Some residents are looking forward to upcoming shows from Pulp and Courteeners, others report on ‘a lack of respect’
07:35, 14 Jan 2026Updated 07:35, 14 Jan 2026
Not everyone is a fan of having Noel Gallagher or Pulp play in their back garden(Image: MEN)
Residents living near Wythenshawe Park remain divided about the impact of ‘super concerts’ at the 270-acre space 13 years after the idea was first proposed.
Back in 2013, neighbours clashed with town hall bosses during a public meeting regarding plans to host large-scale events – an ambitious bid to follow in the footsteps of the likes of Platt Fields and Heaton Park, who hosted Parklife and the huge Oasis reunion shows this summer.
It wasn’t until three years ago when Wythenshawe Park finally held its first music event with Noel Gallagher taking on the honour in front of a crowd of 25,000 devotees. Ever since, Live from Wythenshawe Park has featured the likes of Johnny Marr, New Order, KNEECAP, Fontaines D.C., Olivia Dean and Sam Fender.
This year, the park will host five big shows across two weekends between August 21 and 30 from The Cure, Lewis Capaldi, Pulp, Courteeners, and The Prodigy. Other events, including Circus Funtasia from February 12 to March 1, are also scheduled for throughout the year.
“My main concern is regarding the back-to-back weekends in August,” resident Neil Platt, 53, tells the Manchester Evening News. “The residents weren’t given any advance warning of that at all. In past years, it’s just been the one weekend usually around the Bank Holiday and that’s been bearable for us.
Noel Gallagher played Wythenshawe Park in August 2023 for what was billed to be the first large-scale music event to be held in the space(Image: Charlotte Wellings)
“This time round, it’s going to be a problem for us. You can’t really leave the house in your car and it’s impossible to get back into anywhere. The traffic problem is mainly with the taxis. It’s not black cabs, it’s the private hire cabs. They basically use our road as a turning circle, and quite often they’ll just dump people out on Wythenshawe Road, which causes backlogs of traffic all day until the actual concert starts. I think traffic management last year wasn’t as good as the year before.”
Many residents, like Neil, say it’s not necessarily the noise that impacts residents. Tom, 32, who lives near Sale Circle, said he will often sit in the garden to listen to any concerts from his favourite artists but not living on the outskirts surrounding the park, he says he ‘can’t really hear it’.
“I think given the barriers that they put up, there might be certain parts of the park that hear it differently,” Tom suggests. “From that end, at least, we were almost disappointed that we couldn’t hear it in the garden, if anything. I personally find there’s bigger issues with the park, like anti-social behaviour rather than organised events.
Tom, 32, says he believes it’s ‘within the council’s right to hold gigs for everyone'(Image: )
“My biggest issue was after the gigs, there were people urinating on shop windows and stuff. However, my issue only really was with the behaviour of obviously a very small minority of people. Obviously, you can say it’s a park not a venue, but at the same time it’s within the council’s right to hold gigs for everyone if they want to. You can’t have your cake and eat it and want there to be a lot of local events and not have certain events.”
Another resident, who asked not to be named, said she has issued a formal complaint to organisers of the concert series. She said she felt that residents had not been consulted on the scope of the events taking place, claiming on at least one occasion to have been notified ‘less than a week beforehand’. “Residents should not have to constantly check online to find out when their area will be disrupted,” she said. The resident also said issues with transport, parking and access during concerts ‘remains unresolved’, reporting illegal parking and blocked roads.
“It is clear that adequate control measures are still not in place,” she added. “These issues disproportionately affect elderly and disabled residents, who deserve consideration and the right to live peacefully in their own homes. There appears to be little regard for the fact that Wythenshawe Park is a public park intended for everyday community use and not a private events venue.
Residents living near Wythenshawe Park have been divided on the space being turned into a ‘private events venue’ for concerts(Image: Manchester Evening News)
“Repeated closures and restricted access prevent local people from using a space that is meant for everyone. Concerts belong in arenas or dedicated venues, not in residential public parks. The continued commercialisation of the park feels like it is being sold off piece by piece, without the consent of the community that lives alongside it and relies on it. This approach shows a lack of respect for residents and for the purpose of public green spaces.”
Manchester Council said running large-scale events at Wythenshawe Park since 2023 has now provided them with valuable experience to help improve the handling each year. Manchester Council said it has a ‘dedicated community impact team’ on hand during the events, who help monitor and manage concerns from local residents in real-time.
Meanwhile, Merryn Myatt, 72, who is a semi-retired TV presenter and writer, said whilst she too has no qualms about the sound levels for her, she’s also not experienced any traffic issues. “The music we can hear is actually quite little, which is a shame, because I’d actually quite like to hear some of it,” she laughs. “But then again, I should buy a ticket.
New Order playing at Wythenshawe Park in August 2024(Image: Helen Millington)
Last summer was the third year of these concerts and, from what I could tell, the traffic was absolutely fine. I tend to think that it’s only a couple of weekends a year and why shouldn’t people have fun and use their park? If it became every weekend of every year, I would worry, because the traffic is quite dense. But I can’t honestly say it bothers me.”
But Merryn does have some concerns mostly relating to the amount of litter and ongoing impact of the park. Whilst the events at Wythenshawe Park are small fry to Glastonbury, the leading Worthy Farm festival takes “fallow years” every five or so years in a bid to improve the pastures of the working farmsite.
“The thing that bothers me more than the traffic is actually the damage to the park,” Merryn says. “I totally get that the income into the park has done some wonderful things. It’s supplied an outdoor gym, it’s created improvements to the kids’ play park area, and I absolutely get that parks need that sort of income for facilities for local and other people. But it takes them a couple of weeks to put set the concert stage up, and it takes them another couple of weeks after. And then, the grass is ever so bashed up.
“What bothers me, I guess in principle, is that each year, a little bit more of the park is given over to parking for the event. Yes, it’s only for a couple of weeks, but it does bother me, because next year they might use a bit more space and then more the year after. They should keep an eye on that. But parks need income, income means better facilities, and most people, I think, enjoy the concerts.”
Anthony Beasley, 76, says he is in favour of concerts being held at Wythenshawe Park(Image: )
Jan Collins, who is in her 60s, said she feels the concert set-up at Wythenshawe Park is a lot more ‘controlled’ than when it started. She said a petition set up by residents helped raise awareness of their issues. “A few years ago, we had cans and all sorts of things thrown over the garden, but that’s all stopped,” she proclaims. “There is a big police presence. So, in all fairness, it’s got better.”
Anthony Beasley, 76, says he likes having concerts held at Wythenshawe Park. Not only does it add to the atmosphere of the area, but he says he also hosts family members and friends who attend the gigs. “It suits me that they can come here and watch it,” he says.
Asked about the traffic situation, Anthony says he too believes it’s well-maintained. “There’s not much problem now with traffic,” he explains. “They have the cones up every time. I’m one of the ones in favour of it. I think the park should be made use of, as long as they limit it to a number of times a year.”
What Manchester Council says
Earlier this week, Manchester Council announced that Wythenshawe residents would benefit from a range of community funds that have been successfully generated through the live music events at Wythenshawe Park. The Live from Wythenshawe Park Community fund, which was launched three years ago, comprises of proceeds raised from concerts in the park and this year a total of £21,000 will be distributed to local organisations and charities.
The funding pot – which has previously gone towards a new vehicle for The Biddeford Centre, a story-telling bench for the Friends of Wythenshawe Park group, and has also contributed towards the restoration of the fire damaged Wythenshawe Hall – is expected to grow even more this year. A limited number of Live from Wythenshawe Park tickets are also made available to those living in close proximity to the park.
In a statement issued on behalf of Manchester Council and agreed by the Live at Wythenshawe Park organisers, Cllr John Hacking, who is the Executive Member for Employment, Skills and Leisure, said: “We have a tried and tested process in place to support the planning and delivery of major music events in our parks, including Wythenshawe Park. This draws on experience and lessons learnt from more than ten years of hosting major music events in Heaton Park and for the last three years in Wythenshawe Park.
“This includes working closely with organisers, promoters, key agency partners and others to ensure robust tailored measures are in place across every aspect of the event – from travel and transport to and from, to ensuring a safe environment for those attending. As we start planning for events in 2026, discussions with local residents will be a really important part of the planning process and detailed plans will be implemented to help reduce the impact of the concerts on the local community.
“While the events at Wythenshawe Park are taking place we will also have a dedicated community impact team once again monitoring and managing any concerns that may come in through social media, online, or via the telephone hotline set up for local residents.”