Talbot Road · Stretford · Manchester M16 0PX · Capacity approx 26,000
Emirates Old Trafford: the other one
Manchester has two Old Traffords half a mile apart. One is a football stadium; this is the cricket ground, which also hosts some of the largest concerts in the north of England. Booking transport to the wrong one is the most common error we see on any Manchester journey.
Between the cricket ground and the football stadium, and they share a name, a district and a tram line. On a day when both have events on, arriving at the wrong one is a genuinely bad start to the evening.
Cricket ground or football stadium?
Say which when you book. It is half a mile and a completely different set of closures.
M16, Talbot Road
The cricket ground. Tests, one-day internationals and stadium concerts.
M16, Sir Matt Busby Way
The football stadium. Manchester United, and a considerably larger crowd.
Same district
Both served by the tram, both signposted, and endlessly confused.
Not just cricket
Emirates Old Trafford hosts major stadium shows. Check your ticket for the venue name in full.
Kent to Manchester
A long run north. Times include the rest breaks a journey of this length requires.
| Pick-up area | Distance | Each way |
|---|---|---|
| Bromley & Orpington | 230 miles | 4h 20m – 5h 15m |
| Sevenoaks & Tonbridge | 233 miles | 4h 25m – 5h 20m |
| Dartford & Bluewater | 236 miles | 4h 30m – 5h 25m |
| Gravesend & Northfleet | 241 miles | 4h 35m – 5h 30m |
| Maidstone & Aylesford | 246 miles | 4h 40m – 5h 35m |
| Rochester & Chatham | 251 miles | 4h 45m – 5h 40m |
| Canterbury & Ashford | 275 miles | 5h 10m – 6h 10m |
Three different bookings
The same ground hosts very different occasions, and each needs a different plan.
| Occasion | What it means |
|---|---|
| Test match | Open return. Play ends when it ends, and weather in Manchester is a genuine factor |
| One-day or T20 | Predictable finish time, so a set collection works |
| Stadium concert | Large crowd leaving at once, around 22:30. Collection well back from the ground |
| Grand Final, rugby league | October evening, and effectively an overnight from Kent |
| Any of them | Overnight strongly advised. Four and a half hours each way is a lot in one day |
Getting to the right Old Trafford
Name the venue in full
Emirates Old Trafford is the cricket ground; Old Trafford on its own usually means the football stadium. They are half a mile apart, both in M16, both on the tram, and both signposted in ways that assume you already know which you want. Give us the full venue name from your ticket and the problem disappears entirely.
Manchester weather is part of the plan
A Test at Old Trafford is more likely to lose time to rain than at any other English ground, which is a fact of geography rather than a complaint. If your group has travelled two hundred and thirty miles for a day's cricket, losing it to weather is a real possibility, and we would rather agree how that is handled when you book than discuss it on the morning.
This is overnight territory
Four and a half to six hours each way makes a same-day return theoretically possible and practically miserable, particularly for an evening concert finishing at half ten. Manchester has plenty of accommodation and travelling up the day before turns a punishing drive into a proper trip. Almost every group we take here stays over.
Concerts here need the same care as a stadium
When a major show is on, twenty-six thousand or more people leave at once, and the surrounding roads close in the usual way. We hold well back and the walk out is fifteen to twenty minutes to a road that is moving. That is much closer to our Co-op Live and AO Arena bookings than to a day at the cricket.
Emirates Old Trafford questions
Which ground, and how long to stay.
Is this the football ground?
No. Emirates Old Trafford is the cricket ground on Talbot Road. Old Trafford, the football stadium, is half a mile away on Sir Matt Busby Way. Give us the full venue name from your ticket.
How far is Manchester from Kent?
Around two hundred and thirty to two hundred and seventy-five miles, roughly four and a half to six hours each way including required rest breaks.
Should we stay overnight?
Almost certainly. A same-day return is possible and unpleasant, particularly for an evening event. Almost every group we take here travels up the day before.
What happens if a Test is rained off?
Manchester loses more play to weather than any other English Test ground. We agree how that is handled when you book rather than on the morning.
Do you cover concerts there too?
Yes. Emirates Old Trafford hosts major stadium shows, and those need the same planning as any large arena: a collection well back and a fifteen to twenty minute walk out.
How do returns work for a Test?
Open, because play ends when it ends. For one-day and T20 matches the finish is predictable enough for a set collection time.
Can you take a full coach?
Yes, up to forty-nine seats, with driver rest planning built into a journey of this length.
Is the fare fixed?
Yes, agreed before travel and unaffected by motorway delays or Manchester weather.
Manchester venues and guides
Both Old Traffords, and the arenas.