Transport for Greater Manchester has warned that the next two weeks will be extremely busy in the city centre, with over 400,000 people expected to attend a series of major events. The Bee Network has issued travel advice ahead of the hectic period, which includes big concerts, Premier League football matches and the first ever Manchester Village Pride.
Liam Fray takes over Metrolink announcements
Liam Fray, frontman of the Middleton band The Courteeners, has been unveiled as the latest famous face to lend his voice to Metrolink tram announcements. He follows in the footsteps of Liam Gallagher, Rita Ora, Tim Burgess and PinkPantheress, who have previously recorded messages for the service.
Fray will direct fans to the five big gigs at Wythenshawe Park taking place across the next week. The Courteeners, known for hits like Not Nineteen Forever and No You Didn't, No You Don't, will play at the south Manchester park on Sunday, August 29, with support from Getdown Services, The Coral and Vaccines.
Wythenshawe Park concerts and capacity
The Cure will kick off the week-long series of shows on Friday, August 21. Lewis Capaldi will perform on August 22, followed by The Prodigy on August 30 and Pulp on August 31. With the venue's capacity increased to 35,000 for each gig, up to 175,000 gig-goers are expected to descend on south Manchester over the two weekends.
Fans will hear Liam on each performance date, with a special set of messages on the day of The Courteeners show. During the announcements, he will remind fans that the 'Metrolink is a solid shout' for travelling to the park and wish them a great night.
Travel arrangements and advice
The Bee Network has said that as many double trams as possible will run every seven-and-a-half minutes to help fans get to and from the park. Attendees have been told to travel on the Manchester Airport line and get off at Moor Road tram stop, which is a ten-minute walk from the concert venue.
Shuttle buses will also be in operation, with city centre services departing from Aytoun Street, close to Manchester Piccadilly, every six minutes. Services will also run from East Didsbury every 15 minutes. An event travel pass costing £8 each day will be available via the Bee Network app, allowing ticketholders to use any bus, tram or shuttle bus service on the day bought.
Other events and football matches
Sunday, August 23 will see the start of the Premier League with Manchester City playing Ipswich at the Etihad, with 60,000 fans set to attend. Next Sunday, August 30, Manchester United will take on Ipswich at Old Trafford. Manchester Village Pride, where tens of thousands will head into the city centre, will be held from Friday, August 28 to Monday, August 31.
Fran Wilkinson, Customer and Growth Director at Transport for Greater Manchester, said: “We’re looking forward to helping thousands of people travel to Live from Wythenshawe Park later this month and have put comprehensive plans in place – including a new £8 travel pass – to make it as easy as possible for people to get to and from the concerts. Pride and big games at the Etihad and Old Trafford are also coming up over the same weekends as the concerts, so expect it to busy in and around the city centre too. We’d encourage everyone to plan ahead, check their travel options before they set off and consider using public transport wherever possible. The Bee Network offers a convenient and affordable way to get to around, helping people spend less time worrying about travel and more time enjoying their event.”
