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How to travel to Ed Sheeran's Portman Road gigs

Alice Cunningham
BBC News, Suffolk
PA Media Ed Sheeran smiles widely as he performs on stage. He has red hair and wears a black T-shirt with a guitar strap around his shoulder. He has a black earpiece in.PA Media
Ed Sheeran returns home to Suffolk to perform three nights at Ipswich Town Football Club's Portman Road stadium

Ed Sheeran returns home to Suffolk this week to perform three concerts at Portman Road stadium.

The global superstar will step on to the stage on Friday, Saturday and Sunday night at the home of his beloved Ipswich Town Football Club.

Big support acts are also lined up including Busted, James Blunt and more - organisers are expecting 30,000 fans to be in attendance.

With that many fans descending on Ipswich, how is it best to travel to the event and how can you avoid getting stuck in queues?

Where can I park?

Alice Cunningham/BBC A general view of the outside of Portman Road stadium. Vehicles pass on the roads directly outside the stadium. Alice Cunningham/BBC
Some parking around Portman Road stadium will be available for fans

The stadium is close to the centre of town so within walking distance from several car parks.

According to Ipswich Borough Council, concert-goers can pre-book spaces at Layard House on New Road as well as Gyppeswyk Park on Ancaster Road.

Layard House opens from 12:00 BST, apart from Friday when parking will be from 14:00, and it is limited to 180 spaces.

Gyppeswyk Park is similarly open from 12:00 and is limited to 500 spaces.

There is also parking available at the council's short stay car parks.

Portman Road A and D car parks will not be available, according to the council, and nor will Princes Street.

Instead, Portman Road B and C will be open from 08:00.

Coach parking will be available at West End Road Coach Park from 08:00.

Staff will be manning the car parks and confirming registration of cars that have pre-booked.

The council has warned drivers to expect delays getting in and out of the car parks and said staff would help ease traffic flow.

What trains can I get?

Greater Anglia A Greater Anglia train with the company name on the side in red and grey lettering. The train is painted in the red, white and grey livery of the company. Black-framed windows and red doors can be seen. The train is alongside a platform paved with small grey squares. Greater Anglia
Greater Anglia will have additional services out of Ipswich on concert nights

Train operator Greater Anglia has arranged extra services for Sheeran's concerts.

There will be additional services on the mainline from Ipswich after each performance across the weekend.

The final train services run as follows, according to Greater Anglia:

Friday 11 July:

  • 23:47 Ipswich to London Liverpool Street (calling at Manningtree, Colchester, Marks Tey, Kelvedon, Witham, Hatfield Peverel, Chelmsford, Ingatestone, Shenfield, and Stratford)
  • 00:22 Ipswich to Colchester (calling at Manningtree)
  • 00:45 Ipswich to Norwich (calling at Stowmarket and Diss)

Saturday 12 July:

  • 23:50 Ipswich to London Liverpool Street (calling at Manningtree, Colchester, Marks Tey, Kelvedon, Witham, Hatfield Peverel, Chelmsford, Ingatestone Shenfield and Stratford)
  • 00:12 Ipswich to Colchester (calling at Manningtree)
  • 00:45 Ipswich to Norwich (calling at Stowmarket and Diss)

Sunday 13 July:

  • 23:55 Ipswich to London Liverpool Street (calling at Manningtree, Colchester, Marks Tey, Kelvedon, Witham, Hatfield Peverel, Chelmsford, Ingatestone, Shenfield, and Stratford)
  • 00:15 Ipswich to Colchester (calling at Manningtree)
  • 00:50 Ipswich to Norwich (calling at Stowmarket and Diss)

Greater Anglia has warned due to limited platform capacity, there will be no local services from Ipswich to Lowestoft, Felixstowe, Cambridge or Peterborough after the concert.

There will be limited connecting services to Clacton-on-Sea on all three nights and extremely limited connecting services to Harwich Town on Friday and Saturday.

Passengers are warned to expect large queues and very busy trains.

Can I take other transportation?

Oli Constable/BBC A First Bus stopped on a city centre road. The bus is coloured various shades of purple with some advertisement on its sides. People walk on the pavement next to it. Oli Constable/BBC
First Bus's park and ride service will have additional shuttles during all three concert days

First Bus will be providing extra park and ride services from London Road in Copdock and Martlesham to Portman Road to help fans get to and from the concert.

Full details of departures to and from the stadium across the three days from both sites can be found online.

Tickets for the service cost £3 per person and give people unlimited travel on the shuttle buses all day.

The tickets can be purchased on the day and customers are urged to ensure they keep their tickets for their return journeys.

Other private bus companies in the area have also been advertising transport to the stadium for the concerts.

What else should I be aware of?

Gates for each show are expected to open at 16:30.

It is then expected that the shows will be finished by 22:30 each night.

Some car journeys could be affected by roadworks in the Ipswich area.

Work is currently ongoing on the Orwell Bridge and one lane will be closed in each direction on the days of the Sheeran concerts.

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