MUSIC fans will be heading to Leicester this weekend to enjoy the return of Kasabian to Victoria Park.
The Summer Solstice II show – which takes place on Saturday 6 July – follows the band’s first major gig in the park ten years ago.
The massive open-air concert, organised by Live Nation, is expected to attract around 35,000 visitors – and that means that Leicester’s roads and car parks will be busier than normal.
Leicester City Council highways network manager Rupert Bedder said: "As with previous successful events on Victoria Park, we’ve worked closely with the organisers to ensure they have a comprehensive travel plan for the event that will encourages ticket holders to travel sustainably and help minimise any impact on local residents.
“Things will be busier than normal on the day of the event, but we’re confident that the extra measures being put in place by the organisers will meet the demands of festival goers and ensure that the rest of the city remains be open for business.
“Look out for the real-time parking information that’s displayed on the approach roads to the city centre, which will help people find an available space.
“And for concert goers, our advice is to plan your journey to and from the event in advance to help avoid delays or disappointment.”
Gates open at 3.30pm, and the event will end at 10.30pm. Concert goers are advised to arrive before 8pm, as queues at this time could be in excess in an hour.
Concert organiser Live Nation is working with Big Green Coach – the event’s official travel partner – to offer carbon-neutral and hassle-free day return coach travel for people travelling into Leicester. The service operates from 15 cities.
Event organisers have also arranged up to 3,000 additional parking spaces that can be pre-booked by ticket holders. These are all at sites within walking distance of Victoria Park and located outside of the city centre. Bookings must be made in advance at spaces can be booked in advance at www.parkthecarhere.com
The city council will also be extending existing residents’ parking schemes in Clarendon Park, with temporary schemes introduced in streets off London Road and in Stoneygate to prevent unauthorised parking in the areas closest to Victoria Park on the day of the concert.
And with about 60 per cent of ticket holders living locally, people are being encouraged to travel to the concert as sustainably as possible.
The city’s free electric Hop! bus service will be running an extended service on Saturday (6 Jul) with a temporary stop on Tigers Way, just before the junction of Lancaster Road, for passengers travelling to and from the Kasabian concert. Hop! buses will run every 10 minutes until 11.30pm. There will be limited regular bus services operating after the event and people are advised to check bus timetables in advance.
A secure free bike park will be operating close to the main entrance of the park, for concert goers who choose to cycle.
Details about travelling sustainably in Leicester can be found on the Choose How You Move website – a one-stop shop that provides information about walking, cycling and public transport in Leicester, as well as a handy journey planner.
To help with the smooth running of the event, the following road closures will be in place on Saturday 6 July:
- Regent Road (between Granville Road and Salisbury Road) will be closed from 6am until midnight
- Regent Road (between Tigers Way and University Road) will be one way only eastbound from 6am until midnight
- Granville Road will be closed from 6am until midnight
- London Road (between Mayfield Road and Waterloo Way) will be closed from 9pm until midnight
- Victoria Park Road (between St Marys Road and St Leonards Road) will be closed from 9pm until midnight
- University Road will be one way only southbound from 6am until midnight
Due to the road closures at the end of the concert, a pick-up point for cars and pre-booked taxis will be operating from the Morrisons car park on nearby Counting House Road. This will be signposted from the event site.
A taxi rank for hackney carriages only will be in operation on University Road, which concert goers can access via Peace Walk.
People traveling by rail are advised that a very limited number of late trains will be running from Leicester station, and tickets must be booked in advance. Passengers must already have a valid train ticket to enter the station after the event.