Swansea Vs Preston: Snoop Dogg's surreal visit and a late rescue
The American rapper and club minority owner turned a routine midweek Championship tie into a spectacle at the Swansea. com Stadium in a match billed as swansea vs preston. His visit combined a privately staged hour-long canteen gig, a stadium lap of honour and a 1-1 draw that left fans celebrating a late swing of events.
Snoop's stadium arrival: towels, chants and a soundtrack
Snoop Dogg walked around the Swansea. com Stadium to the soundtrack of his greatest hits, waving a Snoop and Swansea City-branded towel above his head while the capacity crowd did the same and chanted "Snoop Dogg's barmy army. " He had arranged for every single seat to have a Snoop and Swansea-branded towel inspired by those waved by supporters of his beloved American football team, the Pittsburgh Steelers, and he had requested a sold-out crowd to be in their seats ahead of kick-off to twirl the complimentary towels.
Fans had been lining up outside the stadium five hours before kick-off to get a glimpse of Snoop, who signed autographs and posed for photographs in sunshine. Swansea and Preston's players were still warming up when Snoop emerged into the stadium to an explosion of noise and colour; once darkness had fallen, the show began.
How Snoop shaped Swansea Vs Preston with a lap of honour and guard of honour
The rapper arrived on the pitch through a guard of honour, dressed in the club's all-white colours with a Swansea crest on his jacket, dark glasses and a beanie hat, and he made a pre-match lap of honour as fans twirled their towels. He then took his seat in the stands; Swansea went a goal behind in the match before equalising in added time at the end.
Match coverage included the headline "Cullen rescues Snoop Dogg's Swans party against Preston, " and the fixture itself was a midweek Championship clash between Swansea, listed as 14th, and Preston North End, listed as eighth.
Private hour-long set at Au Vodka headquarters for more than 400 guests
Before the game, Snoop performed an invitation-only private gig in the canteen at the Au Vodka headquarters in Swansea. Staff described the event as "absolutely nuts" after the space — where people had been playing ping pong and pool just 24 hours earlier — was transformed into a nightclub for more than 400 guests.
Au Vodka co-owner Jackson Quinn said the appearance would be remembered for years: "We will all remember this until we are looking back on this in our 80s saying 'I can't believe Snoop played in our office'. " Quinn added that the global star was only meant to do a DJ set originally but his performance turned into "an hour of back to back classics" amid cheers. Co-owner Charlie Morgan called the gig "really last minute but almost every member of their staff was there, " alongside friends, family and local influencers.
How the visit came together and who was there
The appearance came about through the pair's business partner and DJ Charlie Sloth, who they said has access to "the hip hop rap world. " Among the guests at the event were Welsh boxer Joe Cordina and former Swans striker Lee Trundle. Morgan and Sloth said they would both be attending the game that night and were "hopeful for a win. "
Quinn said Snoop's involvement was "amazing for putting Swansea on the map. That's something we actively aim to do all the time, " adding: "He's a global name and maybe one of the most famous people in the world. "
Snoop's wider sporting profile and Swansea's ownership picture
Snoop Dogg has regularly attended a variety of major sports events. He was an "honorary coach" for the United States at this month's Winter Olympics in Italy, having fulfilled a similar role at the Paris summer Games of 2024, and two years before that he was one of the performers in the Super Bowl half-time show.
The American rapper is a minority owner of the Sky Bet Championship club alongside US television personality and billionaire Martha Stewart and Croatia international Luka Modric. His visit to Swansea was announced last week and he said on the club's official website: "I know it has been a long time coming, but I cannot wait to finally make my first visit to Swansea. "
Manager reaction and the match outcome
Visiting manager Paul Heckingbottom dismissed any suggestion the spectacle was down to off-field distractions, noting it was not the effect of "the smell of weed in the tunnel. " The match ultimately finished as a 1-1 draw with Swansea salvaging a late result that left a memorable first home visit for the club's hip-hop co-owner.
