Weekend travel advice

Saturday 18 and Sunday 19 April 2026

This weekend, major events will take place in the city, and across parts of South Manchester.

On Saturday [18 April], a large protest will take place in the city centre from midday until later in the afternoon. There will be an increased police presence in the city and some disruption to roads and public transport should be expected.

The first road closures will also be implemented for preparations ahead of Sunday's Marathon, with buses diverting away from Oxford Road and adjoining roads.

Sunday [19 April] will be the busiest day with disruption to bus and road travel. The day begins with the Manchester Marathon with extensive road closures across Manchester and Trafford. In the afternoon, Manchester City play Arsenal at the Etihad Stadium from 4.30pm.

Although there will be road closures and bus diversions, there will be trams and Match Day buses to help you on your way to these events.

We've prepared a summary of the key events and advice, with information on attending the events and getting around on the day.

Travelling on Saturday

Buses and trams are expected to be disrupted on Saturday as a protest takes place in Manchester city centre.

The protest is expected to gather at midday, with the march planned to start from Store Street at 1.15pm and finish at St Peter’s Square at around 2pm.

The protest will assemble in St Peter’s Square, where several speeches are planned and expected to last for approximately an hour. Counter protests are also expected to take place in the city centre during this time and space will be designated for this.

People planning to travel into the city centre by public transport should plan ahead, and where possible, avoid travelling to/from the locations close to the protest.

To help customers plan ahead, there will be pre-scheduled diversions on city centre bus services between midday and 5pm. These diversions are outlined below.

Metrolink services are scheduled to operate as normal, but there may be on-the-day diversions or disruption to services. We will communicate any changes to service on this webpage, on our X account and on the Bee Network app.

We are working closely with partners and local businesses to minimise the impact and would advise people to plan ahead.

Updates will continue to be posted, so please check for the latest information before travelling.

To help customers plan ahead, there will be pre-scheduled diversions on city centre bus services between midday and 5pm.

This will affect the following services: 15, 18 (MRI only), 30, 33, 35, 36, 37, 38, 41, 42, 42A, 42B, 42C, 53, 50, 59, 76, 76A, 81, 83, 84, 85, 85A, 86, 87, 101, 103, 111, 112, 114, 117, 118, 119, 135, 142, 143, 163, 181, 182, 192, 197, 201, 202, 203, 205, 216, 219, 230, 231, 250, 255, 256, 263, Free Bus 1, Free Bus 2, V1 & V2.

View the full diversion details.

Metrolink services are scheduled to operate as normal, but there may be on-the-day diversions or disruption to services when the protest approaches the Metrolink tracks at St Peter's Square.

We will communicate any changes to services on this webpage, on our social media channels and on the Bee Network app.

Travelling on Sunday

Taking the tram will be the best way to travel on the day, though services will be busier than usual.
Queues are expected at stops along the Altrincham line throughout the morning and afternoon due to the Manchester Marathon, and in the city centre and along the Ashton line from 2pm onwards for the Manchester City fixture.
Due to extensive road closures in parts of Trafford and Manchester for the marathon on Sunday, we're strongly advising road users to avoid driving in these areas throughout the day. If you do need to drive, please re-route to avoid delays.
Roads will be busy around Etihad Campus from 2pm, as fans head to the Man City v Arsenal game. Please avoid driving near to the stadium on Ashton New Road or Alan Turing Way.
If you're travelling by road or public transport on Sunday, please plan ahead and allow plenty of time for your journey.

Bury – Piccadilly
Altrincham - Victoria
Altrincham - Etihad Campus
Eccles via MediaCityUK - Ashton-under-Lyne
Rochdale - East Didsbury
Manchester Airport - Deansgate-Castlefield
Trafford Centre - Crumpsall

Services will operate on a 15-minute frequency across all routes, and will mean services operate every 7.5 minutes between the city centre and Old Trafford.

The first tram will depart the city centre to Old Trafford, and the start line for the Marathon, at approximately 7am.

The race route requires a significant number of road closures across the Sunday.

We strongly advise people travelling within the impacted areas to not drive on Sunday, as the closures are likely to cause congestion and delays, meaning that you may need to divert your route.

If you have to drive on Sunday, please make sure that you check your route before travelling.

View an interactive map of the road closures or a pdf detailing a list of the road closures.

The Manchester Marathon returns to Manchester and Trafford on Sunday [19 April].

Whether you are supporting your runner, or just trying to get from A to Bee, take a look at the travel tips on our dedicated webpage.

Manchester City will face Arsenal at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday [19 April], with kick-off at 4.30pm.

If you're heading to the game, please visit our dedicated webpage for getting to the Etihad.

Match Day buses & key advice

With extensive road closures in place for the Manchester Marathon, the MC1, MC2, MC5, MC6, MC9, MC9X, MC10, MC12, MC16, MC16H and MC17 Match Day buses will be re-routed due to these closures. Some of these changes are minor but there are more significant changes to the MC5 and MC10 which will be unable to serve several stops. Full details are on our Match Day bus webpage
We are also conscious that the road closures will likely result in more congestion, so we will be factoring in some additional time. As result, your Match Day bus may leave earlier than usual. Please continue to monitor our dedicated Match Day bus webpage for changes.
Even more people are running in the marathon this year compared to previous years, so tram services will be extremely busy. We expect to see significant queues at Altrincham and Sale tram stops from around 12-3pm when runners will be passing through the area and spectators then make their way to the city centre to meet loved ones at the finish line. As a result, journeys could take more than half an hour longer and we strongly recommend you to travel much earlier than normal to avoid any disappointment – especially with it being such an important fixture.

At 3pm on Sunday [19 April], Sale Sharks will play Saracens at CorpAcq Stadium.

Bus advice

Due to the road closures in place, many buses will operate on diversion. To see if you're journey is affected, please check our bus diversion section above.

Road advice

If you're travelling to the rugby, please note that road closures will be in place across Sale and the surrounding areas throughout the morning/early afternoon to allow safe passage for runners taking part in the Manchester Marathon.

To see if your route is impacted by road closures, you can take a look at our interactive map of road closures.

If you're driving, please plan ahead and allow more time for your journey.

Please follow the directions and instructions of our staff. Abuse will not be tolerated.

Collapse prams and buggies where possible to free up space on the tram.
Carry small dogs and keep larger dogs from blocking aisles/sitting on chairs.
Move down the carriage where possible and allow others to alight before boarding.
Queuing systems may be in place at some stops to help us safely manage boarding of trams.
Please exit the tram stop as quickly as possible when alighting and avoid waiting near stairs or lifts to minimise congestion.
Where possible, please use contactless tap and go or purchase family travelcard tickets on the Bee Network app in advance.