Beat the Traffic: Early Exit Parking Explained
Every event has that moment. The final whistle blows, the last song finishes, and suddenly 20,000 people are all trying to do the exact same thing at the exact same time — get to their car and get home. If you've ever sat in a stationary queue for 45 minutes after a Manchester City match or a Co-op Live show, you'll know exactly how quickly the buzz from a great night out disappears.
There's a smarter way to do it. Our Early Exit parking spaces are designed for people who want to beat that rush, and in this post we're going to break down exactly how they work and why they're worth knowing about.
What Are Early Exit Spaces?
Early Exit is a premium parking upgrade we offer at our purpose-built, gated facility on Hulme Hall Lane, just minutes from both the Etihad Stadium and Co-op Live Arena. Rather than being assigned a standard space within our car park, you're placed in one of 50 specially reserved spots positioned closest to the exit.
That positioning makes all the difference. When the event ends and the crowds surge, you're already closest to the gate. You're not weaving through rows of cars waiting for gaps. You're simply moving forward and out onto the main roads while everyone else is still finding their vehicle.
There are only 50 spaces available per event, and they go fast. This isn't a marketing line — it's a genuine hard limit based on the physical layout of the car park.
Who Is It For?
Honestly, Early Exit suits a wider range of people than you might think.
If you need to leave before the event ends, it's an obvious fit. Maybe you've got a long drive home, a babysitter to relieve, an early start the next morning, or you simply want to miss the worst of the traffic. Leaving a few minutes early from a gig or a match is far less painful when you know your car is right by the gate.
If you just hate post-event traffic, Early Exit is equally valuable even if you stay until the final moment. Being closest to the exit means you're among the first vehicles moving, not the last. In a full car park after a sold-out Co-op Live show or a Premier League fixture, that head start is genuinely significant.
If you're travelling with kids, elderly family members, or anyone with mobility considerations, reducing the walking distance and the time spent waiting in a packed car park is a real practical benefit, not just a luxury.
How Much Does It Cost?
Early Exit spaces are available for an additional £3.99 on top of our standard parking price. That's it. No complicated pricing tiers, no hidden fees. You book your standard parking space through our website, add the Early Exit upgrade, and you're confirmed.
Given that a typical post-event car park exodus can add 30 to 45 minutes onto your journey home, £3.99 for a meaningfully faster departure is, for most people, a straightforward decision.
Opening Times: What You Need to Know
Planning your arrival is just as important as planning your exit, so here's a clear breakdown of when our car park is open depending on where your event is.
For Co-op Live Arena events, our car park opens at 2:30pm and operates through until midnight. If you're heading to a concert or show at Co-op Live, we'd always recommend arriving as early as practically possible. The car park fills up, and Early Exit spaces in particular won't be available once they're gone.
For Etihad Stadium (Manchester City) matches, we open two hours before kick-off and close one hour after full time. So if kick-off is at 3pm, we're open from 1pm. If the final whistle goes at 4:45pm, we're on site and operating until around 5:45pm. That window gives everyone time to get away without any pressure.
Knowing these times means you can plan your whole event day properly, not just the match or concert itself.
What Else Comes With Your Parking?
Early Exit is one part of a broader setup that's built around making event parking as stress-free as possible. Our Hulme Hall Lane facility is a fully gated, purpose-built car park with 55 CCTV cameras, onsite stewards throughout every event, floodlit surroundings, and locked gates while the event is running. Your vehicle isn't just parked; it's properly looked after.
We also have clean toilet facilities and vending machines on site, which matters more than people expect on a long match day. And if you'd prefer not to walk to and from the venue, we offer an optional shuttle service to take the effort out of the journey entirely.
Every booking is confirmed instantly via email and SMS with a unique QR code, so arrival is seamless. No queuing at a booth, no searching for a ticket. You pull up, scan, and you're in.
Securing Your Early Exit Space
Because Early Exit spaces are capped at 50 per event, they need to be booked ahead of time. They're not available on the day at the gate — the whole point is that they're reserved, confirmed, and waiting for you.
If you've got an upcoming Manchester City match at the Etihad or a show at Co-op Live Arena and you want to get away cleanly at the end of the night, the time to book is now, not the week of the event.
Head to www.premier-parking.co.uk to check availability for your event date, add the Early Exit upgrade to your booking, and get your confirmation sent straight to your phone. With only 50 spaces per event, the sooner you book, the better your chances of securing one.