Parklife is one of the UK’s biggest music events and it all takes place right here in Greater Manchester this weekend – so it’s time to start planning your travel there and back.
70,000 music fans are expected to stream in to Heaton Park on each day of the two-day festival, ready to see headline performances from Aitch, The 1975, Fred Again and The Prodigy.
And with no overnight camping, all 70,000 will need to make their way home again afterwards…
Mercifully, the planned Metrolink strike this weekend has now been called off, so there are now a few different ways to get to Parklife.
If you’re heading up to Heaton Park for Parklife 2023, here’s all the information you need about trams, travel passes, shuttle buses and even walking.
— Manchester Metrolink 🚊 (@MCRMetrolink) June 8, 2023
The Parklife travel pass is a festival essential, giving you a few options of transport to the festival site with one ticket.
The pass costs £5 per day and will give you access to both the Parklife Shuttle Bus – which drops you directly inside the festival site – and the Metrolink tram services to Heaton Park.
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Tickets are sold through the Parklife website and are electronic, so you just need to show it on your phone when you board the bus.
Metrolink trams to Heaton Park
The Metrolink trams are one of the easiest ways to travel to Parklife
Trams will be running to Parklife on a six-minute frequency from town – Heaton Park is your closest tram stop, which will drop you near the West Gate entrance.
After the festival, you’ll need to use Bowker Vale, as Heaton Park tram stop will be closed.
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Metrolink services will keep running until the site is cleared, but be prepared to queue to board one.
In the city centre, several stops will be closed so that crowds can be managed safely – these are listed below and on the TfGM website.
Saturday 10 June
Market Street and Shudehill – Closed all Saturday
Heaton Park – from 9pm until the end of service
Piccadilly Gardens – between 3pm and approximately 5pm
Exchange Square – between 12pm and approximately 5pm
Sunday 11 June
Heaton Park – From 9pm until end of service
Exchange Square – between 12pm and approximately 5pm
Piccadilly Gardens – between 3pm and approximately 5pm
Market Street – between 3pm and approximately 6pm
Shudehill – between 3pm and approximately 6pm.
Parklife shuttle buses
This is one of the easiest ways to get to and from Parklife, with dedicated shuttle buses whizzing people between the city centre and the festival site.
The Parklife shuttle bus will depart from the corner of Aytoun Street (M1 2DD) and Minshull Street, near Piccadilly train station, with drop-off right inside the festival site.
Buses will depart at least once every ten minutes.
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The first bus on Saturday will depart at 9.30am, while the last one will leave at 4.30pm. On Sunday, first buses are at 10.30am and the last is at 4.30pm.
On both days, the return bus service from Heaton Park to Manchester city centre starts at 6.30pm and will continue to operate until the venue is cleared. Drop off will be on Church Street.
Taxis
Parklife. Credit: Jordan Curtis Hughes
There’ll be a couple of taxi ranks near the Parklife festival site – a Manchester Hackney Carriage Taxi Rank in Blackley New Road and a Bury Hackney Carriage Taxi Rank outside the Woodthorpe pub on Bury Old Road.
If you want to pre-book your own private hire vehicle, they need to pick you up from the pick-up point at Sainsbury’s near Heaton Park.
As always, watch out for unlicensed taxis, which are unregulated.
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Pick-up and drop-off
There’ll be a few road closures in place for Parklife and congestion is to be expected when people are leaving the festival.
There’s a designated pick-up point at Sainsburys on Heaton Park Road for anyone who’s getting a lift there or back.
Junction 19 of the M60 will be closed from 7pm on both nights. Access to the pick-up point will be via Victoria Avenue and Middleton Road.
Walking all the way to town from Heaton Park might not be top of your agenda, but it’s actually one of the most straight-forward ways to get back home.
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There’s usually a crowd of festival-goers trudging back down Bury Old Road, a walk which takes about an hour.
Obviously only attempt the walk if you’re in a group you feel safe with and look out for each other.
What travel bosses say
Sean Dyball, TfGM’s Head of Customer Experience, said: “Parklife is one of the biggest events in Greater Manchester’s calendar, and we hope everyone who attends has a safe and enjoyable weekend.
“With around 70,000 people each day, and thousands more expected to be in the city centre over the weekend for other big events, including Soccer Aid, it will be very busy on public transport and on the roads.
“Extra staff will be on hand and we’ll have as many services as possible running to help people get around, but where possible, people should consider making short journeys by walking or cycling.
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“We’ll keep our website and social media channels updated throughout the weekend and I’d encourage people to check before and during their journeys to make sure they have the latest information and advice to hand.”
Manchester United to offer fans FREE coach travel for upcoming away game
Danny Jones
Manchester United have offered free coaches to away fans hoping to travel to their game against AFC Bournemouth.
The fixture against The Cherries isn’t here just yet, with four other matches before then – two home and two away – but many supporters have already been fretting about how they’re going to get there.
With a 252-mile trek and what could be upwards of a 10-hour round trip, there and back, the club has informed the travelling ‘Stretford Enders‘ that they will be arranging at least some of the nearly 1,300 members of the fan base to travel down south to the Vitality Stadium.
Although not entirely unheard of, it’s nevertheless been praised as a classy touch and way of recognising some of their most dedicated support year-round, especially after a turbulent few weeks.
🚌 We are offering free coach travel for fans who are travelling to our match at Bournemouth on Friday 20 March ❤️
Set to be free of charge for anyone with a valid away ticket next month, the gesture will at least make life a little bit easier for Reds heading to the coastal town at the end of an already long working week.
Scheduled to take place at 8pm on 20 March, Bournemouth vs Man United is the late kick-off, but the first of that Premier League round (gameweek 31).
With limited transport options via both public and supporters group networks, they’ve decided to step in and aid those willing to make the journey.
They also seemed to make what some have perceived as a dig at the division, noting that “this fixture follows an unusually high number of games that have been played midweek this season.”
Writing a lengthy statement, they said: “The club, listening to the views raised by supporters in both the Fan Advisory Board and Fans’ Forum, has raised concerns in meetings with senior counterparts at both the Premier League and broadcasters in recent months…
Acknowledging the “impact scheduling decisions have on match-goers and urging them to make earlier decisions”, they are one of many teams that have urged the footballing body to adjust their plans where possible and afford fans extra time to plan.
With both recognised supporters’ trusts and other fan groups alike having played a crucial role in a number of key observances of late, it only feels fitting that they be rewarded for their commitment.
That being said, director of fan engagement Rick McGagh went on to add: “We believe we have the best and loudest away following in the country, and we wanted to do something for our fans to show we appreciate their dedication and support.
“When games are moved from a weekend to a Friday or Monday night, we know it impacts fans, meaning they often have to take time off work and face more expensive and greatly restricted travel options.
“We continue to work with our FAB and Fans’ Forum reps and share their concerns to broadcasters and the Premier League. We hope this gesture helps our fans travelling down to Bournemouth for the game, and, on behalf of the players and everyone at the club, we thank them for their continued support.”
As an added bonus, they also detailed that besides free coach travel to the far-flung game, those attending the Bournemouth game will also be entered into a raffle to win a United shirt signed by one of the men’s first-team.
While fans must organise their transport to arrive at Old Trafford, with no alternative pick-up or drop-off points, all the details on how to book the free coach travel will be shared with successful applicants, along with confirmation of their place in the away ballot.
Featured Images — The Manc Group/Mr Ignavy (via Geograph)
Travel & Tourism
Manchester Airport to host big jobs fair with more than 500 roles on offer
Emily Sergeant
Hundreds of careers are set for take-off, as Manchester Airport’s popular jobs fair is returning early next month.
Manchester Airports Group (MAG), which owns and operates Manchester Airport as well as East Midlands and London Stansted Airports, is one of the largest of its kind in the UK, and for its first jobs fair of the year is promoting vacancies in areas like airport security, lounge hospitalitylmand terminal operations, as well as other roles on offer with third-party employers based at the airport.
Some of these roles range from airline support and check‑in, to airside operations, logistics and ground handling, retail, and special assistance services for passengers with restricted mobility.
Attendees will have the opportunity to learn more about a career at the airport by speaking to employers operating on-site.
More than 500 roles will be advertised at the event, and more than 20 leading employers will be represented.
Manchester Airport is hosting a big jobs fair with more than 500 roles on offer / Credit: MAG
Running from 10am to 2pm on Tuesday 3 March at Wythenshawe Forum, some of the other employers who will be represented at the fair include retailers and franchise operators like Boots, Costa Coffee, JD Wetherspoon, WHSmith, Pasta Evangelists, Monsoon, HMSHost SSP, and World Duty Free, as well as airport service providers like PrimeFlight, 36T HUB, Mitie, Swissport and ABM.
The Airport Academy, which is run in partnership by Manchester Airport and Trafford & Stockport College Group, will also be in attendance on the day to promote its free pre-employment support programmes and fully accredited training schemes.
Jobseekers who secure a role within MAG can take advantage of a wide range of benefits during their employment.
These include discounts on public transport when travelling to work, free on-site car parking whilst working and when going on holiday, an excellent pension scheme, training programmes, retail discounts, and many more.
There’ll also be a wide range of third-party employers present at the event / Credit: MAG
“We’re proud to serve the North, not just by flying people to the places they want to travel to, but by helping local people find their way into rewarding and fulfilling careers,” commented Tina Edwards, who is the People Director at Manchester Airport.
“The airport directly employs more than 3,400 people and indirectly supports almost 20,000 jobs, so we’re a major contributor to the local economy and our ambitious growth plans mean we’re always looking for more talented people to join our teams. The same is true of our fantastic partners who are represented at this jobs fair.
“It’s an exciting time to be embarking on a career at Manchester Airport as our £1.3bn, decade-long expansion programme wraps up this year, giving us the platform to realise our potential as a truly global hub.”
Manchester Airport’s spring careers fair is free for all to attend, but you’ll need to book your ticket online first here.
Daisy Jackson -
9th June 2023 
