Manchester set for travel crunch as Springsteen, Kylie and Man City pack city on same night

Fans urged to plan ahead with 100,000 people expected across three major events on Tuesday

Manchester faces one of its busiest evenings in recent memory on Tuesday night as Bruce Springsteen, Kylie Minogue and Manchester City all draw huge crowds into the city centre. Nearly 100,000 people are expected to attend the three events, prompting a call for early travel planning and alternative routes.

Springsteen will perform a sold out show at Co-op Live, while Kylie Minogue brings her Tension Tour to the AO Arena. Meanwhile, Manchester City host Bournemouth at the Etihad Stadium in their final home match of the season, with an added ‘lap of appreciation’ planned, the last home game for club legend Kevin De Bruyne.

Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) has laid on extra trams, shuttle buses, and walking routes in preparation. A well-lit, stewarded 25 minute walking route from Piccadilly Station to the Etihad and Co-op Live is being promoted for fans keen to avoid congestion.

Steve Gilholme, Head of Events at TfGM, said: “It promises to be a spectacular night in Manchester, but also an incredibly busy one on our transport network, particularly the roads in and around the city centre. Please plan ahead, use public transport, and consider walking or cycling.”

TfGM’s control room will be monitoring the city’s transport network throughout the evening and reacting to any incidents. Attendees are advised to use the Bee Network app for real-time travel updates.

Event-specific travel advice includes:

• Bruce Springsteen at Co-op Live: Early entry opens from 4.30pm. Extra tram services every six minutes will run, with double trams where possible. Post-show, express and shuttle bus services will operate to Piccadilly and the city centre. There will be no parking at the venue and local roads are under resident-only restrictions.

• Manchester City v Bournemouth at Etihad: Match kicks off at 8pm, and due to De Bruyne's farewell, buses will leave 45 minutes after the final whistle. Velopark, Clayton Hall, and Holt Town tram stops will be closed post-match for safety reasons.

• Kylie Minogue at AO Arena: Located next to Manchester Victoria, the venue is accessible by multiple tram lines and buses. Walking routes are encouraged, and the venue is just 15 minutes on foot from central Manchester.

Those travelling by car are reminded of a westbound closure on Chapel Street between Blackfriars Road and New Bailey Street. A diversion is in place, but congestion is likely. Car users are urged to use Park and Ride or city centre car parks.

Cyclists have access to over 500 spaces at the Etihad Campus and nearby bike hire points, while walkers are being encouraged to use stewarded routes to ease pressure on trams and buses.