Travel advice for Manchester’s big weekend of events

Music and football lovers heading to events across Manchester are being encouraged to spend some extra time planning their journeys ahead of one of the busiest weekends of the summer.

Greater Manchester Police (GMP) and partners are preparing for Parklife Festival this weekend (10/11 June ) which will see around 70,000 festival goers descend on Heaton Park on each day.

Parklife is the biggest event in Manchester’s music calendar and one of the largest metropolitan music festivals in the UK. The line-up will see huge acts such as Aitch, The Prodigy and Fred Again take to the stage.

Parklife follows on the heels of The Courteeners, who are also playing at Heaton Park on Friday 9 June.

National Highways is issuing its usual Parklife advice for motorway users with congestion expected when concert goers are leaving Parklife each night from around 9pm onwards, potentially into the early hours.

As in previous years, the exit slip roads at junction 19 of the M60 for Middleton/Heaton Park will be closed between 7pm and 2am on Saturday and Sunday. All queueing traffic for the event will now be restricted to the clockwise exit slip road at Junction 20 at Blackley.

Further into Manchester, on the Saturday, The Weeknd will play at The Etihad Stadium and Roger Waters at the AO Arena. On Sunday evening, Soccer Aid will also take place at Old Trafford with more than 50,000 people expected to attend.

It’s a jam-packed weekend and GMP have been working closely with organisers, local authorities and other agencies to ensure everyone can enjoy these events safely.

Work has been taking place to reduce - where possible - disruption to the surrounding communities and in the city of Manchester.

Those planning to use public transport are urged to plan their journeys both to and from the event in advance. You will need to be patient and prepare for much busier journeys. The planned Metrolink strike has been cancelled, so trams will be running as usual.

Other routes will be available, including a walking route back to the city of Manchester. This will be clearly signposted and is hoped to relieve some congestion on the roads, and may be a quicker route back to the city.

Large numbers of people are also expected in the city centre on Saturday night with Manchester City’s Champions League Final with Inter Milan in Istanbul being screened in pubs, sports bars and Depot Mayfield.

Chris Chadwick, senior network planner for National Highways in the North West, said: “With our partners at Greater Manchester Police and Transport for Greater Manchester we have long-standing procedures in place to deal with traffic associated with events at Heaton Park and the annual Parklife festival. We’ve suspended some overnight roadworks and we’ll be working around the clock to monitor the motorway network with our CCTV cameras and clear any incidents as quickly as possible.

“It’s probably worth reminding people it’s illegal as well as a safety hazard to use the motorway to drop off or pick up concert goers, hitch a lift or take a short cut.

“Drivers and everyone else can help themselves by taking some time to plan their journeys to and away from these events and check for any congestion or incidents before setting off.”

 

 

Superintendent Andy Sidebotham, who is leading the policing operation for Parklife, said: “Parklife is a fantastic event and I hope those with tickets are very much looking forward to attending what is Manchester’s biggest music festival.

“It takes months of planning to ensure we are well prepared for Parklife and GMP has been working closely with dedicated partners to ensure it runs smoothly.

“The event organisers will have a range of tried and tested security measures in place including searches on entry and the use of drug dogs.

“Surrender bins will also be in place at entry points to the site where you will have the opportunity to surrender any prohibited items. Anyone found in the possession of drugs or weapons will be dealt with appropriately.

“I urge you to think very carefully before taking action that could have far reaching consequences that could see you banned from the festival or even facing criminal prosecution.

“Our main priority is to ensure the safety of everyone and to support the local communities and I have confidence that the majority of attendees will enjoy the event responsibly.

“Those attending should remain vigilant and keep their belongings safe and report anything suspicious to police or security staff so we can act on it.

“As always, I welcome everyone who is attending our brilliant city this weekend and going to any one of these events. Please look out for each other and I hope you have a great time.”

A comprehensive guide to travel options for all of the weekend’s events, including bus services and the established Parklife pick-up zone at Heaton Park Road Sainsbury’s, is available on the Transport for Greater Manchester website.

National Highways provides live traffic information via its website, local and national radio travel bulletins, electronic road signs and mobile apps. Local Twitter services are also available at @highwaysNWEST.

Providing they can do so safely, road users can also call the National Highways information line on 0300 123 5000 to keep up to date with road conditions.