Getting to Parklife 2025

Manchester's biggest music festival, Parklife, returns to Heaton Park Saturday 14th and Sunday 15th June.

Don't miss the likes of 50 Cent, Charli XCX and Jorja Smith, and make sure that you plan how you are going to get there and back safely.

The best way to stay up to date with the latest transport developments is by using the Bee Network app, but whether you are travelling by bus, tram, shuttle bus or getting a lift, we've got you covered.

Jump to:

Parklife travel ticket
Getting there
Tram service pattern and more information

Key advice

Want to travel by tram, bus or shuttle bus to Parklife? We've got all that covered for you with the Parklife travel ticket on the Bee Network app. Take a look at the details below for how to get your hands on the hottest ticket in town.
There will be tram improvement works taking place on Piccadilly Gardens tram stop, which means there will be no trams operating from Piccadilly Station to city centre stops.
There will be a frequent Metrolink service direct to Heaton Park. Just board a tram to Parklife at Victoria tram stop.
Shuttle buses will also run direct to and from the festival site from Lever Street in the Northern Quarter.
There are other events taking place across Greater Manchester this weekend including Jeff Dunham at the Co-op Live on Saturday 14 June. Then, on Sunday 15 June Chris Brown takes to the Co-op Live stage and its the return of Soccer Aid at Old Trafford. Please allow plenty of time for your journey as public transport and roads will be busier.
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.

Parklife travel ticket

parklife

Have your travel for Parklife sorted with the Bee Network's integrated travel ticket. Travel from Manchester city centre 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 trams
Travel on Bee Network bus services
Travel by shuttle bus between Lever Street (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.

Getting there

The best way to travel to Parklife will be to beat the traffic and travel by tram.

There are planned engineering works taking place at Piccadilly Gardens Stop, which means there will be no trams operating from Piccadilly Station to city centre stops.

Services will continue to operate on the Bury line (marked as yellow or green on some journey planners) to get to the venue. Services will operate every six minutes from Victoria where there are dedicated queuing arrangements in place for crowd control.

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.

The stops that you will need for Heaton Park are:

Please note Heaton Park tram stop will be closed after the event so please head to Bowker Vale to get to the city centre or Bury.

Both stops are just a few minutes away from the park gates, and there will be staff and signs to help you on your way. The stops are also marked on our map at the top of the page.

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.

Park and ride

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.

Tickets

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.

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 is in the dedicated section above.

The Parklife shuttle bus will depart from Lever Street, a 11-minute walk from Piccadilly train station walking down Piccadilly approach and a 5-minute walk from Piccadilly Gardens.

On Saturday the first bus will depart at 10am with the last bus departing at 4.30pm
On Sunday the first bus will depart at 11am with the last bus departing at 4.30pm.

Journeys take around 30 minutes on the bus with drop off right inside the festival site.

Buses will operate back into Manchester to Shudehill Interchange from the early evening until the site is clear. To board the bus back to Manchester, event-goers, should make their way to Middleton Road at the tram gate exit of Heaton Park.

If you want to catch a bus to Heaton Park, the following buses operate close to the venue.

135 services will be on diversion from 2pm.

135 - Bury - Whitefield - Cheetham Hill - Piccadilly Gardens

Services will be on diversion from 6pm until end of service. Please see the bus diversion section for more information.

59 - Piccadilly Gardens - Middleton - Chadderton - Oldham Mumps

Services will be on diversion from 6pm until end of service. Please see the bus diversion section for more information.

17 - Norden - Broadhalgh - Rochdale - Middleton - Shudehill

Please note, to get to Heaton Park, you will need to walk 40 minute walk via Victoria Avenue.

Tickets

The Bee Bus single ‘hopper’ ticket costs £2 for adults. You can use this ticket for a single trip. The hopper ticket will also allow you to travel on other Bee Network buses, for no additional cost, within 60 minutes of buying your ticket.

If you need to make several trips, a ticket covering a full day of bus travel in Greater Manchester costs just £5.

Tickets can be purchased by contactless tap and go. Just the one tap when you board. Hop on, tap in, enjoy your journey, then hop off. Alternatively, you can purchase bus tickets from the driver or using the Bee Network app.

For more information, you can visit our dedicated webpage.

There will be increased congestion and various road closures in place around the festival site over the weekend. Hotspots around Heaton Park include: 

Middleton Road 
Victoria Avenue 
Sheepfoot Lane 
Bury Old Road 
Junctions 17 and 20 of the M60 (between 1pm and 4pm and then again from 10pm to 1am).

Roads will be busiest as event-goers make their way to the site from 10.30am to 4.30pm and after the end of the event from 10.30pm to 12.30am on both days. 

Thinking of parking your car at Heaton Park? Please visit Getting to Parklife for further information on where the car parks are located and how to get a ticket as spaces are limited.

Private cars

If you are getting home by car, there is a designated pick-up point at Sainsburys on Heaton Park Road, M9 0QS, which will also be signposted. If you are driving to and from the designated pick-up point, please be aware that Junction 19 of the M60 will be closed from 7pm on both nights. Access to the pick-up point will be via Victoria Avenue and Middleton Road.

Hackney Carriages

There is not a taxi rank on the Parklife site, but there are Hackney Carriage (taxi) stands at The Woodthorpe on Bury Old Road and on Blackley New Road at the junction with Rochdale Road.

 If you have to drive, allow more time to travel and consider re-routing your journey to avoid the affected area. 

Uber/Private Hire

If you are booking an Uber or Private Hire, please make your way to Sainsburys on Middleton Road, M9 0QS.

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.

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 tram connections is available in our tram 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.

The event organisers encourage eventgoers to make green choices when planning their journeys.

Walking

After the last act each evening, there are likely to be queues for shuttle bus and tram services post-event, so you may find it quicker to walk.

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.

The quickest route for walking begins by leaving through the East Gate and turning right out of the park.

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.

Tram service pattern and more information

There will be service changes in place on Saturday 14 due to planned improvement works taking place at Piccadilly Gardens tram stop.

In addition, there will be further changes to Metrolink services across the network due to events taking place. Changes include Altrincham services operating to Exchange Square, Eccles services operating to Cornbrook and Manchester Airport services operating to Deansgate-Castlefield.

You can find live departures from your stop on the Bee Network app or by visiting our live departures.

Tram service pattern on Saturday 14 June

There will be trams every 6 minutes between Bury and Victoria (centre platform). After the event, returning trams will run from Bowker Vale stop to the city centre until 1.30am, with Heaton Park stop closing at 9pm. Last services running from Bowker Vale to Bury will run at 00.46am on Saturday.
During peak time (between 9am and 6.30pm), there will be trams operating every 7.5 minutes between Altrincham and Exchange Square. Outside of peak times, services will operate every 15 minutes.
During peak time (between 9am and 6.30pm), there will be trams operating every 7.5 minutes between East Didsbury and Shaw & Crompton (via Market Street). Outside of peak times, and all day between Rochdale and Shaw and Crompton services will operate every 15 minutes.

Lines operating every 15 minutes

Eccles – Cornbrook via MediaCityUK
Manchester Airport – Deansgate-Castlefield
Trafford Centre – Deansgate-Castlefield

Lines operating every 12 minutes

Ashton-under-Lyne – Piccadilly
Piccadilly – Etihad Campus

Parklife & Oasis tram map jpg

You can view a PDF version of the above Metrolink Map. This map has been updated to show the service changes in place on both days.

Stop closures

No services will travel through Piccadilly Gardens tram stop whilst engineering work take place.
Heaton Park tram stop will be closed after the event, so please head to Bowker Vale tram stop to get back to Victoria or Bury.

There will be service changes in place on Sunday 15 June due to planned improvement works taking place at Piccadilly Gardens tram stop.

You can find live departures from your stop on the Bee Network app or by visiting our live departures.

Tram service pattern on Sunday 15 June

There will be trams every 6 minutes between Bury and Victoria (centre platform). After the event, returning trams will run from Bowker Vale stop to the city centre until 1.30am, with Heaton Park stop closing at 9pm. Last services running from Bowker Vale to Bury will run at 00.44am on Sunday.
There will be trams operating every 7.5 minutes between Altrincham and Exchange Square from 5pm until approximately 11pm. Before 5pm, services will operate every 15 minutes.

Lines operating every 15 minutes

Eccles – Cornbrook via MediaCityUK
Manchester Airport – Deansgate-Castlefield
Trafford Centre – Deansgate-Castlefield
Rochdale Town Centre - East Didsbury

Lines operating every 12 minutes

Ashton-under-Lyne – Piccadilly
Piccadilly – Etihad Campus

Parklife & Oasis tram map jpg

You can view a PDF version of the above Metrolink Map. This map has been updated to show the service changes in place on both days.

Stop closures

No services will travel through Piccadilly Gardens tram stop whilst engineering work take place.
Heaton Park tram stop will be closed after the event, so please head to Bowker Vale tram stop to get back to Victoria or Bury.

On Saturday 14 and Sunday 15 June, road closures will be in place around the park. 

 7pm to 2am

Middleton Road closed to all traffic including permit holders, from Heywood Old Road to Sheepfoot Lane (both directions). 
M60 Junction 19 all exits and entrances will be closed for the anticlockwise slip road on the M60.

8pm to 1am

Middleton Road from junction of Victoria Avenue to Crumpsall Lane (both directions) 
Sheepfoot Lane from junction of Bury Old Road to Middleton Road (both directions) 
Blackley New Road from junction of Middleton Road to Riveroadle Road (both directions) 
Meade Hill Road from junction of Sheepfoot Lane to Middleton Road (both directions) 
Bury Old Road from junction of Whittaker Lane to junction of Scholes Lane/Sheepfoot Lane (both directions)

9pm to 1am

Sheepfoot Lane - there will be no waiting, parking or loading allowed from the junction of Bury Old Road to its junction with Middleton Road. Vehicles parked here may be towed. At times a dynamic temporary closure of Sheepfoot Lane may be required for public safety.

One way systems 

Whittaker Lane - open to westbound traffic only from the junction of Bury Old Road to the junction of Heywood Road from 8pm to 2am. 
Victoria Avenue - open to westbound traffic only from the junction of Tweedle Hill Road to the junction of Middleton Road from 7pm to 2am.

On Saturday 14 and Sunday 15 June, roads surrounding Heaton Park will be closed to allow the event to safely to take place.

These will include Sheepfoot Lane, Middleton Road, Blackley New Road, Meade Hill Road and Bury Old Road.

As a result, from 10am until end of service the following bus services will be on diversion: 66, 90 and 94.

Then, later in the day, from 6pm until end of service, the following bus services will be on diversion: 41, 59, 135 and 156.

View the diversion document for Saturday 14 and Sunday 15 June.

To allow the Parklife Shuttle Bus to operate, Lever Street will be closed between Dale Street and Great Ancoats Street.

As a result, the following bus services will be on diversion: 76, 76A, 83, 84, 181, 182, 216, 230 and 231. Diversions will be in place from 8.30am until 6pm.

View the diversion document for Saturday 14 and Sunday 15 June

If you are not going to the Parklife Festival but travelling in the Prestwich or city centre areas, here are some top tips:

If travelling in these areas, there will be congestion on all forms of transport. We strongly recommend planning your journey in advance, to keep checking the Bee Network app or checking our travel alerts for factors that may impact their journey, and re-time or re-route your journeys to avoid hotspots and busy periods.
There's also other events taking place across Greater Manchester this weekend including Jeff Dunham at the Co-op Live on Saturday 14 June. The following day (Sunday 16 June) Chris Brown will take to the Co-op Live stage and then, later in the day, it's the return of Soccer Aid at Old Trafford. With plenty happening this weekend, we strongly recommend allow plenty of time for your journey as public transport and roads will be busier particularly around Heaton Park, Old Trafford and in the city centre.
Tram services will be busier than usual across the weekend, especially on the Bury line. If you can, consider travelling in the morning or whilst the event is taking place (between 4pm - 8pm), when services may be quieter.
Heaton Park and Bowker Vale stops will be most affected across the two days, as well as Victoria and Piccadilly stations in the city centre. If you are making a shorter trip, consider walking or cycling instead.
If you are getting out and about on the roads, we advise checking this page on a regular basis to avoid congestion due to road closures.
Some buses will be on diversion around Heaton Park. If you are intending to travel by bus in the area over the course of the weekend, make sure that you check our travel alerts regularly. We will also keep this page updated with bus diversions.

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: