This weekend welcomes Manchester’s infamous Parklife festival back to Heaton Park with an absolutely massive line-up, and we can’t believe it’s come around again! Since starting at Platt Fields Park in Fallowfield in 2010, Parklife has exploded into one of the most famous festivals in the UK, home to the biggest and best in house, dance and techno, alongside unbelievable pop headliners.
Manchester descends into chaos on Parklife weekend and can be tough to navigate, with public transport usually busier than normal and the roads being chocker. The whole of the city tends to embrace the festival atmosphere, with events going on around town for those who couldn’t make it and those looking to get in the mood before they descend on Heaton Park, so to make sure you’re ready for Parklife weekend in Manchester, here’s everything you need to know.
When does Parklife take place?
Parklife festival takes place on Saturday 8 June and Sunday 9 June, with access to Heaton Park for ticketholders from 12pm on Saturday and 1pm on Sunday − last entry is 5pm.
Where will Parklife take place?
Parklife festival is hosted annually at Heaton Park in Prestwich, North Manchester. As the biggest park in Greater Manchester at 600 acres, Heaton Park comprises of an 18th century country house, open parkland, a boating lake and woodland. It also hosts other huge gigs before and after Parklife, making use of the huge main stage and crowd-prepped ground.
What is the nearest Metrolink and bus stop to Parklife festival?
Although there is a Heaton Park Metrolink stop, it may take a long time to filter through with the masses of crowds expected. Heaton Park and Bowker Vale are the closest to the festival, so take your pick as to which route is best for you. Heaton Park tram stop will be closed after the event, so head to Bowker Vale tram stop to get back to the city centre.
Trams to this area run on the yellow and green lines to Bury, although you can easily transfer from another line, from city centre stops such as Victoria, Piccadilly, St Peter’s Square and Deansgate, as well as further afield from Manchester Airport and Wythenshawe, Altrincham and Sale, all the way to Bury. You can find the Metrolink map here.
Parklife shuttle buses will also be running to Heaton Park, as well as public buses that may be less in demand, which could be a good alternative if you don’t fancy the tram − there’s also the option to get a Parklife Travel Ticket, which allows you to travel from Manchester city centre to Parklife by tram or shuttle bus with one ticket.
The Parklife shuttle bus will depart from the corner of Aytoun Street (M1 2DD) and Minshull Street, a two-minute walk from Piccadilly train station, with drop-off right inside the festival site.
Buses will depart at least once every ten minutes:
- 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.
Buses will operate back into Manchester from the early evening until the site is clear, and fans should use the north exit of the site for the bus departure point.
Tickets cost £5.50 for Saturday or Sunday, or £11 for the weekend, with the Parklife Travel Ticket available to purchase via the Parklife website.
Due to expected increased demand for the Parklife shuttle bus, Parklife organisers suggest allowing at least an hour for queuing and travel to the park.
The public buses travelling near to Heaton Park over this weekend will be diverted, but if you’re opting for this route with a walk from the nearest point to Parklife you’ll be best getting one of the following buses depending on your starting point: 66, 90, 94, 41, 59 135 or 156. You can find bus routes and maps, as well as diversion information on the TFGM website.
For those driving to and from Parklife, roads will be busiest as fans 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.
If you are getting home by car, there is a designated pick-up point at Sainsburys on Heaton Park Road, which will also be signposted. If you are driving to and from the designated pick-up point, 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.
There is no 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.
Who is on the Parklife line-up this year?
Of course, the biggest draw for music fans flocking to Parklife is the line-up, which is always incredible. This year will see the likes of Doja Cat, Disclosure, Kaytranada, Peggy Gou and so many more taking to the stage.
There will be stage takeovers from Radio 1 Dance, Casa Bacardi and Worried About Henry, across now-famous stages including The Palm House, The Hangar and The Temple. You can find the full line-up here, and find out more information on stage splits and performance times on the Parklife app.
What food and drink can you get at Parklife festival?
Parklife has come on leaps and bounds over the years with its variety of food and drink on offer, now with a great variety of food stalls onsite offering a wide range of food including organic, vegetarian and vegan options. There will be a large number of bars selling alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, and local Manchester businesses are proud to provide refreshments to festival-goers.
Expect classic burgers, hot dogs and chips, as well as elevated street food, curated cocktails and enough grub to keep you going all weekend long – yum! What’s more, alcohol-free bar Love From will be joining the festival vendors this year, so you can enjoy the weekend without the hangover.
What facilities are available at Parklife festival?
Festivals are well-known for having poor facilities, but since Parklife is not a camping festival it seems a tad easier to maintain facilities that can make our lives that bit easier.
There are multiple free water points located across the Parklife site, so make sure to look out for signage, check a festival map or ask a member of staff if you need help finding these. Attendees can bring their own reusable water bottles into the festival, but these must be no larger than 500ml and must not be metal.
Parklife also has toilet blocks rather than portaloos, making the experience that bit more civilised − something you notice as a festival-goer.
In terms of accessibility for festival-goers with disabilities, there’s a whole load of advice to make things as easy and enjoyable as possible at Parklife. An accessible car park is located as close as possible to an event entrance, in the hard standing area of the car park at Sheepfoot Lane, M25 0DN.
All pre-approved access attendees will receive a wristband for general attendance. If approved beforehand, you will also be issued with a Viewing Platform wristband and PA lanyard at the Access Reception which will allow a PA or one friend to accompany you to the viewing platform. This lanyard can be transferred between people should you have several people within your group. There are also a number of accessible toilets around the festival site. These are located:
- In all toilet blocks
- All viewing platforms
- Access reception
- Medical and Welfare
There will also be a Sensory Calm Space located next to the Welfare Tent should you need to take a break from the festival. The space will be softly lit and have ear plugs, weighted blankets, mindfulness activities, calming activities and stimming toys.
Are there safety measures in place at Parklife?
Yes, and a pretty extensive list at that. The Parklife X Safer Spaces initiative takes into account all sorts of scenarios that could unfortunately affect a festival experience and how these would be prevented or dealt with at Parklife, including:
- Zero tolerance to assault and harassment
- AIF Safer Spaces at festivals – sexual harassment and being an active bystander
- Creating a culture of respect
- Spiking protocols and advice
- Drug facilitated sexual assault protocols
- Advice on reporting issues
Information on all of these as well as links to helpful resources can be found here, and as always there will of course be welfare tents peppered around the festival site, which should always be the first port of call.
Find any remaining Parklife tickets here, and to the lucky few with tickets, enjoy Parklife!