Travel advice for Courteeners gig at Heaton Park

Courteeners will be in Manchester to play at Heaton Park on Saturday 15 June 2019. Around 50,000 fans are expected to attend the homecoming gig.

Chief Superintendent Graeme Openshaw of GMP’s Specialist Operations Branch said: “We are pleased to be part of the team helping to support this event. The aim of our policing operation is to ensure that everyone in attendance stays safe and we can respond to any issues within the community.

“We will have police officers in and around Heaton Park throughout the evening, and I would urge anyone with concerns or questions on the day to approach one of our officers.

“We want people to stay safe both during the event and travelling to and from it. The travel networks will be busier than usual so please plan your journeys in advance, and keep up to date with travel updates from our colleagues at Transport for Greater Manchester.”

Travel advice

Heaton Park is situated to the north of Manchester, five miles from the city centre. Travel by tram or on foot are the best ways to get to Heaton Park.

• Doors to the concert open at 4pm.
• Pale Waves perform at 5.20pm.
• DMA's perform at 6.10pm.
• James perform at 7pm.
• Courteeners perform at 8.30pm.
• Curfew for the concert is 11pm.

Please note, times are subject to change.

There are three public entry and exit gates to the concert:

• West Gate on Bury Old Road.
• East Gate on Sheepfoot Lane.
• North Gate close to the lake in Heaton Park.

Metrolink services

Metrolink services will only run to Heaton Park Metrolink stop until 9pm, for safety reasons. After the concert, services to Bury or the city centre will only run from Bowker Vale.

Metrolink is the quickest and easiest way to reach Heaton Park.

Metrolink services will take you directly to the Bowker Vale and Heaton Park stops which are only a few minutes’ walk from the festival site.

Journeys take around 20 minutes from Manchester city centre. However, due to increased crowds, please allow additional time to complete your journey.

After 9pm Heaton Park Metrolink stop will be closed. Metrolink services back into the city centre will only run from Bowker Vale.

• The last tram from Bowker Vale to Deansgate is at 1.37am.
• The last tram from Bowker Vale to Piccadilly is at 1.31am.
• The last tram from Bowker Vale to Bury is at 1.56am.

Remember you must have a valid Metrolink ticket or pass before boarding a tram and consumption of alcoholic beverages on trams is strictly prohibited. Open containers of alcohol must be disposed of before boarding a tram.

Metrolink tickets

You must have a valid ticket before you board a tram. Please be aware that ticket checks take place across the network.

Event day tickets

An event ticket from the city centre to Heaton Park/Bowker Vale is available.

Staff will be on-hand at city centre stops selling these for £4.

Weekend travelcard

Fans who are travelling around Manchester on the Friday evening and over the weekend can beat the queues and save money by purchasing a weekend travelcard for just £6.60.

This ticket is valid from 6pm on Friday until the last tram on Sunday night, across the entire network.

This ticket is available from ticket machines, on the get me there app (Google Play and Apple App stores) and from staff at some busy city centre stops.

Park and Ride

Metrolink customers can also use one of our park and rides for free. The closest stations with Park and Ride facilities are:

• Radcliffe with 396 spaces (Crook Street, Radcliffe, M26 2SU)
• Whitefield with 216 spaces (Nuttall Avenue, Whitefield, M45 6QA)

Please note the park and ride facilities are only available to Metrolink customers.

Overnight parking is also available at some Park and Ride sites, but you must collect your car by midday the following day.

Walking

Walking between the city centre and Heaton Park, particularly after the concert finishes, may be the quickest option.

The walk is flat and will take around an hour – just follow the signs along Bury Old Road (West of Heaton Park) to Cheetham Hill Road and into the city.

The West Gate, off Bury Old Road, is the recommended exit gate for walkers.

Driving

Driving isn’t recommended as there’s no on-street parking and road closures around Heaton Park.

Sainsbury’s Heaton Park, off Middleton Road, is the official drop-off and pick-up point. This will be open until 1am and you can wait here safely to be collected or to collect people.

The following roads around Heaton Park will be closed on the Saturday evening:

• Whittaker Lane from its junctions with Rectory Lane and Bury Old Road for the full weekend.
• St Margaret’s Road from its junction with Heywood Road and Bury Old Road for the full weekend.
• Middleton Road from its junction with Victoria Avenue and Crumpsall Lane after 8pm each evening.
• Blackley New Road from its junction with Middleton Road and Delaunays Road after 8pm each evening.
• Bury Old Road from its junction with Heywood Road and Scholes Lane after 8pm each evening.

If you and your friends are being dropped off or picked up, you should consider using one of our Metrolink Park and Ride facilities at Radcliffe and Whitefield Metrolink stops.

Train

Manchester is well served by rail, with services running into Manchester Piccadilly, Oxford Road and Victoria.

Fans can connect to onward Metrolink services from Victoria and Piccadilly.

Public bus services

Heaton Park is served by existing bus routes from around Greater Manchester: 41, 59, 90, 135 and 484.

However, a number of diversion will be in place. Please check before travelling.

• The 41, 59 and 135 services will be diverted from 8pm each evening.
• The 90 and 484 services will be will be diverted for the whole of the weekend.

More information on Greater Manchester bus services can be found on our dedicated page.

Road closures

A number of roads around Heaton Park will be closed on Saturday evening resulting in bus diversions.

• Whittaker Lane from its junctions with Rectory Lane and Bury Old Road for the full weekend.
• St Margaret’s Road from its junction with Heywood Road and Bury Old Road for the full weekend.
• Middleton Road from its junction with Victoria Avenue and Crumpsall Lane after 8pm each evening.
• Blackley New Road from its junction with Middleton Road and Delaunays Road after 8pm each evening.
• Bury Old Road from its junction with Heywood Road and Scholes Lane after 8pm each evening.