If you’re making the trip across the Pennines, we’ve got all you need to know about Parklife Music Festival this weekend.
The festival at Heaton Park, Manchester, is sure to be a delight for fans of indie, dance, hip hop and urban music.
Highlights of the bill include New Orleans R&B star Ocean, singer Jess Glynne, indie band The 1975 and soul diva Chaka Khan.
Also topping the line-up is grime artist Stormzy, singer-songwriter Rag’n’Bone Man and superstar DJs including Pete Tong, Armand Van Helden, Carl Cox and Fatboy Slim.
- First of all, where is Parklife and how do I get there from Huddersfield?
It’s in Heaton Park, four miles north of Manchester City Centre.
For you sat-nav folk the postcode is M25 2SW.
- Driving
We do not advise you drive to Parklife.
There is very limited on site parking, traffic around the site will be horrendous and the park is next to a large residential area, the inhabitants of which will be very unhappy if you park outside their houses.
- Public transport
You’re best getting a train to Manchester Piccadilly and buying a weekend travel pass for the Metrolink.
Take a Metrolink towards Bury and get off at Heaton Park. The station is right opposite the Bury Old Road entrance to Heaton Park.
Heaton Park station will be closed from 6pm on both days, so if you are heading back into Manchester city centre later than that you will need to walk down Middleton Road to Bowker Vale stop which is about a mile away from the festival site.
- Travelling by bus
As well as the Express shuttle, you can reach Heaton Park by hopping on the following bus routes, across Greater Manchester: 135, 59, 64, 484, 495, 164 and 165.
You can find route maps and a journey planner on the Transport for Greater Manchester website.
- Cycling to Parklife
To encourage greener travel there will be a bike rack available to use in the car park.
- Parklife Express shuttle buses
Festival-goers will be able to hop on the express shuttle from Aytoun Street (Corner of Minshull Street near Piccadilly train station). The service drops passengers off right inside the festival site.
Buses will run from 9.30am to 5pm on Saturday and 10.30am to 5pm on Sunday. The return bus service from Heaton Park to the city centre starts at 6.30pm and will run until late.
- Who is playing?
Both days of the festival are bursting with talent. On the Saturday, highlights will include the likes of: The 1975, George Ezra, Boy Better Know, Giggs, Anderson .Paak, Joey Purp, Jamie Jones, Seth Troxler, Fatboy Slim, Above & Beyond, Pete Tong, Oliver Heldens and Hannah Wants.
It's no less star-studded on the Sunday, either, with Frank Ocean, Run the Jewels, Zara Larsson, NAO, Wiley, Danny Brown, David Rodigan, Stormzy, Flying Lotus, Mura Masa, Sampha, Loyle Carner, Carl Cox, Eric Prydz, Armand van Helden and Joe Goddard all due to send the festival out in style, among many, many others.
A full bill of performers can be found on the festival website, alongside details of what stage and time they'll be playing, so you can plan out your weekend in advance.
- Tickets
Parklife tickets are all but gone, but you can still get some - if you want to go VIP. Planet VIP tickets cost £145 for the weekend, or £85 for the day. If you’ve got a standard ticket, you can buy a VIP upgrade for £30.
You can get in for free but you’d have to be happy working as a festival volunteer.
- The weather
This is Manchester we’re talking about. The weather is actually worse than it is in Huddersfield.
It’s set to be a mixed bag for Parklife. Last year was a game of two halves, as the rain came down on the Saturday – not that it put people off having fun in the mud – and then dried up on the Sunday.
The year, the weather is set to be cloudy, rainy but warm – 19˚C. So maybe pack your wellies but not your parka. Sunday is a bit better, with occasional cloud but plenty of sun, and a temperature of 18˚C.
