Premium Early Exit Parking: Is the Extra £3.99 Worth It?
If you've ever sat in a car park for 45 minutes after a concert or a match, engine off, going nowhere, watching a sea of brake lights stretch into the distance — you already know the answer. But let's break it down properly, because that £3.99 question is one we get asked all the time.
Here's the thing: the event is done, the buzz is fading, and all you want is to get home. How that final part of your evening goes can genuinely shape how you remember the whole night. We offer a limited Premium Early Exit upgrade for exactly that reason, and whether it's right for you depends on a few simple factors.
What Is Premium Early Exit Parking?
When you book a standard space with us at Premier Parking, you're already getting a well-organised, fast-exit setup compared to scrambling for street parking or relying on the chaos outside venues. Our site at Canal Side Works, Hulme Hall Lane, M40 8YD is purpose-built for event traffic, with stewards managing the flow in and out.
Premium Early Exit takes that one step further. For an additional £3.99 on top of your standard booking, your vehicle is positioned in a priority zone within our gated facility. When the event ends and you're heading back, you're among the first vehicles out, ahead of the main wave of traffic that hits the roads around the Etihad and Co-op Live at the same time.
Spaces are limited, so this isn't something that's always available for every event. When it is, it gets snapped up quickly.
Who Should Actually Pay for It?
Not everyone needs the upgrade, and we'd rather be straight with you about that.
It's worth serious consideration if:
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You're attending a Co-op Live Arena show and your car park access runs until midnight. These events tend to finish with a concentrated rush, with thousands of people heading out at the same moment. Shaving 20 to 30 minutes off that wait is genuinely meaningful if you've got a drive ahead of you, a babysitter on the clock, or an early start the next morning.
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You're coming to an Etihad Stadium match and you know from experience that the roads around east Manchester post-match are slow to clear. We open two hours before kick-off and stay open for one hour after full time, so there's plenty of buffer — but if you want to cut through that post-match gridlock rather than sit in it, early exit is the practical choice.
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You're travelling with young children, older guests, or anyone who finds long waits tiring or uncomfortable.
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You're making a longer journey home and every 20 minutes saved genuinely matters.
It's probably not essential if:
- You're happy to wait it out, use our on-site vending machines, and let the initial rush clear before you head to your car.
- You're staying nearby and a short delay doesn't affect your plans.
The Maths Behind £3.99
Put it this way: you've likely already spent a fair amount getting to the event, whether that's on tickets, travel, food, or drinks. The parking itself is already sorted and guaranteed through your advance booking at premier-parking.co.uk. The upgrade is roughly the cost of a coffee, and it buys you something that's genuinely difficult to put a price on at 10:30pm on a Tuesday when you've got work the next morning.
It's not a gimmick. It's a practical tweak to the logistics of your evening.
What You're Already Getting With a Standard Booking
It's worth remembering what's already included before you decide whether to add the upgrade. Our standard parking at Canal Side Works gives you:
- A guaranteed, pre-booked space — no turning up and hoping for the best
- 55 CCTV cameras monitoring the site around the clock
- Manned security stewards on-site throughout your visit
- A gated, floodlit facility with locked entry during the event
- Clean, separate male and female toilets
- Vending machines for snacks and drinks
- An optional shuttle bus to and from the venues
- Just a 10 to 13-minute walk to both Co-op Live and the Etihad
The booking process itself is entirely digital. Once you confirm your space, you'll receive instant confirmation by both email and SMS, each carrying your unique QR code. When you arrive, our stewards scan it and guide you straight in. No faff, no queuing, no uncertainty.
Timing Your Arrival
For Co-op Live events, our car park opens at 2:30pm and operates through to midnight. For Manchester City matches at the Etihad, we open two hours before kick-off and remain open for one hour after full time.
Getting there early is always a smart move regardless of whether you've got the early exit upgrade. Arriving well before the event means you settle in without stress, you've got time to use the facilities, and you're not rushing through traffic trying to make kick-off.
The Honest Verdict
For most people attending Co-op Live shows or big Etihad matchdays, £3.99 for Premium Early Exit is a genuinely good use of four quid. It's not about luxury — it's about practicality. You're buying a smoother end to what should be a great evening.
That said, it's a limited option and won't always be available. If you're eyeing an upcoming event and want to secure the upgrade alongside your space, the best move is to book early.
Head to premier-parking.co.uk to check availability for your next event, grab your guaranteed space, and add the Premium Early Exit upgrade while it's still on the table.