Parklife: Police make 52 arrests at festival

Police have said 41 of the arrests at the Heaton Park event on Saturday and Sunday came into custody, and there were 26 arrests on each day.

The other 11 will be dealt with in a non-custodial manner.

The figure is down from 61 last year.

Of the arrests, 33 were for possession with intent to supply drugs, six were for possession of drugs, two were for being drunk and disorderly, two were for robbery, two were for having weapons, two were for assault, one was for dangerous driving, one was for breaching a dispersal order, two were for public order offences and one was for ticket touting.

Superintendent Andy Sidebotham, who led the policing operation for Parklife this year, said most people were happy to engage with police.

He 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.”