Second week of chaos as strikes to hit Parklife, The Weeknd and …
There will be a second weekend of travel chaos across Manchester as tram strikes are set to impact thousands attending the Parklife festival, The Weeknd and The Courteeners gigs and Soccer Aid at Old Trafford.
Strikes on the Metrolink network will mean no services at all will be running across the region. The Unite union, who represent Metrolink drivers and staff, are to walkout on Saturday June 10 and Sunday June 11.
It comes just a week after rail strikes wreaked havoc as huge crowds once more flooded into the city[1] for Coldplay, Elton John and Arctic Monkeys gigs – all of which were on the same day.
The latest wave of industrial action will mean no services will operate over the weekend, and will resume at 6am on Monday (June 12). Tickets will also not be accepted on local buses.
Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) have urged people travelling to the region to consider cycling or walking for local journeys as a result.
Tram strikes will mean no services will be running across Manchester this weekend (Image: Adam Vaughan)
Roads will see ‘significant congestion’ at all times of the day, particularly in the city centre and close to major event venues such as the Etihad, Heaton Park, AO Arena and Old Trafford with Manchester Piccadilly, Deansgate-Castlefield, Oxford Road and Victoria stations all expected to be much busier than usual.
40,000 fans will flood into Heaton Park for the Courteeners gig on Friday night, June 9 – the night before over 80,000 attend the Parklife Festival. For Parklife ticket holders travelling to Heaton Park, the shuttle bus service will still operate from Aytoun Street. The festival will run on June 10 and 11.
Over 80,000 will once again descend on Heaton Park for the Parklife festival (Image: James Speakman/Manchester Evening News)
The Weeknd will also perform his After Hours Til Dawn tour at the Etihad Stadium on June 10. Fans going to watch the concert are advised to walk to the stadium from Piccadilly Gardens.
And on the same night, June 10, Roger Waters will perform to a sold-out crowd of over 20,000 at the AO Arena before Soccer Aid will take place at Emirates Old Trafford on Sunday, June 11.
Full details about travel advice for each event are available on the Transport for Greater Manchester website.[3]
Read today’s top stories here[4]
References
- ^ just a week after rail strikes wreaked havoc as huge crowds once more flooded into the city (www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk)
- ^ Join the FREE Manchester Evening News WhatsApp community (www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk)
- ^ website. (tfgm.com)
- ^ Read today’s top stories here (www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk)