Nearly 100,000 people are expected to be in Manchester tonight for two major concerts and a footballing finale.
Bruce Springsteen is set to play to a sold-out Co-op Live, while Manchester City play their final home game of the season at the Etihad Stadium (8pm kick-off) and Kylie Minogue brings her Tension Tour to the AO Arena.
Tram at Etihad CampusTram at Etihad Campus
Tram at Etihad Campus | Transport for Greater Manchester
It is set to be quite busy outside of the Etihad Campus as there will a crossover with City and Springsteen fans arriving at the same time for their respective events. The Blues are also planning a ‘lap of appreciation’ following the final whistle. This means that football and music fans could be leaving at a similar time.
Some may wish to take advantage of the 4.30pm early entry at Co-op Live, with the show scheduled to start at 8pm, to avoid peak hours.
Transport for Great Manchester said: “So, whether you’re ‘dancing in the dark’ with Bruce, doing the locomotion with Kylie or cheering on City against Bournemouth, there are a range of options for getting to your event.”
Steve Gilholme, Head of Events at Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM), said: “It promises to be a spectacular night in Manchester – but also an incredibly busy one on our transport network, particularly the roads in and around the city centre.”
Adding: “I would encourage anyone travelling into the city on Tuesday to plan ahead, travel by tram or bus and use the Bee Network app or website to keep yourself up to date with the latest travel information.”
TfGM has put out a list of measures to support people getting to major events on public transport, including:
Bruce Springsteen at Co-op Live
An Express bus service will operate from Alan Turing Way to Piccadilly Gardens post-event. A lane closure will be in place at the junction with Forge Lane to allow spectators to board. Tickets will cost £2; more information will be sent to ticket holders from Co-op Live.
A shuttle bus service will also be in operation post-event from Ashton New Road, opposite the Tesla Garage for spectators travelling towards the city centre. All Bee Network ticket products apply on these services including the new 'hopper' ticket.
There will be no further parking at the venue and a strictly enforced resident’s parking scheme exists around the area.
Consider walking to the venue from the city centre. There is a well-lit, signposted and stewarded walking route which takes around 25 minutes from Piccadilly.
Tram services will operate every six minutes from the city centre with as many double-trams running as possible. People should allow plenty of time for travel and aim to arrive early as they may need to wait to board a service. Additional trams will also operate post-event heading towards Ashton-under-Lyne and the city centre.
Concertgoers should be aware that The Velopark, Clayton Hall and Holt Town stops are closed for an hour after Manchester City home games for safety reasons, and that those travelling by tram during this time are asked to use the Etihad stop.
Those that have to drive are encouraged to use a Park and Ride site or city centre car park and then travel to the venue by tram. Ashton Moss and Ashton West Park and Ride sites will likely be full from fans travelling to the football, so please try and avoid using these.
Man City v Bournemouth at the Etihad Stadium
Consider walking to the venue from the city centre. There is a well lit, signposted and stewarded walking route which takes around 25 minutes from Piccadilly. Manchester City have produced a downloadable map of both the CityLink and Ashton New Road walking routes.
Tram services will operate every six minutes from the city centre with as many double trams running as possible. Fans should allow plenty of time for travel and aim to arrive early as there may be a wait to board a service. The Velopark, Clayton Hall and Holt Town stops are closed for an hour after games for safety reasons. Fans are asked to use the Etihad stop.
As it is Kevin De Bruyne's last home game for Manchester City, the matchday bus services, will depart 45 minutes after the final whistle to give fans plenty of time to say goodbye. Please check the departure times on our dedicated bus page.
Those that have to drive are encouraged to use a Park and Ride site or city centre car park and then travel to the venue by tram or walking route.
Kylie Minogue at AO Arena
The AO Arena is served by multiple tram lines (Bury - Altrincham, East Didsbury - Rochdale/Shaw and Crompton and Manchester Airport lines) with the Manchester Victoria stop located directly next to the venue.
Tram services run frequently throughout the day – with travellers able to check the first and last trams from Victoria on our tram schedule webpage.
If you are intending to catch a bus to or from the AO Arena, there are a number of Bee Network bus services within just one minute walk of the venue (including the following services: 2, 10, 59, 67, 93, 97, 98, 100).
There are several other services within just a few minutes’ walk of the venue, details can be found on our dedicated webpage.
The AO Arena is a 15-minute walk from the heart of Manchester and there are plenty of walking routes from bus, tram and rail stops within the city centre.
Visit the Bee Active website to take a look at the area around the AO Arena. This includes tram stops for those that would like to combine walking with Metrolink travel. Just type the postcode 'M3 1AR' for the arena, so that you may consider making a change to your travel habits.
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