The weekend of Saturday 15 and Sunday 16 June is a particularly busy one for Greater Manchester. As well as We Invented the Weekend, there’s other large-scale events taking place across the region:
- Peter Kay at the AO Arena – Saturday 15 June
- Foo Fighters at Emirates Old Trafford – Saturday 15 June
- Liam Gallagher at Co-op Live – Saturday 15 and Sunday 16 June
These events mean that significantly more people will be travelling on the roads and rails of Greater Manchester. We’ve got you covered with some key advice to help you plan your journey to We Invented the Weekend.
Specially trained Project Servator officers from Greater Manchester Police will be present in the build up to the Dragon Boat Race and We invented the weekend. Project Servator is a policing tactic that aims to disrupt a range of criminal activity, including terrorism and hostile reconnaissance, whilst providing a reassuring presence for the public.
Our officers also engage with the online community, sharing information about Project Servator and its successes. Follow #ProjectServator on social media.
If you see something suspicious, please tell a police officer, use our online form to tell us about possible terrorist activity, or call the confidential Anti-Terrorist Hotline on 0800 789 321. If it’s an emergency, always call 999.
How to get to We Invented the Weekend
Getting there by tram
The easiest way to travel to and from any of the events at We Invented the Weekend will be by tram.
The MediaCityUK tram stop on the Eccles line (light blue on some journey planners) will drop you off right in the centre of the MediaCity Piazza – only a couple of minutes’ walk to the Lowry and right next to the University of Salford.
Imperial War Museum on the Trafford Park line (red on some journey planners) is also located five minutes away from the main venues.
There are also Altrincham line stops within a short walk from Salford Quays. However, if you’re travelling to We Invented the Weekend on Saturday, please use the Trafford Park line, as the Altrincham line will be very busy due to the concert taking place at Emirates Old Trafford.
The Eccles line has a park and ride site at Ladywell (332 parking spaces) and the Trafford Park line has Parkway (341 parking spaces), where you can leave your car for free and hop on a tram to the heart of the action at the MediaCityUK stop.
For more information on ticketing, the Greater Manchester tram map, or the tram schedule, visit the Bee Network website or app.
Getting there by bus
If you’d like to catch the bus to and from the event, there are a number of services that take you close to all the action of We Invented the Weekend:
29 – 29 Boothstown to MediaCityUK bus route | Transport for Greater Manchester (tfgm.com),
50 – 50 East Didsbury to The Lowry bus route | Transport for Greater Manchester (tfgm.com),
51 – 51 East Didsbury to The Lowry bus route | Transport for Greater Manchester (tfgm.com),
53 – 53 Cheetham Hill to Pendleton bus route | Transport for Greater Manchester (tfgm.com),
79 – 79 Pendleton to Stretford bus route | Transport for Greater Manchester (tfgm.com)
V1 – V1 Manchester Royal Infirmary to Leigh bus route | Transport for Greater Manchester (tfgm.com)
V2 – V2 Manchester Royal Infirmary to Atherton bus route | Transport for Greater Manchester (tfgm.com)
We’re bringing all bus services in Greater Manchester under local control as part of the Bee Network. Buses 29, 53, 79, V1 and V2 listed above are already part of the Bee Network, and you can now see live bus tram and train departure times, buy tickets, get travel alerts and quickly Rate Your Journey to tell us how it went on the Bee Network app.
Find out more about the Bee Network.
Don’t forget, you can now get on board with adults paying no more than £2 for a single bus journey, and £1 for a children’s single. For more information, you can visit the Bee Network website.
Journey times on bus can also be impacted due to the increased levels of traffic, so be sure to plan ahead and allow extra time for your travel.
Getting there by train
Salford Crescent is the nearest station to the site, a 30-minute walk or 20-minute bus journey (via bus number 50).
Manchester Piccadilly is less than half an hour by tram or bus from the main We Invented the Weekend venues. Manchester also has Victoria and Oxford Road stations, which provide local, regional and national connections.
For more information on travelling by train, you can visit the National Rail website.
Cycling and Walking
Greater Manchester now offers the option to hire Starling Bank Bikes. Through the Starling Bank Bikes app, you can locate and unlock your bike, get from A to B, then safely lock your bike again – easy! Starling Bank Bikes operates in the Salford Quays area, to find out more visit our dedicated bike hire information page.
MediaCityUK is also the location of a cycle hub. Providing safe cycle parking with CCTV in operation, more information on how to use a cycle hub can be found on the Bee Active website.
You can find the Bee Network’s own map of cycle routes within the Salford Quays area on their website or you can visit the Bee Network journey planner to discover your bespoke route via Greater Manchester’s cycle network.
Whether you decide to walk for a full or partial journey, you can beat the queues, see more of your city and make a positive choice for the environment by walking to your venue.
Visit the Bee Active website and see what’s within a 15-minute walk of Salford Quays.
Getting there by car
There is likely to be significant congestion on the roads due to the number of events on the day – particularly around the Stretford area due to the event at Emirates Old Trafford. The Bee Network are recommending that only drive to We Invented the Weekend if necessary and consider the tram and bus links that MediaCityUK and Salford Quays offers.
Parking
MediaCity is close to Junctions 2 and 3 on the M602, which links to the wider motorway network.
There are two multi-story car parks on site, one located within Quayside (post code: M50 3AH) and one located on Broadway (postcode: M50 2TG). There will also be a number of additional temporary festival car parks available off Broadway, please follow signs.