Parklife Weekend - 20 and 21 June: Advice for stakeholders ‌‍‍‍‌‍‌‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‍‌‌‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‌‍‌‍‌‍‍‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‌‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‌‍‍‍‌‍‌‍‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‌‍‍‌‌‌‌‌‌‍‍‍‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‌‍‍‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‌‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‌‍‍‍‌‍‌‍‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‍‌‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‍‌‌‍‍‍‌‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‌‌‍‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‌‌‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‍‌‍‍‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‍‍‌‌‌‌‍‌‍‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‌‍‍‍‍‌‍‌‍‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‍‍‌‌‌‌‍‌‍‌‌‍‌‍‌‍‌‍‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‍‌‍‌‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‍‌‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‍‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‍‌‍‍‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‌‍‌‍‌‍‍‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‌‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‌‍‍‍‍‍‌‍‍‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‌‍‍‌‌‌‌‍‌‍‌‍‌‌‍‍‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‍‌‍‌‍‌‌‍‌‍‌‌‍‍‍‍‌‍‍‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‍‍‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‌‍‍‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‌‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‍‌‌‍‍‍‍‍‍‌‍‍‌‌‌‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‌‍‍‍‍‌‌‍‍‍‌‍‌‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‌‍‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‍‌‌‌‌

Last updated: 28 May 2026

Summer is finally here in Greater Manchester and it's set to start with a wave of live events and sports fixtures.

Parklife is taking place across the weekend of 20 and 21 June, bringing thousands of fans from across Greater Manchester (and beyond) to Heaton Park.

Across the city, multiple events will be happening at the same time, bringing an increased flow of visitors in and out of the city centre.

This page has all the advice you and your teams need to make your journeys as easy as possible with the Bee Network.

On Saturday 20 and 21 June Parklife takes place at Heaton Park and Take That perform at the Etihad Stadium.

Parklife gates open from 12pm on Saturday and 1pm on Sunday with last entry at 5pm. The event finishes at 11pm on both days.

Roads around Heaton Park and the Etihad Stadium are expected to be much busier than usual across the weekend.
In north Manchester and Bury, key routes around Heaton Park including Bury Old Road, Middleton Road and Sheepfoot Lane are expected to see increased traffic and footfall throughout the day between 10am and 1am on both Saturday and Sunday due to Parklife.

The Etihad doors open for Take That at 5pm on both days and finishes at around 11pm

Around the Etihad Stadium/Co-op Live, delays are expected on roads from late afternoon as people travel to Take That, and again from around 10pm as crowds leave. This is likely to affect Ashton New Road, Alan Turing Way, Grey Mare Lane, Ashton Old Road and routes around east Manchester and the city centre approaches.
Post-event traffic management may also affect Ashton New Road and Grey Mare Lane, with delays expected as large crowds leave the Etihad Campus.
Anyone travelling in these areas should allow extra time for travel and check for road closures and bus diversions.
Journeys by car are likely to take longer than usual. Drivers are encouraged to allow plenty of time, use one of our Park and Ride sites if possible.
The tram network is expected to be busy from 10am to 4pm, as festival-goers make their way to Heaton Park. Heaton Park tram stop will be closed after the event. Passengers are expected to make their way to Bowker Vale tram stop to complete their journey home to either Bury or Manchester City Centre.

Saturday 20 June

Sunday 21 June

Parklife at Heaton Park
B52s at the AO Arena
Take That at the Etihad
South Africa Women v India Women in the Women's T20 Cricket World Cup at Emirates Old Trafford

Sign up to TfGM’s weekly event update email. A customer-focused summary is also available, with dedicated travel advice here.

Parklife Shuttle Bus

Our dedicated Parklife shuttle bus will depart from the city centre operating directly to Heaton Park. Departure points and times to be confirmed in due course.
Parklife travel tickets are available on the Bee Network app. Please note, no other ticket will be accepted on the shuttle buses.
Journeys take around 30 minutes on the bus, with drop off next to the festival site.
Buses will operate back into Manchester from the early evening until the site is clear. Clear signage will be in place to direct you to the buses from the festival site

Bee Network services towards Heaton Park

Heaton Park is served along Bury Old Road - 2 minute walk to the festival site

Midleton Road - 2 minute walk to the festival site

Please note that these buses will operate on diversion post-event due to the road closures in place around the venue.

Bee Network services towards the Etihad Campus

There are a number of bus services that operate close to the Etihad, the following Bee Network bus services will operate the closest to the venue:

Along Ashton New Road - a 2-minute walk from the venue

Please note that these buses will operate on diversion post-event due to the road closures in place around the venue.

Along Alan Turing Way - a 2-minute walk from the venue

53 - Cheetham Hill - Higher Crumpsall - Old Trafford - Pendleton

Journey times could also be impacted due to the increased levels of traffic, we are advising to plan ahead and allow extra time for travel.

Post-event shuttle bus

After each event finishes, we’re operating 15 shuttle buses from the Co-op Live to help transfer fans back to the city centre. Fans can purchase a ticket onboard the bus for £2.

The first bus will depart at 10pm, with the remaining buses operating on a load and go basis.

Please make your way to the stop on Ashton New Road / opposite Etihad Stadium to board a service towards the city centre.

Bus diversion information will be added in due course.

Advice for travelling by tram

Tram services will operate a 15 minute service to several stops close to Parklife across the weekend, with Heaton Park and Bowker Vale being the closest to the festival site.
We are expecting that trams will be at their busiest between 10am and 4pm. As is the case every year the Bury and Ashton line will see the most passengers.
Those travelling from the city centre (Zone 1) are advised to make their way to Victoria where they can board trams to the event. Event-goers travelling from other lines may need to change onto a Bury-bound tram at Victoria.
To allow for safe egress following the final act, Heaton Park tram stop will be closed from 8pm. Passengers looking to board a tram home should head to Bowker Vale to get to the city centre or to Bury.

Advice for travelling by car

If you do need to drive, roads around the city centre will be very busy, including car parks around and outside the city centre.

Where possible, avoid the following roads between 10am and 4pm, and 9pm until midnight on both Saturday and Sunday:

Key routes around Heaton Park including Bury Old Road, Middleton Road and Sheepfoot Lane.
Key routes around the Etihad Campus including Ashton New Road, Alan Turing Way, Grey Mare Lane, Ashton Old Road and routes around east Manchester and the city centre approaches.
Post-event traffic management may also affect Ashton New Road and Grey Mare Lane.

Roadworks impacting Etihad Campus

An emergency one-way closure is in place on Alan Turing Way, northbound only from the junction of Ashton Old Road to Grey Mare Lane.

To reach the stadium, road users are advised to divert via Pin Mill Brow, Great Ancoats Street, Every Street and Ashton New Road.

Due to congestion along the diversion route, we're advising fans to expect longer journey times and to plan allowing extra time for travel.

Road Alternatives

There are 24 park and ride sites in Greater Manchester, where you can park your car for free and hop on the tram to your destination. Find your closest park and ride.

What TFGM is doing to keep you moving

The event promoters, TfGM, the Local Authorities, and the emergency services have all been involved in the planning and delivery of the transport operation for the events.

Enhanced monitoring of the highways and transport network from TfGM’s Control Centre and using intelligence to strengthen Metrolink and public transport provision.
Collaborating with transport operators to provide a co-ordinated response to events and congestion.
Working with event organisers and partners, including local authorities and National Highways to limit non-urgent roadworks on major routes to and from venues during this period.
Monitoring traffic signal timings across the network and on diversion routes, running special timings plans before and after the events.
Introducing planned bus diversions around road closures and providing customer information on affected bus stops to advise passengers of bus diversions.
Updating live navigation devices in real time with events, road closures and incidents.
Using roadside electronic message signs to advise of events and disruption at key points across the Greater Manchester road network
Co-ordinating social media communications plans with other agencies to maximise reach.
Boosting posts on social media to further amplify the transport message.
Regularly updating stakeholders and highlighting the key messages in transport newsletters and briefings.
Working with Manchester City Council and Greater Manchester Police to conduct various operations over the disruptive period to keep you moving.

To be added in due course.