Coventry City FC has issued a statement addressing fan concerns about Monday’s We Are Back: Live celebrations – explaining why the open-top bus parade is not going through the city centre, why there is a 3pm entry curfew for the War Memorial Park festival, and releasing the full estimated timings for the route for the first time.
The club’s historic promotion back to the Premier League – the first time Coventry have been in the top flight since 2001 – will be celebrated with a Bank Holiday Monday open-top bus parade and a full day music festival on 4 May. But the announcement of the plans has generated a mixed reaction from supporters, with some questioning the route chosen and others expressing frustration about the entry restrictions for the park event.
Why no city centre?
The most common complaint from supporters has been that the parade route does not pass through Coventry city centre – a traditional focal point for civic celebrations. The club addressed this directly.
“The parade route has been carefully designed to reach deep into the community – including areas full of passionate supporters who haven’t previously experienced an event like this on their doorstep, bringing the club closer than ever to the people who make it what it is,” the statement reads.
“While we appreciate some fans may have wished for a city centre parade, safety considerations mean that this is not possible.”
The club added that the chosen route passes through pubs, community hubs and residential streets in the north and west of the city – areas with a high concentration of Sky Blues supporters – creating what it described as “countless opportunities for fans to gather, celebrate, and share in the moment together.”
The 3pm entry curfew – explained
The second major source of frustration has been the announcement that no one will be allowed into the War Memorial Park festival after 3pm. For fans planning to both watch the parade and attend the festival, the logistics had appeared complicated.
The club has now clarified how the two events are designed to work together. “We want supporters to be able to attend the parade and then the amazing WE ARE BACK: LIVE event in the War Memorial Park, and fans who have tickets to do both are encouraged to attend the earlier parts of the parade route – allowing them time to be in the park prior to the published 3pm entry curfew for the event.”
In practical terms, this means fans who want to do both should aim to watch the parade from one of the earlier stops on the route – from the Holbrook Way/Jimmy Hill Way junction through to the Beake Avenue and Hollyfast Road sections – and then make their way to the War Memorial Park to be inside before 3pm.
The parade is expected to reach Hearsall Common at approximately 3:05pm. Players and staff will then take a short private break before travelling to the War Memorial Park, where they will arrive from 4pm for the festival finale.
The full estimated timings
The club has released the detailed estimated timings for the open-top bus parade for the first time:
- 1:00pm – Depart Coventry Building Society Arena, travelling south on Jimmy Hill Way
- 1:20pm – Holbrook Way then right onto Holbrook Lane
- 1:45pm – Left onto Parkgate Road then join Beake Avenue
- 2:05pm – Down Beake Avenue then Bruce Road to Wallace Road
- 2:20pm – Norman Place Road then left onto Hollyfast Road, continuing to Westhill Road
- 2:30pm – Down Barkers Butts Lane then right onto Moseley Avenue
- 2:45pm – Cross Holyhead Road, then Four Pounds Avenue and Queensland Avenue
- 3:05pm – Public parade concludes at Hearsall Common
The club has stressed that the buses will not stop at Hearsall Common or enter the field grounds. The section between Hearsall Common and the War Memorial Park is not part of the public parade route and supporters will not be able to follow this section.
Arena and parking information
The club has also reminded supporters that there will be no car parking available at the CBS Arena for supporters on the day, and no food or drink available to purchase there. While fans can gather outside the Arena on Car Park B, the club is actively encouraging supporters to line the route in the community rather than congregating near the stadium.
Main roads into the city centre including Jimmy Hill Way, Foleshill Road and Radford Road are all near the early sections of the route and will remain open throughout the day. Rolling road closures will be in place along the parade route itself, but once the convoy has passed, roads will reopen – giving fans on the route the chance to make their way to the park in time for the afternoon celebrations.
The full festival lineup
The War Memorial Park festival runs from 1pm to 7pm. The Enemy – the Coventry-born indie band whose anthemic sound has long been associated with the Sky Blues – headline the day, with Tom Grennan also confirmed on the bill alongside a range of local acts celebrating Coventry’s music and cultural scene.
Players and staff are expected on stage from 4pm.
Season ticket holder tickets are available now at £5. General sale tickets went on sale on Wednesday 29 April at £10. Coventry City Council has confirmed all ticket proceeds go directly to the club.
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