Project breakdown

Client: Aston Villa FC
Project: Multi-day Concert Event Series at Villa Park, Birmingham
Duration: 3 months (including pre-event planning, event days, and post-event demobilisation)

Overview

Villa Park, home to Aston Villa Football Club, was the venue for a high-profile series of concerts held over July. Kicking off with Guns N’ Roses, followed by Chris Brown, then ‘Back to the Beginning’, Black Sabbath’s and Ozzy Osbourne’s day-long, 15 band rock festival, and finally Kendrick Lamar.

With a capacity exceeding 40,000 for each concert, these events required meticulous planning and execution to ensure the safe and efficient movement of thousands of ticket holders, while minimizing disruption to the local community.

Planning & Liaison

Our involvement began 3 months ahead of the events, working closely with Aston Villa FC, local authorities, Highways, West Midlands Police and other emergency services. A comprehensive Traffic Management Plan (TMP) was developed following detailed site assessments, traffic flow analysis, and risk evaluations.

The plan covered key areas including;
· Road closures
· Pedestrian zones
· Vehicle marshalling
· Public transport coordination
· Emergency access routes

To ensure the TMP was robust, we joined planning meetings with all stakeholders and attended Safety Advisory Group (SAG) sessions to align with safety protocols including counter terrorism and licensing requirements. Particular attention was given to Villa Park’s residential surroundings, with clear communication established for local residents and businesses on temporary restrictions and access routes.

Implementation

The event implementation phase saw our operatives take control of all traffic and pedestrian management in the lead-up to, during, and after each concert. Key elements included:

• Pre-concert Build-up and Logistics: In the days leading up to each concert, our team managed the safe access and marshalling of up to 40 articulated lorries delivering staging, sound, lighting, and infrastructure to the site. Timed deliveries were coordinated to prevent congestion on local roads and ensure efficient set-up operations.

• Strategic Road Closures: Temporary road closures were implemented several hours before and after the concerts to facilitate safe pedestrian movement and reduce vehicle congestion. Highway signage to help ease congestion on the A38 and M6.

• Access Control & Parking Management: We managed designated drop-off zones, blue badge parking, VIP and media access, and coordinated coach parking facilities with on-site marshals.

• Pedestrian Flow: Barriers and stewards were deployed to direct pedestrian traffic, prevent bottlenecks, and maintain safe routes to and from key access points.

Health & Safety
All operatives were trained to current safety standards, with additional briefings specific to crowd behaviour and emergency response. We had contingency protocols strategically positioned which included defibs and bleed kits.

Demobilisation

Following each event, the site was safely cleared with all temporary infrastructure removed efficiently to minimise local disruption. Post-event reviews were held after each concert, allowing for real-time adjustments and continuous improvement.

Outcome

The concert series was delivered successfully with no major incidents and positive feedback from both attendees and stakeholders. Traffic congestion was kept to a minimum, pedestrian safety was ensured and emergency services had unrestricted access throughout. Our client praised the team’s professionalism, adaptability, and communication.

Conclusion

This project highlights Traffix’s capability in end-to-end traffic and visitor management for large-scale events in urban settings. Across all four concerts, we deployed a total of 130 operatives, 4 Impact Protection Vehicles (IPVs) and 21 fully compliant Chapter 8 vehicles, ensuring a smooth and safe experience for all involved. Through early engagement, stakeholder collaboration, and expert on-the-ground knowledge, we consistently delivered operational excellence.

Traffix Project Manager Mark Bissett oversaw this project, he commented: “I’ve been involved with managing events for around 14 years. Delivering this series of concerts was full-on to say the least. Usually, we have 6 months to plan a concert, due to circumstances out of our control, we were given 3 months to plan for four.

“My thanks go to all involved, particularly the team at Aston Villa, who, in some cases, were new to this type of project. The project was a great success, Traffix’s events team are well-drilled, our experience of this type of project is unrivalled. I even got to meet one or two famous faces, which was a bonus – for them!”

If you are planning an event speak to our team:
Call 0800 819 9001
info@traffixuk.com