Parking for Milton Keynes Bowl this weekend

[Nanz]

Hello all, im coming up from London to the Milton Keynes Bowl this weekend for the SHM event.

Can anyone suggest a parking spot that will be easily enough to leave, don't really want to be waiting in the car parks for hours on end. From what I hear the car parks close by can be a nightmare at the end of the event.

 

[sidibear]

Park in the town centre and get the shuttle bus, they usually lay them on for special events, get on it at the train station.
Its only about a mile / 20 minute walk from the train station which is another option to get there.

 

[Nanz]

Thanks for that sidibear, I was thinking of parking in the city centre, hopefully that will ensure that I dont get stuck in the traffic coming out of the stadiums car parks.

Is there a specific parking garage / area that I should park in?

 

[sidibear]

Aim to try and get in the rail station car park, the shuttle bus to the MK bowl leaves from there. But if you walked, you would still probably beat the traffic.
You will then only have to contend with the traffic leaving MK, I would seriously suggest looking at getting the train there to be honest, it will save you a lot of time and hassles. As much as I love my car, getting around MK is a ***** at the best of times let alone when an event is on.

 

[Nanz]

I did look at the trains, however with the event finishing at 11, there are only 3 trains back to London from about 11.15, the last one just before midnight. My only worry is that we would miss the last train back.

 

[sidibear]

No worries, have a great time and hope the weather holds for you, MK bowl is a bit bleak when the weather turns, take some warm clothes on the off chance.

 

[Nanz]

Ahh cheers for that advice mate, much appreciated!

 

[John@mk]

Hi re: the bowl,

As the name suggests ...it's a bowl and we had bucket full of rain showers all week so far so the banking will get very muddy and very slippery.....so it could be fairly muddy under foot , trust me, when oasis play it did get pretty bad.parking wise it mad around the bowl and a few one way systems in place.google a map and the best bet is to park away from central mk and get in early and park slightly away from the bowl in a residential area and walk in.morrisons is only a 20 minute walk.
Car parking for the bowl is in a field .....you can be in there forever and the mud issue.no m kind of music and it's windy the sound ****e..sorry,
foo fighters last year sounded great,even from outside...but no wind.
Belecthley where mk dons and backdraft Motorsport are based is on an industrial estate......try to get in there and walk up...straight rd.Book in for a b.draft remap..then you have parking space lol......

Good luck and as a local it always seems to be very well organised.....it will just take time to get out of mk in the evening........

Enjoy....... Blue sky's and sunshine a the moo..........

 

[Nanz]

Hey John, thanks for that useful info, I will be all prepped for the wet weather! Hopefully you guys get some more sun up there and it doesn't rain on Saturday!

I might give those guys at Backdraft a call to see if I can park there! The other place I was thinking of parking was in the car park at the train station.

 

[John@mk]

sun all day so far...........keep away from the train station area or anywhere from the station to the bowl......this will be grid locked when you come out.
google maps mk4 which is emerson valley,there is a pub called the clock tower but it also has good sized public car park.this is about a 25 min walk but you won't get caught up with the traffic jams or road closures but the backdraft area in nearer .......maybe get there early , have quick drink and call a cab to drop you off....as the bowl has a drop off point.should be no than £4.00...then find you way back in the dark lol...don't forget mk is on a grid system so the main roads are staight.this part of mk will give easy access to the M40 or M1,A5.

anyway just enjoy the gig....... if could be the last one at the bowl...but they say that after every show here.

cheers,

 

[Nanz]

Hey John, ahh thanks for that advise, yeah I have been trying to scope out all day today where best to park. I did cheekily call the Backdraft guys and did ask if I could park on their secure premises, however they seemed to have a full house. I am aiming to get there around 12.30 or so, hopefully thats early enough!

Will look up the emerson valley pub that your talking bout, def don't want to get caught out in those traffic jams.

 

[John@mk]

Morning Nanz,

Mk weather update,

At the mo fine misty rain...rained most of the night.....cold.
Chance of any sun. 0
Mud.....oh yes...buckets loads
Past gigs at the bowl open the gates normally at 12.30


ok mate enjoy the gig,

 

[StateOfPlay]

I assume things have changed there, I went to see Bon Jovi and Billy Idol there in the 90's and it was just a field shaped like a bowl.

Which don't bode well with rain running down the sides of the bowl into the basin

Just take some wellies and warm clothing and waterproof jacket and trousers and you will have a right good time.

I know a lot of peeps that are big SHM fans and will be there too.

Enjoy!

 

[Nanz]

Morning John, brilliant, thanks for that! Wellies are packed, got the wet weather gear sorted, so should be ready to go! From this morning's weather forecast, looks like there should be some sight of the sun in the arvo, here's hoping!

 

[Nanz]

Thanks StateofPlay, should be a great gig!

 

[sidibear]

I went to see Bon Jovi and Billy Idol there in the 90's and it was just a field shaped like a bowl.

I rigged the lights at that gig, 1993 around late August / early Sept iirc. My last ever lighting gig before I gave it up to become more involved with another career that paid **** loads more money.
19 years ago, where did the time go ?

 

[Turkster]

i was in MK today, see plenty of camp sites dotted about on the drive in, MK was rather busy but not enough to stop my wife running lose with the credit cards,

 

[Nanz]

Hey John, just wanted to say thanks again mate, parked up at the Clock Tower Pub, and caught a taxi from there to the bowl which was a fiver, walked back and made it to London without any traffic! Standing Way was backed up after the event, so we went through Bletchley to the A5, then through Toddington to the M1.

The gig was amazing by the way, just walking into that bowl and seeing the setup was like nothing I have ever seen before!

 

[s3 Hoggy]

Best gig I've ever been to! Was awesome!

 

[Nanz]

Yes indeed mate, it was one night I don't think ill forget in a long time, just wished they played a longer set!

 

[s3 Hoggy]

Was quite a big set for them though mate, I have seen the twice before at Pacha in Ibiza and their sets didnt last longer than an hour each time. Like you say I'll never forget that gig! They got a bit emotional at the end!

 

[Nanz]

I even think they could of done with another hour, but yeah never the less it was amazing! The atmosphere in the bowl was electric, like nothing I have ever witnessed before.

 

[John@mk]

Hi Nanz,

No worries mate just local info mate and the sun was out......spent the day at a football tournament ....plenty of mud.the clock tower was the better place to park as any nearer and they had road closures and were asking for ID.a little bit of a walk but puts you away from the traffic as you found out.....just keep it our secret .......
glad you a got back safely ,

Until the next time.......the bowl is a good venue...just not used..next weeks headliners are ...." the bootfairers and a table full of crap"

Cheers.