GMP thanks partners and attendees for successful Parklife Festival

Greater Manchester Police thanks its partners for making Parklife Festival a successful event.

52 arrests were made over the weekend, which compares to 61 in 2023.

Of the 52 arrests, 41 went into custody and the remainder will be dealt with in a non-custodial manner. 26 people were arrested on each day of the festival.

Of the 52:

• 33 were on suspicion of possession with intent to supply drugs
• 6 on suspicion of possession of drugs
• 2 on suspicion of being drunk and disorderly
• 2 on suspicion of robbery
• 2 on suspicion of having weapons
• 2 on suspicion of assault
• 1 on suspicion of dangerous driving
• 1 on suspicion of breaching a dispersal order
• 2 on suspicion of public order offence
• 1 on suspicion of ticket touting

Saturday saw big names including Becky Hill, Disclosure and Rudimental take to the stage, while the wet weather hit Heaton Park hard on the Sunday.

That did not stop the vast majority of revellers from enjoying Greater Manchester’s biggest music festival.

Superintendent Andy Sidebotham, who led the policing operation for Parklife this year, said: “I want thank the vast majority of attendees who enjoyed themselves responsibly over the course of two wonderful days in Heaton Park. Many people came up to our officers, asked them questions and posed for pictures, and our officers were more than happy to engage with revellers from across the country.

“The illegal drugs and weapons intercepted over the weekend could have had serious and fatal consequences if they managed to get inside the festival site.

“The vast majority of these 52 arrests were the result of proactive work between GMP and event security staff, and a thorough search regime in place on the entry gates across Heaton Park.

“Parklife is a huge item on Greater Manchester’s calendar, and I would like to thank our partners, including Parklife organisers, North West Ambulance Service, Transport for Greater Manchester and Manchester City Council for their months of hard work in ensuring a robust security plan was in place to protect the public, making Parklife 2024 a successful event.”