'Bedlam' across Manchester with gridlock and surging taxi prices as thousands try to get home from Parklife and gigs

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

It was one of the busiest nights for Manchester since the pandemic began. Alongside Parklife in Heaton Park, The Killers were performing in Old Trafford, Alicia Keys at the AO Arena and Ed Sheeran at The Etihad.

And, as many would have expected, many found the return trip after all gigs ended to be ‘absolute bedlam’. Reports of taxis charging up to seven times the usual fare, delayed trams, and gridlocked traffic meant that many people did not get home until the early hours of Sunday morning. “Whoever planned to have Ed Sheeran, Alicia Keys, The Killers and Park Life all in one weekend in Manchester need’s to give their head a wobble,” @williambyrne_ tweeted alongside a picture of traffic in the city centre. “The road closures are causing havoc for residents across the city, with diversions few and far between!” READ MORE: 'How much to Fallowfield mate?': The mad scramble to get home after Parklife Parklife fans took to Twitter to share their dismay as they waited outside ‘two hours since the festival ended’ for a way home, while others even went as far as claiming there had been a ‘breakdown in planning control and execution’. “Absolute shambles,” @tashjones_x added.

Sharing their experience on the M.E.N’s Facebook page, Kat Heaton said the usual taxi fare of around £6 from Heaton Park to Middleton had sky-rocketed more than seven times to £46.50. “Lots of people not going to be able to get home safe,” she added. @miaday777 tweeted: “got stuck outside parklife for hour and half has t pay £80 4 taxi.” Another found the direct trip from Heaton Park to Cheers bar in Prestwich had risen from £5.69 to £35.