Man Utd-Man City Etihad derby lands on same weekend as Sir Paul McCartney takes over Co-op Live
Manchester is in line for a mad pre-Christmas weekend after two major events were confirmed for December.
The first involves one of the most celebrated musicians in the world and the second is one of the biggest matches in the footballing calendar. The Co-op Live revealed that Sir Paul McCartney will be playing two nights at the new arena on Saturday 14 December and Sunday 15 December.
Premier League fixtures for the 2024/25 season have also been confirmed, with the first Manchester derby of the season falling on the same weekend that Sir Paul is in town – Saturday 14 December. The match will take place at the neighbouring Etihad Stadium, with kick off currently slated for 3pm, although that is likely to change due to television scheduling.
At the same time, the Christmas Markets will also be in full swing by then. The annual attraction welcomes around nine million people each year from throughout the region and beyond.
There have been event clashes over at the Etihad campus before and both road and foot traffic have remained fairly well controlled. In May, City beat West Ham to win the Premier League title on the same day Barry Manilow was performing at the Co-op Live and Transport for Greater Manchester advised people to walk or use public transport if possible.
Music and football fans now have the option of using the new guided walking route between the Etihad campus in Eastlands and the city centre. It takes roughly 25 minutes from the New Islington Metrolink stop. City also offer a shuttle bus service on home match days, which run across the city.