Driving to events gives you flexibility and comfort, especially for groups or if you are carrying equipment, camping gear, or heading somewhere without decent public transport links. But parking at event venues can be expensive, stressful, and time-consuming if you do not plan ahead.
Here is how to make driving to events as smooth as possible.
Pre-book your parking
This is the single most important piece of advice. If the venue or event offers pre-bookable parking, buy it in advance. Turning up on the day and hoping for a space is a gamble that often does not pay off at popular events.
Pre-booking gives you:
- A guaranteed space (or at least priority entry)
- Usually a cheaper price than paying on the gate
- Directions to the correct car park, avoiding wrong turns and dead ends
- Sometimes a closer space to the venue entrance
Check the event or venue website for official parking. Many venues sell parking alongside tickets. For events at unusual locations (fields, parks, showgrounds), parking is often sold separately and can sell out weeks in advance.
Understanding parking costs
Parking at events in the UK varies enormously in price:
- Arena and stadium events: £10 to £25 per car for the event
- Festivals: £10 to £30 for the weekend, sometimes more for premium close-to-gate spots
- Racecourses: Free to £15 depending on the meeting and enclosure
- Outdoor concerts in parks: Often no official parking; you rely on nearby streets and commercial car parks
- Theatre and smaller venue events: Venue parking is rare; nearby NCP or council car parks cost £5 to £15 for an evening
Factor parking costs into your overall budget. For a group of four driving to an arena show, a £15 parking fee split four ways is cheaper than four return train tickets. For a solo trip, public transport may work out cheaper.
Planning your route
Check for road closures
Large events often involve temporary road closures, one-way systems, and traffic management plans that change normal road layouts. The event website should list any affected roads. Check local council websites too, as they publish Traffic Regulation Orders for events.
Your sat nav may not know about temporary closures, so do not rely on it entirely. If the event provides specific driving directions, follow those rather than your usual route.
Allow extra time
Traffic near event venues on event days is significantly heavier than normal. As a general rule:
- Add 30 minutes to your journey time for a 5,000-capacity event
- Add 60 minutes or more for a 20,000+ capacity event
- For festivals, allow several hours for arrival day traffic
The worst traffic is typically in the 60 to 90 minutes before the event starts. Arriving earlier avoids the worst of it and gives you time to park, walk to the venue, and settle in without rushing.
Know where you are going
Many large venues have multiple car parks with different entrances. Your booking or ticket will specify which car park you are assigned to. Enter the correct postcode or what3words location into your sat nav, not just the venue name, which might take you to the main entrance rather than the car park.
On arrival
Follow the marshals
At well-organised events, traffic marshals and stewards direct traffic from the main road to the car parks. Follow their instructions even if it feels like you are going the wrong way. They know the layout and the traffic flow plan. Going against their directions causes confusion and delays for everyone.
Remember where you parked
Large event car parks can hold thousands of vehicles. After a long event, in the dark, everything looks the same. Take these steps:
- Take a photo of your car's location, including any row markers, section signs, or nearby landmarks
- Drop a pin on your phone's map app
- Note the car park name, section, and row on your phone or a piece of paper
This sounds trivial but searching for your car in a muddy field at midnight with 5,000 other people doing the same thing is not fun.
Secure your vehicle
Event car parks are generally well-stewarded, but car crime can happen anywhere large numbers of vehicles are left unattended for hours. Do not leave valuables visible in your car. Take everything you need with you or lock items in the boot before you arrive at the car park (not at the venue, where people can see what you are stowing away).
Getting out after the event
The exit is where most of the frustration happens. Thousands of cars all trying to leave through one or two exits creates gridlock that can last 30 minutes to over an hour at major events.
Strategies for a quicker exit
- Leave slightly early. If you are willing to miss the last 10 to 15 minutes of the event, you can often get out of the car park before the main rush. This is a genuine trade-off and depends on how much the finale means to you.
- Wait it out. The opposite approach: sit in the car for 20 to 30 minutes after the event, listen to music, and let the initial surge clear. The car park empties much faster once the bulk of traffic has gone.
- Park near the exit. If you arrive early, you can sometimes choose a spot closer to the car park exit. This means you are one of the first out. The trade-off is a longer walk to the venue.
- Know the exit route. Some car parks have multiple exits, and stewards direct traffic towards specific ones. If you know the layout, you can sometimes use a quieter exit.
Alternatives to venue parking
If official venue parking is sold out, full, or too expensive, consider these alternatives:
- Park and ride schemes. Some events offer park and ride from nearby locations with shuttle buses to the venue. This can be cheaper and less stressful than parking at the venue itself.
- Nearby streets. For city-centre venues, parking on nearby residential streets can be cheaper or free, depending on local parking restrictions. Check for permit zones, time limits, and event-day restrictions before you leave your car.
- Commercial car parks nearby. Apps like JustPark, ParkOn, and YourParkingSpace list private spaces near venues, often at lower prices than official parking. Book in advance as spaces near popular venues sell out.
- Park further away and walk. Parking a 15 to 20-minute walk from the venue can save money and avoid the worst of the exit traffic. Use this approach if you are able-bodied and the route is well-lit and safe.
Drink driving: the obvious but essential point
If you are driving, you cannot drink. The UK drink-drive limit is 80mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, and 50mg in Scotland. But the safest limit is zero. One pint can put you over or under the limit depending on your weight, metabolism, and what you have eaten. The consequences of drink driving, a criminal record, a driving ban, and the potential to kill someone, are not worth any event.
If your plan changes and you decide to drink, leave the car and take a taxi. Collect the car the next day. Check the car park terms for overnight parking; some charge extra but it is always cheaper than a drink-driving conviction.
For alternatives to driving, read our guide to public transport and events. For more event preparation advice, check out our safety guide for outdoor events and browse the first arena concert guide.
