand visibility.
How was the deal first reported?
The club’s official announcement is the primary source for the confirmed deal. Before the official release, Footy Headlines reported on 28 March that Cardiff City was set to end its partnership with New Balance and move to Castore on a multi-year basis.
That earlier report also said the agreement would be the first time Castore produced Cardiff City kits. Cardiff’s own statement now confirms the Castore partnership from the 2026/27 season, though it does not repeat every detail from the pre-announcement reporting.
Background of the development
Cardiff City’s kit supplier history has changed over the years, with New Balance supplying the club from the 2022/23 season after Adidas had been the provider for seven years between 2015 and 2022, according to Footy Headlines. The latest Castore agreement therefore represents another shift in the club’s commercial identity and merchandise strategy.
The deal arrives soon after Cardiff secured promotion back to the Championship, with BBC Sport Wales and the EFL noting the significance of the club’s return to the second tier. That sporting context helps explain why the club is now making longer-term commercial arrangements ahead of the next campaign.
Prediction for supporters
For Cardiff City supporters, the most immediate effect is likely to be a new look for the 2026/27 season and a fresh merchandise range tied to the Championship return. If the kits are well received, the partnership could strengthen supporter engagement and retail sales around the club.
For the wider audience, including followers of Welsh football and sportswear watchers, the deal may also be seen as part of Castore’s continued expansion into major football clubs. The success of the partnership will probably be judged by kit design, availability, and whether the new range connects with supporters while Cardiff settles back into Championship football.
