On Saturday afternoon, Manchester United play Nottingham Forest at Old Trafford, Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds at Wythenshawe Park, as well as the annual Manchester Pride Parade through the streets of the city centre. Although there will be road closures and bus diversions, there will also be tram and shuttle bus services – see details below:
Key messages for Saturday 26 August
Whether you plan on attending any of the events or just need to get around the city, be in the know for how to get from A to B.
- The city centre will be very congested.
- The Outer Ring Road (M60) and key routes will also be congested. Both the Noel Gallagher concert and Manchester United v Nottingham Forest take place to the south west of the city region, meaning that roads from junctions 6 and 7 of the M60 will see significant congestion.
- Metrolink will be the best way to travel into and out of the city centre.
- If you are heading to Wythenshawe Park or Old Trafford, there will be shuttle buses dedicated to each event. If you are unsure where you are going to park, you can use one of our Metrolink park and ride locations – some of the largest of these are located close to the M60.
Metrolink Service on Saturday 26 August
- 7.5-minute service to Noel Gallagher on the Airport line
To support fans travelling to Wythenshawe Park, there will be Victoria to Airport and Deansgate-Castlefield to Airport services every 15 minutes. This means that there will be an Airport service to/from the city centre every 7.5 minutes (both directions) – both before and after the concert. - 7.5-minute service to Old Trafford on the Altrincham line
If you’re looking to travel to the match, there will be a tram every 7.5 minutes between Altrincham and Bury (both directions between 9.30am and 6.30pm), and trams every 7.5 minutes between East Didsbury and Shaw and Crompton (both directions). - Double trams on the Altrincham to Bury (between 9.30am and 6.30pm) Trafford Park and Airport lines.
- 15-minute frequency on the rest of the network.
Manchester Pride
The city’s annual Pride Parade takes to the streets of Manchester on Saturday 26 August.
The Parade will start at 12pm, with the last entry to the parade departing from the junction of Liverpool Road and Deansgate at 3pm and completing the route by 5.30pm on Fairfield Street.
Metrolink
- Metrolink will be the best option to see all that the Parade has to offer. The start of the parade is just across the road from Deansgate-Castlefield stop.
- To allow the parade to cross the Metrolink tracks near St Peter’s Square safely, there may be minor, localised disruption in the city centre zone.
Bus
- Stagecoach staff who were due to strike in August, have now suspended their action following a revised pay offer. However, Unite the Union have announced that First Manchester drivers will still strike.
- You can get round the city centre for free with the Free bus services. These run late into the evening (Monday to Saturday).
- Many commercial bus services stop at Piccadilly Gardens and Shudehill interchanges, so that you can get to and from the city centre from all corners of Greater Manchester.
Manchester United v Nottingham Forest at Old Trafford
In the second home match of the 2023-24 Premier League season, Manchester United take on Nottingham Forest at 3pm.
Metrolink
- Old Trafford is the nearest tram stop to the stadium, but if you want to beat the queues, Wharfside and Exchange Quay are also within a 15-minute walk of the ground.
- There will be a tram every 7.5 minutes between Altrincham and Bury (both directions between 9.30am and 6.30pm), and trams every 7.5 minutes between East Didsbury and Shaw and Crompton (both directions).
- Airport-bound tram services may be busier than usual after the match due to Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds fans making their way to Wythenshawe Park.
Bus
- A match day shuttle bus service will operate post-match from Chester Road (between Throstles Green and Sir Matt Busby Way), with drop-off points at Deansgate-Castlefield and Piccadilly. There will be 10 buses in total operating.
Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds at Wythenshawe Park
Metrolink
- You can travel by tram to Moor Road stop on the Airport line to get to the venue. It is approximately a 10-minute walk from the stop to the park gates.
- There will be a tram every 7.5 minutes between the city centre and Moor Road on the Airport line to support fans getting to and from the venue.
- After the concert, please use Moor Road stop, as Baguley and Wythenshawe Park will be closed to aid congestion on-stop.
Bus
- There will be a shuttle bus operating two routes on the day. The shuttle bus service take fans either between Sale and the venue, or Manchester city centre and Wythenshawe Park before the event, then the shuttle will set off from the park and return to the city centre via Sale after the concert.
Planned industrial action – First Manchester buses and rail services
Stagecoach staff who were due to strike in August, have now suspended their action following a revised pay offer.
However, Unite the Union have announced that First Bus Manchester drivers will still strike, as will members of the RMT Union.
Rail strikes
Strikes at 14 rail firms have been called on Saturday 26 August (including Northern, TransPennine Express and Avanti West Coast).
These strikes will mean little or no services across large areas of the network. In many cases, services will also be disrupted on the day immediately following a strike day.
Passengers are strongly advised to check the status of their rail journey, both in advance and immediately before travel.
Source: TfGM