Manchester is gearing up for what’s set to be its busiest weekend of the year, and people traveling into the city centre are being urged to ‘plan ahead’.
It’s officially a month to go until Christmas Day is here, and with the festive countdown now well under way, especially with Black Friday coming up at the end of this week (28 November) too, shoppers will be eager to bag a bargain and get some Christmas gifts for their loved ones – heading to the city centre shops or Christmas Markets.
This weekend, and Saturday (29 November) in particular, is traditionally one of the busiest of the year, and even saw the highest footfall in the city centre last year.
As well as people heading to the city centre to shop, there are also several other events happening across the weekend.
Manchester City host Leeds in a 3pm kick-off at the Etihad Stadium, while Bad Omens, and Sonny Fodera play Co-op Live on Friday and Saturday night respectively, while Wolf Alice are also set to return to Manchester for a Black Friday performance at the AO Arena.
ADVERTISEMENT
Manchester city centre is set for one of its busiest weekends of the year with Black Friday shopping, festive markets, football at the Etihad, and major gigs at Co-op Live and AO Arena.
To keep the city moving, We're offering: ✔ Park & Ride carparks with shuttle buses ✔… pic.twitter.com/zy0bnWCDDw
Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM), Manchester City Council, and Greater Manchester Police (GMP) are all working together to manage the volume of people expected into the city centre this weekend – but even despite their efforts, people are still being urged to plan ahead, especially when it comes to transport.
Anyone looking to beat the traffic is encouraged to make use of the Bee Network, with trams and buses being both the quickest and cheapest way to travel this weekend.
ADVERTISEMENT
TfGM says roads are expected to be ‘very busy’ during peak times this weekend, so it’s important that anyone planning to make their way into the city centre by vehicle avoid the busiest periods if they can.
The busiest times are predicted to be 3pm to 7pm on Friday, 4pm to 9pm on Saturday, and 3pm to 6:30pm on Sunday.
Manchester is set for its busiest weekend of the year with people urged to ‘plan ahead’ / Credit: Manchester City Council
Some of the extra measures currently in place to help people get in an around the city centre this week include free pop-up park and ride services, later trams and all-night buses, dedicated matchday shuttle buses, and changes at key locations to help improve congestion.
ADVERTISEMENT
It’s also worth noting that some TfGM staff are currently taking part in strike action until this Friday (28 November) meaning some facilities – such as ticket offices and toilets – may be closed, however bus and tram services will run as normal.
“The countdown to Christmas is now in full swing and Black Friday weekend is always sure to be one of the busiest times of the year for the city centre,” commented Danny Vaughan, who is TfGM’s Chief Network Officer.
“Public transport will be the best way to get around, save money, and avoid getting stuck in traffic [which is why] we’re providing 1,000 additional parking spaces with our pop-up park and rides, putting on late night services, and running as many buses and trams as we possibly can.
“We want to help people enjoy everything the season has to offer, so please remember to plan your journeys and leave yourself plenty of time to get where you’re going.”
Get all the latest travel updates this weekend on the Bee Network website here.
Featured Image – TfGM
News
Elbow get behind campaign to save Jodrell Bank from closure
Danny Jones
Manc band Elbow are among the latest to get behind the campaign to save Jodrell Bank Observatory from closing permanently.
The Greater Manchester natives famously played a sold-out gig at the important scientific and cultural landmark for a very special live album recording well over a decade ago, and know all too well the site’s national and, indeed, global heritage.
Choosing the Observatory and the rare chance to perform a show in the shadow of the world-renowned James Lovell Telescope, it probably remains one of their most significant standalone UK date ever.
With that in mind, the local lads have been left just as worried by the news of its impending closure as everyone else, and have therefore issued a fresh appeal to help keep it open.
Posting a timely statement on social media, the group wrote: “Jodrell Bank has long been close to elbow’s heart. In 2012, the band played beneath the Lovell Telescope for one of the most memorable shows in our history.
“The recent news that funding for the e-MERLIN radio telescope network is set to end in 2028 puts the future of the scientific work at Jodrell Bank under serious threat. It is a remarkable place, with an extraordinary history, and one that continues to play an important role in science, culture and education.”
In addition to reliving clips and images from the historic live set all the years later, they also pointed people towards their ‘elbow – Live at Jodrell Bank‘ album documentary, which has now been made available online for the very first time as part of wider efforts to raise awareness around the cause.
Directing people to key online resources shared by the institution and astrophysics centre itself following their unfortunate update late last month, the push to not only find the funding but sustain support for the facility continues to ramp up throughout the world of science, arts and industry.
For anyone who somehow missed the news – 2028 being the current deadline handed down as per budget cuts across the sector – concerned parties here in the North West and all over the country have since started petitioning to save Jodrell Bank Observatory from shutting down for good.
In addition to being described as a “huge blow” to the field by the Royal Astronomical Society (RAS), some have even gone so far as to describe the decision as a form of “vandalism” when it comes to research and British culture as a whole.
Having also served as the host venue for the annual bluedot Festival since 2016, the multi-genre science and arts celebration could soon be forced to find a new home.
The battle is far from over yet, and the community has time to rescue Jodrell Bank Observatory from its fate, but it will take lots of money and more notable public figures to make it happen.
Once again, you can do your bit by signing the petition mentioned above right HERE.
Featured Images — Emma Farrer (via Wikimedia Commons)/The Manc Group
News
All Greater Manchester boroughs to have 24-7 night buses from next month as new services launch
Emily Sergeant
Extra night buses, new routes, and more frequent bus services are being rolled out across the Bee Network at the end of this month.
You may remember that back in March, it was announced that every borough of Greater Manchester was set to get a night bus service in what is hoped to be a ‘boost’ to the night-time economy, and now plans to introduce these from September onwards have been confirmed by Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM), along with a series of other measures.
Oldham, Stockport, Tameside, and Trafford will all get a 24-hour bus service by next month, meaning every part of the region will have a night bus operating Thursday through to Sunday.
It’s expected that once the new services have launched, it will help around 625,400 people working in the night-time economy across Greater Manchester, as well as those out enjoying the region’s nightlife, TfGM has said.
Some of the other changes set to be introduced from next month include a selection of brand-new bus services, and more frequent buses during the day and at the weekends.
All Greater Manchester boroughs will have 24-7 night buses from next month / Credit: TfGM
There will also be better connections overall to key employment and leisure destinations like Manchester Airport, Trafford Centre, MediaCity, Middlebrook Retail Park in Bolton, Kingsway Business Park, and Logistics North.
“The Bee Network belongs to the people of Greater Manchester and it needs to work for every community,” explained Mayor Bev Craig.
“As we build it, we’re listening and responding to what residents want with the biggest set of improvements we’ve ever made in one go.
🚌 More improvements are on the way across the #BeeNetwork.
36 service changes will benefit around 740,000 people across Greater Manchester, helping more communities access reliable, convenient public transport.
“We’re bringing night buses to every borough, launching new routes and ensuring buses run more often in the mornings, evenings and weekends. In doing so, we’re making it easier than ever for people to get around the city region by bus, but we’re also supporting our businesses, whose staff and customers need a reliable and safe way to reach them.
“Almost three quarters of a million people live within walking distance of a bus route we’re improving over the next few months, and we’ll continue improving connections for even more communities based on the feedback we get.”
Emily Sergeant -
25th November 2025 
