The 1987 Cardiff City Council election was held on Thursday 7 May 1987 to the district council known as Cardiff City Council, in Cardiff, South Glamorgan, Wales. It took place on the same day as other district council elections in Wales and England. The Conservative Party lost control of the council, though the Labour Party were unable to regain an overall majority.^[1]

The previous Cardiff City Council election took place in 1983 and the next full elections took place in 1991.^[2]

Prior to the elections the Conservatives had a majority of three on the council. National opinion polls showed Labour was gaining in popularity, particularly on local issues. In Cardiff the Conservatives were also facing a challenge from the SDP-Liberal Alliance.^[3]

All 65 council seats were up for election, in 26 electoral wards. The Conservatives lost ten seats overall, while Labour increased their representation by one. The Alliance won nine additional seats, particularly in the centre of the city, within the boundaries of the Cardiff Central constituency.^[1] Labour became the largest party, though four short of having a majority. The Labour group leader, John Reynolds, pledged to run a minority administration.^[1]

Prominent councillors who lost their seats included former Lord Mayor, Olwen Watkin; the council's finance chairman, Roy Hennessy; and Tony John, chairman of Cardiff Bus.^[1] In the Gabalfa ward a police investigation was launched into alleged voting irregularities after the winning Labour councillor, David Hutchinson, had increased his majority to four times more than his 1983 result.^[4]

Contests were held in all twenty-six wards:^[2](a)[5](b)