American superstar Pink officially kicks of the European leg of her Summer Carnival 2023 tour this week with two huge gigs in Bolton. The Grammy Award-winner will be brining her immensely powerful voice and high octane live show back to UK shores for the first time since 2019’s sold out Beautiful Trauma World Tour.
It all begins with two nights at the University of Bolton Stadium on Wednesday, June 7 and Thursday, June 8 - before five more dates in the UK cities including Sunderland, Birmingham and London. Fans are in for quite the show with Pink set to perform an array of smash hits from her incredible three-decade career, alongside tracks from her new album, Trustfall, which was released back in February.
The songstress is known for her undeniably breathtaking live shows with colossal production, with previous tours praised for their "crowd-pleasing hits" and "riot of circus athleticism". She'll be accompanied on stage by a trio of guests including The Script, Gayle, and DJ and producer KidCutUp.
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Speaking about her Summer Carnival 2023 tour, Pink said: “It’s been a long three years and I’ve missed live music so so much... So it’s finally time! I am so excited to get back to the UK and Europe to sing, cry, sweat and make new memories with my friends. It’s going to be magical!”
Breaking into the pop world in the late '90s, Pink quickly developed her own identity, with her own winning formula of pop songcraft and rock-influenced vocals that kept her in the top 10 for decades. As one of the most commercially successful pop acts in the world, she is perhaps best know for her hit tracks 'Get The Party Started', 'Just Like A Pill', 'Who Knew', 'Funhouse', 'Try', and 'What About Us', but has also released eight studio albums, one greatest hits album, and one live album, and sold over 60 million albums equivalents.
With just a couple of days to go, concert-goers have also been warned to plan their journeys in advance as almost 70,000 fans are expected to head to the stadium over the two nights. Those attending have been urged to arrive in plenty of time and also plan their journeys, as parking by the stadium will be limited and must be booked ahead of time.
With this in mind, we've put together some information on getting to the University of Bolton Stadium - from travel advice to set times and support acts.
Who are the support acts?
KidCutUp, who has been on the cutting edge of DJing in the 1990s, 2000s and beyond, has not only toured with Pink on her 2019 ‘Beautiful Trauma World Tour’, but also with global superstar Cher. The DJ and producer will be getting the party started with their own set, but also between the other support acts, to keep the good vibes going.
Next up, the audience will be treated to Nashville born singer-songwriter Gayle, who will be making her first UK live show appearance since her Reading and Leeds festival appearances in 2022. The 18-year-old singer-songwriter joins the Summer Carnival hot off the back of her viral breakout single and infectious track, 'abcdefu', which reached number one on both the iTunes’ pop and overall US charts.
Later, Irish rock band The Script will be playing hits from their incredible 14-year career, which has seen them land five UK number 1 albums, as well as 30 million single sales, 11 million album sales, 13 million monthly Spotify listeners, and over six billion streams. The Dublin-born band released their eponymous debut album in August 2008, which featured the hit singles 'The Man Who Can’t Be Moved' and 'Breakeven'. The band will be performing without founding member Mark Sheehan who died in April after a short illness.
Stage times
Doors will open at 4.30 and the concert will end no later than 11pm.
4.30pm - doors open
5.30pm - KidCutUp
6.45pm - Gayle
7.15pm - KidCutUp
7:30pm - The Script
8:30pm - KidCutUp
8:50pm - Pink
11pm - Curfew
Timings are approximate and subject to change.
How to get there
by car
If travelling from North of the stadium, the guidance is to take the M6 to Junction 21a, and take eastbound M62 leaving at Junction 12. Next follow signs for M61 (Bolton/Preston) and leave the M61 motorway at Junction 6. If travelling from the south, take the M61 towards Preston and leave the M61 at junction 6. The address for the stadium is: Burnden Way, Bolton BL6 6JW.
Vehicle pick up and drop off areas will be located at Bolton Horwich Tesco Extra, which is a 10 minute walk away from the stadium.
Shuttle bus
A shuttle service will be in operation from Bolton Interchange, Chorley Railway Station and Wigan Robin Park to the stadium on both nights.
Pre-event busses will operate frequently from each of the above sites between 2-8pm. Between 2-5pm, busses will run every 30 minutes, and between 5-8pm they will run every 20 minutes. The last bus to the University of Bolton Stadium will leave at 8pm. Drop off and pick up for the bus services will be on the Cranfield Road, which is around a 10-minute walk from the stadium.
Three queuing lanes will be in operation, marked with the three destinations and stewards will be on hand to ensure those using the bus service are in the correct queue. Busses will run frequently and start immediately after the concert ends. Busses will depart when full and return to collect any remaining passengers.
Adult bus tickets are priced at £10, while a child's fare is £5. Tickets will be available to buy on the day on the bus with cash only.
By coach
Organisers have partnered with Big Green Coach as the official carbon-neutral travel partner for Pink's shows and are coaches are available from a number of locations from £30. Coach parking is located behind the Furniture Village on the Middlebrook Retail Park.
By train
Horwich Parkway is the nearest main line station to the stadium and is located 5-10 minutes walk away. Trains are expected to be extremely busy and limited trains will be available after the concert, so it is advised to check train times and book ahead.
Taxis
Pre and post concert drop off will be in Cranfield Road, which is around a 10-minute walk from the stadium.
Is there parking at the stadium?
For music-goers wishing to drive, it is worth noting that there will be very limited spaces available at the University of Bolton Stadium. Public parking is available at the ground, however, there are only 1800 spaces per night, which will be available on a first-come-first-serve basis. Car parkin can be purchased via the Evology app for £25 per vehicle and confirmation will be send via email.
There will also be 120 limited Blue Badge parking spots available per night will be available to purchase for each night via the Bolton Wanderers FC Online Ticket website, at a cost of £25. There was public parking available at Tesco Extra, but spaces have now sold out.
Organisers are also warning gig-goers not to arrive at the University of Bolton Stadium or Bolton Horwich Tesco Extra by car if you have not purchased a ticket in advance. Parking immediately around the University of Bolton Stadium is extremely restricted and residential streets in the vicinity of the stadium are also subject to parking permit restrictions.
Where can I collect my tickets?
Tickets will be available to collect on the day of the event from the Promoter box office, which can be found behind the East Stand. You will need your booking reference number and ID to hand.
How do I locate by seat?
To help locate your seat, you can refer to the seating plan below.
Is there food and drink?
A wide range of food and beverage will be available to buy on both evenings. Located across the BWFC Fan Zone and Catering Village, Bolton Wanderers’ pre-show festival Burnden Parklife will open its doors from 12-4pm. There is a capacity of 2000 across the two areas.
Located in the East Concourse, the Premier Suite will provide food and beverage for the pitch and East Lower stand ticket holders. In the Premier Suite, gig-goers can expect vendors including The Striped Pig serving dishes including philly beef, Cubanitos, serving dirty fries and a range of burgers and hot dogs, and Grandpa Greene’s Luxury Ice Cream and Slattery’s confectionary. There will also be a 28ft long bar and additional toilet facilities.
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