Get your travel plan sorted for Parklife weekend

Peter Cushing, Metrolink Director

Up to 100,000 music fans heading to Heaton Park next weekend (5/6/7 June) are being reminded to plan their travel in advance.

Around 70,000 music fans are due to descend on Heaton Park on both Saturday 6 and Sunday 7 June for the Parklife 2015 music festival, following a Friday night that will see around 25,000 travel to the Park to see The Courteeners.

This year getting to Parklife will be easier with a flexible Parklife Travel Pass that allows travel by both Metrolink and a dedicated Parklife Express shuttle bus service for £5 a day.

Extra trams will run on both days and dedicated shuttle buses will also run for The Courteeners.

Parklife travel information, options and advice can be found www.tfgm.com/parklife, with information also at www.parklife.uk.com.

Due to planned industrial action by Network Rail workers there may be nationwide disruption to train services from Thursday 4 June.

Anyone travelling to either The Courteeners concert or Parklife by train is strongly advised to check with their train company before travelling, visit:

www.nationalrail.co.uk/industrialaction

Peter Cushing, Metrolink Director for TfGM, said: “It’s a busy weekend at Heaton Park and we’ve been working with concert and festival organisers to make sure we get the right transport in place.

“Getting to Parklife by public transport is not only the easiest way to travel, it’s green and you won’t have to worry about finding parking.

“With trams and a special shuttle bus running right to the festival – and a combined ticket available for just £5 a day or £10 for the weekend – it makes sense to leave the car at home.”

The Courteeners: Friday 5 June

Gig-goers heading to see The Courteeners on Friday will be able to catch the tram to and from the nearby Heaton Park stop and are advised to expect queues for journeys back into the city.

Heaton Park is served by local buses from Bury, Middleton and Oldham with a frequent service to/from Manchester city centre.

Before and after the show, shuttle buses will operate between Bury Old Road and Shudehill interchange in the city centre. For more info on bus services visit www.tfgm.com

For people getting a lift, Sainsburys Heaton Park, located on Heaton Park Road, M9 0QS, is the official drop off and pick up point.

The only official event car park is located at the Heaton Park Lakeside car park, off Sheepfoot Lane, M25 0BW. Payment is £10 in cash on arrival.

Parklife: Saturday and Sunday 6/7 June

Parklife Express services are being promoted as the fastest and easiest way to get to the festival. Buses will run direct from Aytoun Street in the city to the festival between 10am and 4.30pm and from the festival site between 6.30pm and around 1am. Tickets can be booked in advance here and need to be exchanged for a wristband.

Extra Metrolink services will also be running on all days for people planning to catch the tram.

Parklife festivalgoers can travel to the Heaton Park Metrolink stop but any return journeys after 6.30pm have to be made from the nearby Bowker Vale stop, which has much better queuing facilities for crowds. Heaton Park stop will be closed from this time on Saturday and Sunday.

Driving to Parklife is not recommended as there will be very limited parking available, no on-street parking and road closures around Heaton Park.

There will be a designated hackney and private hire ranks close to Heaton Park.

Crucially, anyone travelling home beyond the city centre on Friday, Saturday or Sunday should also check when their last tram from the city leaves and expect those services to be very busy.