This weekend, more than 80,000 people will descend on Heaton Park for Parklife - the UK's biggest metropolitan festival. A stellar lineup of international acts will take to the stage, from 50 Cent and Tyler, The Creator, to Megan Thee Stallion and Lewis Capaldi, as well as a host of locals names and new talent.
If you've bagged tickets for this year's festival, you'll no doubt be starting to think about outfits, set times and the weather, but it's also worth working out how you'll get home safely after the party comes to an end. Ideally, you don't want to find yourself lost on the way out or, stuck waiting on the outskirts of Heaton Park trying to arrange a last-minute taxi or lift home.
Here's some of the best ways you can get home from a fun weekend at Parklife.
The Parklife Shuttle
The shuttle bus service provided by Parklife is available to those who have been uber prepared and bought a Parklife Travel Pass, which gives ticket-holders access to both the shuttle bus and Metrolink tram services. The bus provides a regular service between Manchester city centre between 9:30am and 5pm on Saturday and 10:30am to 5pm on Sunday, with return bus services from Heaton Park starting at 18:30 until late.
It sets off from Aytoun Street (M1 2DD - corner of Minshull Street near Piccadilly Train Station) and drops off inside the Parklife site. E-tickets for the Parklife Travel Pass will need to be exchanged for a wristband before travel, at either Minshull Street, Cathedral Gardens or St Peter's Square.
Metrolink
To get to Heaton Park via the tram you need to get the service towards Bury and get off at Heaton Park or Bowker Vale. To get back to the city centre after 6pm you'll need to go to the Bowker Vale stop, as the Heaton Park Metrolink station will be closed from 6pm on both Saturday and Sunday. There's a number of signposts to the Metrolink posted on all customer exits.
Walking and cycling
If an packed-out bus or tram fills you with dread, or if you just fancy stretching your legs, there is a route back to the city centre on bike or foot. Starting off at Sheepfoot Lane, you can either follow signs straight down Bury Old Road (west of Heaton Park) or Middleton Road (east of Heaton Park), where you will eventually join Bury Old Road.
From here, follow the signs along Cheetham Hill Road, where you eventually see Manchester city centre on the horizon. Needless to say, you shouldn't walk home alone in the dark, so try and organise walking and cycling home with a trusted group of friends.
Taxi
According to the Parklife website there will be a Manchester Hackney Carriage Taxi Rank on Blackley New Road and a Bury Hackney Carriage Rank outside the Woodthorpe pub on Bury Old Road as well as an official private hire pick up point near the car park on Sheepfoot Lane. Customers booking their own private hire vehicles need to direct them to pick them up at the pick up point at Heaton Park Sainsbury's. If you're planning on get a taxi home, it's often best to book in advance.
Parklife has also partnered with Uber, which works in the same way as you would usually order a taxi from them. According to the website, if you type in 'Heaton Park' into the 'Where to' section, you're ride will be with your in minutes. Uber also has wheelchair accessible and mobility options in the app - more info here.
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