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Transport ‘masterplan’ announced as more than 300,000 fans hit Manchester for Oasis reunion gigs

We've not long to go now.

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant - 3rd July 2025

Greater Manchester’s transport ‘masterplan’ has been released ahead of Oasis’ huge run of reunion gigs starting next week.

Manchester is all set for a sensational summer of sound, and as more than 300,000 music fans prepare to descend on our city next week as a little-known band called Oasis (sarcasm detected) reform for the first time in over a decade, Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) has now announced its plan to transport everyone to and from Heaton Park.

With the Gallagher brothers staging five nostalgia-drenched gigs starting from next Friday (11 July), the transport network wants to make sure no one is left ‘looking back in anger’ over their travel arrangements.

Travel arrangements for the hotly-anticipated reunion shows have involved months of planning by TfGM and its partners, so over the next couple of weeks, you can expect to see additional staff on the network, more frequent, all-double tram services running to Heaton Park from Victoria station, and a shuttle bus service running from the city centre.

TfGM’s state-of-the-art control room will also be operating 24/7 to monitor and coordinate the public transport system and respond to any emerging incidents as they materialise.

Here’s everything you need to know.

A Metrolink tram in Manchester city centre
Oasis reunion rehearsals have begun says Liam Gallagher
Greater Manchester’s transport ‘masterplan’ has been released ahead of the Oasis gigs / Credit: TfGM | Simon Emmett (Publicity Picture)

Travelling by tram

The best way for fans to beat the traffic and get to the 80,000-capacity outdoor venue over the five dates will be to travel using the Metrolink network.

On each night, there will be a six-minute service from Victoria Station to Bury – the only city centre station with a direct tram to Heaton Park – and this service will be capable of carrying 4,000 passengers an hour, with concertgoers travelling from other lines told to change onto a Bury-bound tram at Victoria.

If you have a ticket for front standing, your best option is to get off and on again at Bowker Vale, which is the closest stop to the venue entrance on Sheepfoot Lane, as the Heaton Park stop will be closed at 9pm on all nights.

Both the Bowker Vale and Heaton Park stops are just a few minutes away from the park gates, but as as the Heaton Park stop will be closed at 9pm on all nights, if you have a ticket for front standing, your best option is to get off and on again at Bowker Vale, which is the closest stop to the venue entrance on Sheepfoot Lane.

For the shows on 11, 12, and 19 July, the final trams will leave for the city centre at 2:02am and for Bury at 1:16am, and on 16 July, the last trams will run at 1:32am to the city centre and 12:46am to Bury.

Travelling by tram to Heaton Park is recommended by TfGM / Credit: TfGM

Travel by shuttle bus

Alternatively, there will be frequent shuttle buses from Lever Street in the Northern Quarter from 1:30pm on each event day, with the last bus departing at 7:30pm.

Buses will then start running back to Manchester after the event – with the city centre drop-off point being Shudehill Interchange – from a temporary bus station inside Heaton Park from 10pm, and buses will continue to run until all passengers have cleared the bus station.

Limited shuttlebus tickets, priced at £10, are available, but these must be purchased in advance through the Bee Network app.

Further details on how to buy the tickets can be found on the Bee Network website.

Driving to the venue

There will be increased congestion and various road closures in place around Heaton Park and the surrounding areas on each of the event dates.

Those who have to drive or need to be dropped off and picked up are encouraged to consider taking advantage of the 24 ‘park and ride’ sites in Greater Manchester, where you can park for free and hop on a tram to your destination.

The park and ride sites on the Bury line are Whitefield, with 331 spaces and 13 disabled spaces, and and Radcliffe with 480 spaces and 22 disabled spaces.

Shuttlebus services will be in operation on all dates of Oasis’ run of gigs / Credit: TfGM

And if all of that wasn’t busy enough as it is, Manchester will also be playing host to a number of other big events during Oasis’ run of shows – including Kool & The Gang at AO Arena and Billie Eilish at Co-op Live.

So as you can see, public transport and roads will be busier than usual during this exciting time, so TfGM encourages everyone to allow plenty of time for their journey and check the Bee Network app or website for the latest travel advice.

Read more:

All the latest travel updates for Oasis Live ’25 shows can be found here.

Featured Image – TfGM

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Beat-Herder Festival 2025 – a magical weekend of music, madness, miniature worlds and more

Emily Johnson Emily Johnson The Beat Herder Festival 2025 review

Some festivals give you good music. Some give you great crowds. And a very rare few create a world so immersive, you forget you’re even at a festival; the cult favourite Beat-Herder Festival does it all – and then some.

Tucked into the Ribble Valley countryside in the Lancashire town of Clitheroe, The Beat-Herder Festival isn’t your average weekend of tents and tunes.

It’s a handcrafted, mind-bending wonderland built by a small crew of dreamers who clearly love what they do and want you to feel the same.

Whether it’s your first time or your fifteenth, the moment you step through the gates, you know you’re in for something special

Beat-Herder Fest 2025 | Review

First up: the stages

There’s no main path here – just winding routes and secret cut-throughs that lead to 16 beautifully designed stages, each with its own vibe.

The Main Stage delivered as always, from high-energy daytime sets like Beatles Dub Club to headliners like the legendary Fabio, Grooverider and long-time collaborators, The Outlook Orchestra, which brought the field to life each night. 

Then there’s Hotel California, not just an Eagles reference but a site where you could catch a full-on rave in a wild west saloon, as well as The Parish Church: a gothic fairytale where choirs turn into choons and the altar doubles as a DJ booth.

One of the weekend’s highlights came tucked inside The Beat-Herder Working Men’s Club, where The Clone Roses had the entire crowd bouncing with their uncanny tribute to The Stones.

When ‘I Am the Resurrection’ dropped, it was hands-in-the-air euphoria; a true pinch-me moment. Ian Brown might as we have been on the stage, the way the crowd were going wild. 

And it wasn’t just music. The Working Men’s also hosted ‘Beat-Herder’s Got Talent’, which is a chaotic and charming mix of poetry, dragon dancing, comedy sketches and more. Heartfelt, hilarious and very Beat-Herder.

Truly immersive worlds

Venture deeper into the wonderful world of Beat-Herder and you’ll find entire miniature towns within the festival. There’s a literal high street, complete with its own tattoo parlour, barbers, a swap shop and even a secret swimming pool.

where is beat-herder fest?
Credit: Andrew Whitton (supplied via Beat-Herder)

We’re not going to disclose its location, but let’s just say if you find a dodgy-looking wooden gate and hear splashing on the other side – knock twice and bring a towel…

Late-night mayhem

As the sun went down, the party really came to life. The Beyond Tunnel was your portal to new dimensions, opening out into a maze of secret stages and psychedelic visuals.

From psytrance at The Sunrise Stage, to bassline chaos at The Laundrette and candy-coloured chaos at Bubba Gumma, it was a rabbit hole of sound you never wanted to leave.

Then there was The Temple – a fire-breathing stage that became a haven for breakbeats, jungle, techno and house. Tim Reaper’s set here was a standout for us – fast, furious, and euphoric.

And just when we thought the night was over, we found ourselves at a secret 3am b2b set with Tim Reaper and Samurai Breaks that blew us away – two talented DJs that had the crowd wanting even more despite the sun quite literally rising on the next day.

Another hidden gem was The Ring, an intimate open-air arena where we caught Jungle pioneer Goldie, alongside Sheffield’s own Silva Bumpa and Soul Mass Transit System for a bass-heavy b2b set that rattled your bones and lit up the crowd.

Then there’s The Factory – a steel-clad rave bunker pumping out electro, acid and heavy techno deep into the night. Dancing inside while the rain pelted the tin roof added a layer of gritty industrial magic – proper spine-tingling stuff if you’re into that sweaty, underground energy.

And just when you think you’ve seen it all, along comes Fowler’s Garage: a chaotic, petrolhead fever dream of a stage where you can literally dance on top of cars. DJs spin sets from inside the vehicles, cooking up a storm from the front seat while the crowd parties on the roof.

It’s unhinged in the best way possible and one of the most unique spaces you’ll ever rave in.

Power and the people

What really makes Beat-Herder feel different is the people. There’s an unspoken code of friendliness here – everyone’s up for a chat, a laugh, or a spontaneous dance. You could spill your pint and end up making a friend for life. That kind of energy is rare, and Beat-Herder wears it like a badge of honour.

The merch stand has that signature hand-crafted feel. All of the merch is hand-printed, with designs that feel like proper collector’s items rather than throwaway souvenirs. We spotted punters proudly repping Beat-Herder tees from as far back as 2012 – testament to how deep the community pride runs here.

Even on the way out, with vans and cars getting stuck in the mud, everyone mucked in to help push – proof that the Beat-Herder spirit sticks with you long after you’ve left the gates. Just a bunch of lovely people all getting together to have a good time and make memories for life. 

beat herder 2025 review
lancashire music festival
beat-herder review
Credit: Andrew Whitton

Fantastic fancy dress

Saturday brought the iconic fancy dress theme – this year, the letter G. And wow, did people go for it. Giraffes towered above the crowd, Gnomes danced in groups, Gardeners handed out seed packets, and one hero turned up as ‘Garbage’, wearing an actual dustbin with a lid strapped to his head. We laughed for a full five minutes.

Final thoughts from the fields

Even though Beat-Herder was slightly scaled down this year due to budget cuts, it never once felt like anything was missing. If anything, it brought a tighter, even more magic-filled experience. The attention to detail, the creativity, and the atmosphere are still unmatched – a reminder that this isn’t just a festival. It’s a fully fledged world of its own.

If you’re looking for something different – stick this one at the very top of your list. But be warned: once you’ve been, you’ll never stop going back.

Tickets for next year go on sale on Thursday, 31 July, and you can be ready to grab your tickets HERE.

You can guarantee you’ll see us at back-to-back Beat-Herder Festivals again in 2026.

beat herder lineup
The Beat Hearder music Festival 2025 review
Credit: Supplied

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Featured Images — Andrew Whitton (supplied)

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Classical musician Hauser announces huge arena gig in Manchester later this year

Thomas Melia Thomas Melia

Croatian cellist and former member of classical band 2CELLOS, Hauser, has announced a tour including an arena date in Manchester this year.

World-class musician Stjepan Hauser, known professionally as Hauser, is getting ready to pack his cello and cheeky smile as he embarks on ‘The Rebel Is Back’ tour.

Hauser has amassed a worldwide cult following of classical music lovers, by not only respecting the genre, but evolving it too by intertwining his cello skills into modern day pop hits.

The cellist has covered lots of current pop songs while part of musical duo 2CELLOS like ‘We Found Love’, ‘Despacito’, and ‘Viva La Vida’.

You can also expect to hear covers of some of music’s greatest compositions, including the timeless opera classic ‘Nessun Dorma’, and highly-adored ballet piece ‘Swan Lake’.

Recently, Hauser has teamed up with London Symphony Orchestra to reimagine Ennio Morricone’s ‘Le Vent, le cri’, taken from the 1981 French film Le Professionnel.

Hauser has performed in over 40 countries and played at some of the most prestigious venues across the world – including Royal Albert Hall and Sydney Opera House.

He’s also become a social media sensation, capturing people’s attention via his videos playing his cello in a variety of interesting locations like a swimming pool, at the desert, and even on the famous Brooklyn Bridge.

Classical musician Hauser announces huge arena gig in Manchester later this year / Credit: Stefan Brending (via Wikimedia Commons)

You’ll be able to identify a lot of the tracks played out when Hauser visits AO Arena, as his upcoming album titled Cinema, features a wide variety of soundtracks and film theme tunes.

The highly-anticipated LP from Hauser contains ‘What Was I Made For?’ from Barbie, ‘Mission: Impossible’, ‘A Time For Us’ from Romeo and Juliet, alongside lots more motion picture melodies.

The musician is quite familiar with Manchester city city centre too, Hauser studied at Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester before taking the classical world by storm.

Read more:

Hauser is bringing ‘The Rebel Is Back’ tour to AO Arena in Manchester on 29 November, and you can find tickets HERE.

Featured Images – Publicity Picture via Simon Emmett

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