Arena urges concert-goers to plan ahead

Coventry Building Society Arena is urging concert-goers to plan ahead when travelling to The Killers concert on Saturday – which is part of a huge weekend of music in the city.

The Las Vegas rockers, supported by Manic Street Preachers, will be performing to a sold-out crowd at the Arena as part of the Imploding the Mirage tour.

More than 38,000 fans are set to be in attendance at the concert, while across the city tens of thousands will be heading to War Memorial Park for Radio 1’s Big Weekend.

Doors will open at Coventry Building Society Arena at 5pm, with the entertainment getting underway at 7pm.

Concert goers are urged to arrive in plenty of time at the Arena and to plan their journey from door-to-door, while also taking into account the added pressure brought to roads, taxis, trains and bus networks by the festival in War Memorial Park.

Those who arrive early are invited to enjoy free entertainment in The Green Room, which can be found in the Indoor Arena. It will feature bars, food outlets and a live DJ – with the doors opening at 1pm. The Green Room will reopen at 10.30pm until late.

Coventry Building Society Arena is also advising that all bags will be subject to a security search, must be no bigger than A4 size and that bringing a bag is discouraged in order to speed up entry to the venue.

There will also be no cloakroom facilities at the event.

A £5 return shuttle bus service will be in operation from Coventry train station to Arena Park Shopping Centre from midday until 8pm, and then recommence from 9pm until midnight.

West Midlands Trains to and from Coventry Arena station will be operating hourly with three carriages rather than two and the taxi rank outside the Arena will be open until 2am.

To reach the Arena by bus, concert goers would need to take the Number 9 bus from Coventry train station to Coventry Transport Museum, before catching the Number 3 to the Arena. Bus timetables are available at www.coventry.gov.uk/info.

Paul Michael, Commercial Director at Coventry Building Society Arena, said: “It is a hugely exciting weekend for us at Coventry Building Society Arena and for the city of Coventry as well.

“We’re looking forward to welcoming a capacity crowd for what is set to be a truly memorable night when we welcome The Killers, one of the biggest bands of the 21st century.

“With BBC Radio 1’s Big Weekend also taking place on the same day, it’s more important than ever before that people coming to see The Killers carefully plan their travel in advance. Be that checking train times, reviewing bus routes or making a note of key taxi company phone numbers in the city.

“If travelling by car, make sure parking is booked in advance and you have planned your route.

“We will be providing live updates throughout the day and evening for people travelling to the event and would encourage concert goers to head to our Twitter, Facebook and Instagram pages for the latest news and guidance.”

On-site car parking for this event is sold-out, but off-site car parking is available and pre-booking is essential. Visit https://coventryparking.co.uk/ to book.

To find out more visit https://www.cbsarena.co.uk/live-music/the-killers/.