How to get to We Invented the Weekend
Metrolink
The quickest and most hassle-free way to travel to and from any of the events at We Invented the Weekend will be by Metrolink. As Metrolink uses its own tracks, service is not impacted by congestion on the roads.
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 Plaza – only a couple of minutes’ walk to the Lowry and the Imperial Museum North, and right next to the University of Salford and where some of the outdoor venues will be placed.
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), 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 TfGM website.
Bus
If you’d like to catch the bus to and from the event, there are a number of commercial services that take you close to all the excitement 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)
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 TfGM 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.
For more information, you can search your bus service and select your stop on the TfGM website or check with your bus operator before travelling.
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 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 below.
Cycling and Walking
Greater Manchester now offers the option to hire bikes. Through the Beryl app, you can locate and unlock your bike, get from A to B, then safely lock your hired bike up again – easy! To find out more about Manchester’s cycle hire scheme that operates in the Salford Quays area, visit our dedicated cycle hire information.
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 TfGM’s own map of cycle routes within the Salford Quays area on their website or you can visit the TfGM journey planner to find out 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 below and see what’s within a 15-minute walk of Salford Quays.
Driving
Saturday is expected to be the busiest day of the year so far on the transport network. There is likely to be severe congestion on the roads due to the large number of events on the day and those who would usually make a rail journeys are likely to take to their cars. TfGM are urging those attending We Invented the Weekend to not drive if they can and consider the plentiful tram and bus links for MediaCityUK and Salford Quays when planning their journey.
On Sunday, Coldplay will be playing at the Etihad, so we are expecting routes via the city centre to be congested.
Using a Park and Ride site is a good way to use the tram and avoid road congestion near the ground. You can find the latest departures by typing the name of your stop into TfGM’s live updates search.
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.