A sea of people donning bucket hats, sequined outfits and cowboy boots will make their way through Manchester city centre this weekend as Parklife returns for another year.
Around 70,000 people are expected to attend the Heaton Park festival across two days, with headliners such as Aitch, The 1975, Fred Again, The Prodigy and Little Simz set to take to the stage.
There will be huge concerts from The Weeknd at the Etihad Stadium and Roger Waters at AO Arena on Saturday night, alongside Soccer Aid at Old Trafford on Sunday.
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Metrolink staff have agreed to suspend planned strike action over the weekend, meaning it will be slightly easier for fans to get around the city. Services will be much busier than usual.
Those planning to use public transport are being urged by Greater Manchester Police to plan their journeys both to and from the event in advance. Superintendent Andy Sidebotham, who is leading the policing operation for Parklife, said: “Parklife is a fantastic event and I hope those with tickets are very much looking forward to attending what is Manchester’s biggest music festival.
“It takes months of planning to ensure we are well prepared for Parklife and GMP has been working closely with dedicated partners to ensure it runs smoothly.” He added: “Our main priority is to ensure the safety of everyone and to support the local communities and I have confidence that the majority of attendees will enjoy the event responsibly.
“Those attending should remain vigilant and keep their belongings safe and report anything suspicious to police or security staff so we can act on it. As always, I welcome everyone who is attending our brilliant city this weekend and going to any one of these events. Please look out for each other and I hope you have a great time.”
Anyone looking to get the tram to Parklife will need to get off at the Heaton Park stop, which is located close to the West Gate entrance. Over the weekend, trams from the city centre to the stop will be every six minutes.
READ MORE: Parklife 2023 entry times, lineup, venue, stages and everything else you need to know
For safety reasons, however, the Heaton Park stop will be closed from 9pm each evening. This means that Bowker Vale stop, located towards the East Gate exit, will be your best port of call after the event. Metrolink has said that services will continue until the venue has been cleared.
Parklife travel passes, at £5 per day or £10 for the weekend, are available and will be valid for travel across the Metrolink. There is also the Parklife Express Travel Pass, for £5 a day or £10 all weekend, which will allow you to hop on-board the Parklife Shuttle Bus and Metrolink services to and from Manchester City Centre.
For those fancying a walk home, a walking route will be clearly signposted back towards the city centre as there will be a number of road closures in place. TfGM has suggested this route may actually work out as a quicker way to the city due to expected congestion on the roads and queues for trams.
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.
"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.”
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