Getting to Parklife 2026

Saturday 20 and Sunday 21 June 2026

Manchester's biggest music festival, Parklife, returns to Heaton Park on Saturday 20 and Sunday 21 June.

This year's line up features many of the world's biggest DJs including Calvin Harris, Sammy Virji and Marlon Hoffstadt.

Planning is underway to ensure fans have a smooth and seamless journey to the park across the weekend.

Whether you're travelling from the other side of the world like Yousuke Yukimatsu, or slightly closer to home, we'll have all the information you need to make your visit an easy one.

Keep checking back, as we add more information related to traffic and transport for the event.

Key travel advice

Have your travel for Parklife sorted with the Bee Network's integrated travel ticket. Travel from anywhere across Greater Manchester to Parklife by tram, bus or shuttle bus with one ticket. Please note, this is the only ticket that will be accepted on the shuttle buses.

What's included with the ticket?

Travel across all zones on the tram
Travel on any Bee Network Bus
Travel on the Parklife Shuttle Bus which runs between Manchester city centre and Heaton Park

How much is the ticket?

Saturday only: £8
Sunday only: £8
Weekend ticket (Saturday AND Sunday): £14.95

How do I buy the travel ticket?

Parklife travel tickets are available exclusively on the Bee Network app. To buy the ticket, you need to:

Download the Bee Network app.
Open the app and select 'Tickets' from the options on the bottom menu of the home screen.
From there, select the 'multi-modal' option.
For a single day ticket (Saturday or Sunday) select 1-day. If you want a weekend ticket for Saturday and Sunday, select the 2-7 day option.
On the next screen, select the Parklife ticket option that is applicable to you and then follow the necessary steps to purchase the ticket.
The ticket will then be saved on the ‘My tickets’ section of the ticketing menu.

Don't forget to make sure that your phone/device with your ticket on is fully charged, or that you have access to charging facilities. If you purchase a Parklife travel ticket on the Bee Network app, you will need to show this on your phone/device for travel.

Where is the ticket valid?

parklife

Shuttle buses will depart from Aytoun Street in the city centre, beginning at 10.30am on Saturday and 11.30am on Sunday.
Journeys take around 30 minutes on the bus.
Buses will operate back into Manchester from 6.30pm until the site is clear.
Clear signage will be in place to direct you to the buses from the festival site.
Shuttle bus tickets can only be purchased via the Bee Network app.

Use the Bury Line to Heaton Park or Bowker Vale.
Trams will run from Victoria Station to the Parklife festival site at Heaton Park every 7.5 minutes.
Heaton Park stop will be closed from 9pm, so please use the Bowker Vale stop for trams back to the city centre after the festival.
Purchase your Parklife travel ticket via the Bee Network app or touch in/out using contactless.

Jump to travel advice:

Getting there by Tram
Getting there on the Parklife Express Shuttle Bus
Getting there by Train
Walking and Cycling to Parklife
More information
Accessibility on the Bee Network

Getting there by Tram

Tram services will operate to the Parklife site across the weekend.

Services will run every seven and a half minutes from Victoria Station.

The stops that you will need for Heaton Park are:

Pre-event: Heaton Park
Post-event: Bowker Vale

Trams to Heaton Park can be easily reached from Piccadilly Rail Station. The walk from Piccadilly to Victoria (where you can board a direct service on the Bury line), takes around 20 minutes via Market Street and Corporation Street. Alternatively, you can board an Altrincham or Eccles service at Piccadilly, and change trams at St Peters Square.

Heaton Park tram stop will be closed from 9pm, so that we can safely manage the crowds and queueing arrangements, so please head to Bowker Vale to get to the city centre or Bury.

Both stops are close to the park gates, and there will be staff and signage to help you on your way.

Tram services will operate as follows on both the Saturday and Sunday:

Bury - Victoria
Bury - Altrincham (via Market Street)
Altrincham - Etihad Campus
Ashton-under-Lyne - Eccles via MediaCityUK
Rochdale Town Centre - East Didsbury via Exchange Square
East Didsbury - Shaw and Crompton via Exchange Square (peak-time Saturday only)
Manchester Airport - Piccadilly
The Trafford Centre - Deansgate-Castlefield

For more information about your journey, take a look at the tram network map and keep up to date with the latest travel news by visiting our travel alerts hub.

If you have to drive or need to be dropped off/picked up, did you know that 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? The park and ride sites on the Bury line are:

Whitefield - 331 spaces and 13 disabled spaces.
Radcliffe - 480 spaces and 22 disabled spaces.

If you have not bought a Parklife travel ticket, there are other options.

Bowker Vale is located in Zone 2/3 and Heaton Park is in Zone 3. Further information on ticket prices can be found on our tram ticket price webpage.

Beat the queue at the machines and touch-in and out at the on-stop machines using contactless.

Getting there on the Parklife Express Shuttle Bus

Make sure that you have purchased your Parklife travel ticket on the Bee Network app before boarding the bus. Please note, no other ticket will be accepted on the shuttle buses. More information on purchasing your ticket is in the dedicated section above.

Departures to the festival site

The Parklife shuttle bus will depart from Aytoun Street, close to Piccadilly Station in the city centre.

Buses will start to operate from 10.30am on Saturday and 11.30am on Sunday. On both days, the last bus to the park will depart at 4.30pm.

Journeys take around 30 minutes on the bus, with drop off next to the festival entrance.

Buses will depart when full or around every 10 minutes,

Departures back to the city centre

Bus departures back to the city centre will be on Bury Old Road, close to the Woodthorpe Pub. Clear signage will be in place to direct you to the buses from the festival site.

Departures back to the city centre will begin at 6.30pm.

The drop off point in the city centre will be Shudehill Interchange.

Buses will operate back into Manchester from the early evening until the site is clear.

What's included with the ticket?

Travel across all zones on the tram
Travel on any Bee Network Bus
Travel on the Parklife Shuttle Bus which runs between Manchester city centre and Heaton Park

How much is the ticket?

Saturday only: £8
Sunday only: £8
Weekend ticket (Saturday AND Sunday): £14.95

How do I buy the travel ticket?

Parklife travel tickets are available exclusively on the Bee Network app. To buy the ticket, you need to:

Download the Bee Network app.
Open the app and select 'Tickets' from the options on the bottom menu of the home screen.
From there, select the 'multi-modal' option.
For a single day ticket (Saturday or Sunday) select 1-day. If you want a weekend ticket for Saturday and Sunday, select the 2-7 day option.
On the next screen, select the Parklife ticket option that is applicable to you and then follow the necessary steps to purchase the ticket.
The ticket will then be saved on the ‘My tickets’ section of the ticketing menu.

Where is the ticket valid?

parklife

Getting there by Train

Manchester Piccadilly, Deansgate-Castlefield, Oxford Road and Victoria stations are all expected to be busier than usual with various events taking place over the weekend.

Alighting the train at Deansgate rail station?

Exit the station and cross the road (or take the pedestrian link bridge) to reach Deansgate-Castlefield tram stop. From here, you can board a tram towards Bury and the Parklife site.

Hopping off the train at Manchester Oxford?

St Peter's Square tram stop is a short walk away. Jump on a tram towards Bury and the Parklife site.

Arriving at Manchester Piccadilly by train?

Event-goers can hop on a tram from Piccadilly and change at Victoria or, more conveniently, take the Parklife shuttle bus from just opposite the train station directly to the park.

From Victoria:

You can take the tram straight to the event. You will need the Bury line (yellow or green lines on some journey planners), and to get off the tram at Heaton Park or Bowker Vale. More information on travelling by tram is available in the section above.

Be sure to check train times on the National Rail website before you travel and follow them on Twitter for live updates @nationalrailenq.

Walking and Cycling to Parklife

Walking

Heaton Park is around a one hour walk from Manchester city centre. There is a clear walking route along Bury Old Road, which will be signposted to and from Manchester city centre to Parklife.

If there's good weather, it's a good opportunity to catch up with your mates and chat about your Parklife experience. Make sure that you are prepared, are walking with someone, and follow designated paths and routes. More tips for looking after yourself at Parklife are in our 'More information' section.

Cycling

There are spaces to park your bike in the main car park - simply ask a member of staff if you're unsure of where to go.

More information

The following events will also take place in and around the city centre on Parklife weekend:

Saturday 20 June

Lily Allen at AO Arena
Soft & Gentle Netball Super League at Co-op Live
Take That at the Etihad Stadium

Sunday 21 June

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

Please plan ahead and allow extra time for your journey, as tram services will be busier than usual.

Bus diversions will be published in due course, please check back soon

Keeping safe so that you can enjoy the festival is crucial. The Parklife festival has a variety of welfare provisions in place, including:

A dedicated welfare team onsite, who can offer support in a non-judgemental environment.
Availability of many wellbeing resources ranging from plasters, to hygiene products, to water, to hot drinks, blankets and waterproof coverings.
A place to rest, relax and have a chat to someone, if you need.

For more information, you can visit Parklife's FAQ webpage.

However you may be travelling to the festival, here's our top tips for being transport-savvy:

Ensure that your phone is fully-charged/you have access to a portable power bank. If you have purchased a Parklife travel ticket on the Bee Network app, you will need to show this on your phone/device for travel.
Make sure that you drink plenty of water throughout the day.
Make a day of it and if you choose to walk, make your journey with your mates.
Leave in plenty of time so you don't miss the act you really want to see or the last service of the day.
Follow us on Twitter @BeeNetwork

Accessibility on the network

In Greater Manchester, we want everyone to travel safely and easily. We have a variety of accessibility guides suited to your journey on our accessibility hub and some key information for travelling by Metrolink and bus below.

Accessibility on Metrolink

Metrolink is a modern system with a range of accessibility features. All Metrolink trams and tram stops are accessible for wheelchair users.

Every tram stop has:

A ramp, lift, or escalator - for the latest service updates for lifts and escalators at your stop, visit our tram alerts.
Step-free access for wheelchair users and people with pushchairs
CCTV and emergency call-points
platforms with tactile edges for visually impaired passengers.

Every tram has:

An area for people who use wheelchairs
Space for pushchairs
Seats marked for people who have trouble standing
Emergency call points.

For further information on the accessibility of Metrolink, please visit the accessibility hub.

Accessibility on the bus

Many buses have ramps and can accommodate wheelchairs. Some new buses also have display screens, route numbers, destination displays and audio-visual ‘next stop’ announcements.

A lot of bus operators have low floor buses to make it easier for people who use wheelchairs, mobility scooters, and those with small children and pushchairs.

For further information, visit our accessibility hub and select your bus operator for their accessibility policies.