Parklife is, hands down, the biggest party of the year in Manchester, luring tens of thousands of music-lovers to Heaton Park for two days of live music.
This year’s is shaping up to be the biggest in years, with huge headline slots from Charli XCX and 50 Cent, plus festival favourites like Bicep, Pawsa and Confidence Man.
With just a few weeks to go, festival-goers will be deep in their Parklife prep, whether it’s planning how to get there or what to wear all weekend.
Parklife is now releasing plenty of information about this year’s festival, including VIP upgrades, travel passes, and a few changes to the festival site, including new stages.
So we’ve rounded up a load of essential information you’ll need if you’re heading to the fields of Heaton Park.
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When is Parklife 2025 and what times?
Parklife 2025 will be taking place on Saturday 14 and Sunday 15 June, at Heaton Park.
Parklife gates open from midday on Saturday 14 and 1pm on Sunday 15 June. On both days the event finishes at 11pm.
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Last entry to Parklife is strictly 5pm.
Who’s on the line-up for Parklife 2025?
It’s a whopping year for the Parklife line-up, pulling in two huge headliners – artist of the moment Charli XCX, and hip-hop heavyweight 50 Cent.
Next up will be performances from incredible talent like soul singer Jorja Smith, Parklife favourite Peggy Gou, Pawsa, Bicep, Overmono, Confidence Man, Hybrid Minds, Rudimental, and Chris Stussy.
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There’ll also be slots for Mancs like Interplanetary Criminal, Antony Szmierek, and Morgan Seatree.
Sadly, one of the hottest names on the bill, Lola Young, has pulled out of the festival this year, but it’s still shaping up to be a massive weekend.
You can see the full Parklife line-up below.
How to get tickets, and ticket prices
Tickets for Parklife are still on sale, with decent availability for most ticket types – but they’re selling fast as the festival gets nearer and nearer.
Below are the prices for the main ticket options.
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Weekend tickets – £164.45 each
VIP weekend tickets – £218.90 each
Saturday day tickets – £95.20 each
VIP Saturday day tickets – £137.50 each
Sunday day tickets – £95.20 each
VIP Sunday day tickets – £137.50 each
How much is a VIP or Backstage upgrade, and what does it get you?
If you’ve already bought a ticket but want to upgrade yourself to VIP, it’s not too late (and speaking from experience, WORTH IT).
You can upgrade your whole weekend to VIP for £72.80 each, or £44.80 each for day tickets.
The Parklife VIP area has jumped across to the other side of the festival site this year and is now right in the heart of the action near the Valley Stage.
From here, you have an exclusive viewing area of the stage, plus exclusive food and drink, priority entry, VIP toilets, a hair and makeup pamper station, and plenty more.
Then there’s a new Backstage ticket type this year, which gets you on-stage access to the Hangar stage, an exclusive viewing area of the Valley Stage, a backstage bar and a chill out area – it’s £165.00 each to upgrade for the weekend.
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How to get to and from Parklife festival 2025, plus travel pass
Parklife takes place up at Heaton Park, so it’s a little way out of the city centre – but it’s a doddle to make your way up to the fields.
The festival still advises using the dedicated shuttle bus to get there and back, which is the quickest and easiest route.
The shuttle bus leaves from Lever Street in the Northern Quarter and will drop you right outside the festival site within about 30 minutes.
Alternatively, you can get a Bee Network tram to Bowker Vale or Heaton Park tram stops, and walk up to the gates.
As for getting home, buses will operate from early evening until everyone has safely left the festival site.
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Trams will operate on their normal schedule but note that Heaton Park station closes at 9pm on both evenings, so that crowds can be safely managed at Bowker Vale instead.
There’s a special Parklife Travel Pass that allows you to travel on any bus or tram service including the shuttle bus – it’s £8 per day, or £14 for the weekend, and is available on the Bee Network app.
Parklife 2025 festival map and stages
There are some big changes on site at Parklife this year – including The Parklife Stage disappearing altogether.
Now, The Valley will act as the main stage, and there are two brand new stages to check out too.
Both Matinee and Big Top will be new this year.
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Magic Sky will move a bit more centrally into the festival site, while the truly impressive Hangar stage dominates the western side of the event.
And at the top of the hill will be the small but mighty G Stage.
What you can and can’t bring to Parklife 2025
There’s strict security in place getting in and out of Heaton Park for Parklife festival, for everyone’s safety, and a long list of what you can and can’t bring with you.
You can bring your own water bottle on site with refill stations all over Parklife, but it mustn’t be larger than 500ml and can’t be metal.
You can also take sun cream as long as it’s 200ml or less and in original containers, and if the weather goes the other way, compact umbrellas are okay.
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As for the banned list, it includes obvious stuff like alcohol, drugs, knives, aerosols and flares/fireworks, as well as less obvious things like hoverboards and skateboards, hi vis jackets and selfie sticks.
Dave at Co-op Live, Manchester – tickets, times, setlist and more for UK tour
Thomas Melia
Highly-acclaimed rapper-songwriter Dave is heading to Co-op Live for two nights, in support of his recent release The Boy Who Played The Harp.
Manchester is gearing up for two nights of high-energy rap with a sprinkle of prose courtesy of rapper and songwriter Dave, taking place at Co-op Live.
The rapper has been cultivating an audience of dedicated fans through his impressive solo work and some pretty huge collaborations with acts like Central Cee, AJ Tracey, Fredo and more.
The Brit-Nigerian star has three albums to his name and an even bigger number of chart-toppers, recently earning his fourth, a collaboration with Afrobeats artist Tems titled ‘Raindance’.
Now, Dave is compiling a 10-year discography, creating a setlist perfect to be played at 23,500 seater venue Co-op Live right here in Manchester.
Gig guide | Dave at Co-op Live, Manchester – all you need to know
Dave is playing two shows at Co-op Live Manchester in March as part of his UK tour / Credit: supplied via Wikimedia Commons
Dave UK tour dates
Fri 13 March – Birmingham, UK – Utilita Arena
Mon 16 March – Manchester, UK – Co-op Live
Tue 17 March – Manchester, UK – Co-op Live
Sat 29 August – Little John’s Farm – Reading, UK
Sun 30 August – Bramham Park – Leeds, UK
Are there tickets left for Dave at Co-op Live?
You ‘Wanna Know’ if there’s any Dave tickets going spare? Well guess what, you’re in luck as you can still find a handful of tickets to both dates.
It might not be a ‘Funky Friday’, but Dave is coming to Co-op Live in Manchester on Monday 16 March with tickets HERE.
There’s two chances to witness some of the best ‘UK Rap’ so grab your ‘Trojan Horse’ and get ready to watch him live on Tuesday 17 March – tickets HERE.
Dave setlist for 2026 tour
History
No Weapons
Verdansk
Clash
System
Both Sides of a Smile
Screwface Capital
Location
Thiago Silva
No Words
Professor X
Funky Friday
Kat Slater
Titanium
Victory Lap Freestyle
Trojan Horse
UK Rap
Selfish
Chapter 16
The Boy Who Played the Harp
Sprinter
Starlight
Stage times for Dave and support act at Co-op Live, Manchester
Doors for the ‘Money Talks’ hitmaker are set to open from 6.30pm with no official starting time listed although the rapper has taken to the stage around 9pm at previous dates.
The show officially begins at 7.30pm, with Lost Boys performing as support.
You’re guaranteed to get swept away by Dave’s songs and the storytelling weaved throughout his lyrics.
How to get to Co-op Live
Tram
For those of you heading to Co-op Live, you’ll be glad to know it’s right next door to a rather famous big blue stadium and its integrated Metrolink stop.
Head along the light blue or orange lines directly to the Etihad Campus or Ashton-under-Lyne, and you can get off the tram literally spitting distance from the arena. You can find the full map HERE.
Trams run frequently on the Ashton-Eccles line to the Etihad stop, with services leaving every six minutes from the city centre and until 1:00am on Fridays and Saturdays.
Bus
You can find the full list of bus routes HERE, with the one in closest proximity to the venue being the 53 bus, which runs from Cheetham Hill through to Higher Crumpsall, Old Trafford and Pendleton, leaving just a two-minute walk to Co-op Live. You also get free Bee Network travel with any valid event.
Getting there by car and parking
If you’re driving, there is limited parking available at the venue, but this must be pre-booked ahead of time, and there are designated drop-off areas.
The postcode is M11 3DU, and you can follow the signs towards the wider Etihad Campus as you get closer; directions to the adjacent drop-off points will also be signposted.
Keep in mind that congestion on the roads close to the stadium is expected to gather around two hours prior to any event, so if you are travelling on the road, these are the suggested times they provide on event day, though estimates will obviously vary:
Alan Turing Way (both directions): plan an additional 20 minutes into any journey by road.
Hyde Road (eastbound): expect an additional 15 minutes to be added to your journey.
Mancunian Way (westbound): plan for an extra 10 minutes of travel time.
There are also three park-and-ride facilities near Co-op Live, but be advised that the Velopark and Holt Town stops will be closed post-event to help safely manage crowds:
Ashton West (Ashton line) – 184 spaces and 11 disabled spaces
Ladywell (Ashton-Eccles line) – 332 spaces and 22 disabled spaces
Walk/cycle
Lastly, Co-op Live is only a half-hour stroll from Manchester Piccadilly, and you could even walk along the canal all the way to the front door if you fancy taking the scenic route.
Greater Manchester now also offers the option to hire bikes on the Beryl app, with riders able to locate, unlock, get to their destination and then safely lock up the bike all through an easy-to-use app. There are hire points just near the south-west corner of the Etihad Stadium on Ashton New Road.
For more information on all travel options, you can check out the enhanced journey planner.
Featured Images – Press shot via supplied / Wikimedia Commons via supplied
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Korn announce massive Manchester gig on first UK tour in a decade
Daisy Jackson
Korn have announced a major Manchester gig as part of a new UK tour – their first in more than a decade.
The nu metal legends will be heading to the AO Arena later this year, making a monumental return to British shores.
And they’ve announced very special guests will be joining them on the tour too – support will come from Architects, as well as Youth Code.
Korn burst onto the scene back in 1991 with their seminal self-titled debut album, and have gone on to release a whopping 14 studio albums.
The Californian group have sold more than 40 million albums worldwide, collected two Grammy Awards, and headed out on countless world tours.
They’re often cited by newer bands as a major influence and have pushed the limits of the rock, alternative and metal genres.
The Ringer has described Korn as ‘a genuine movement in a way bands cannot be now’.
As well as performing in Manchester, Korn will play at venues across the UK including in Leeds, Birmingham, Newcastle, and London.
They’ll be joined by Architects, a British metalcore band who have continued to top the charts even after the tragic death of founding member, guitarist, and principal songwriter Tom Searle.
Korn will be at the AO Arena in Manchester on Saturday 31 October, with pre-sale tickets available from Tuesday 17 March at 8am, before a general on-sale from Friday 20 March at 8am HERE.
Daisy Jackson -
30th May 2025 
