Soundwave Melbourne Transport Guide

With all the words being thrown back and forth amidst this Soundwave Melbourne public transport chaos, many punters have been left feeling confused about their options getting to and from this weekend’s event, which is going ahead “no matter what“.

To aid readers heading to the festival at RAS Melbourne Showgrounds this weekend we’ve sifted through all the Public Transport Victoria information as well as information from Soundwave organisers to present a comprehensive list of all your options, with the pros and cons for each choice explained.

While the war of words between festival organisers and the state government continues, we suggest you get prepared so you’re not left stranded on game day. This list will be updated with new information as it comes to hand.

UPDATE 17/02/15: Soundwave 2015 organisers have released the official site maps for all four legs of the festival.

Soundwave Shuttle Pick Up and Parking Maps

Getting There: Saturday, February 21st

Shuttle Buses From The Station

Pros

* Free

Cons

* No Details Currently

Public Transport Victoria and Soundwave have confirmed that free shuttles will be in place on Soundwave weekend, departing Footscray and North Melbourne train stations for the festival at least every five minutes. PTV and Soundwave have advised it is no longer necessary to purchase tickets for the shuttles, but has yet to confirm further details.

Catching Public Transport

Pros

* No Booking Required

Cons

* Limited Services
* Limited Capacity

Public Transport Victoria has confirmed that all regularly scheduled train, bus and tram services – including those going directly via Melbourne Showground – will be running to their regularly scheduled timetables on Saturday, February 21st.

Website: Public Transport Victoria Journey Planner

Soundwave Shuttle From Moonee Valley Racecourse

Pros

* Direct To Melbourne Showground

Cons

* Booking Is Required
* Own Travel Is Required To Moonee Valley Racecourse

Soundwave has arranged for parking at the Moonee Valley Racecourse for those wishing to drive themselves to the festival, with a shuttle bus in place to take punters from the car park to the Melbourne Showground. Bookings are essential and will set you back a tidy $15+bf per day.

Website: Park & Ride

Drive Yourself

Pros

* No Public Transportation Hassles

Cons

* Booking Required
* MIMIMUM Of 4 People, Per Car, Required
* Limited Spaces
* 14 Minute Walk Required

The closest (legal) place to park your car for Soundwave is at Riverbank. However, the carpark has limited spaces which makes booking essential. According to Google Maps, you’ll also have to walk another 14 minutes to get to the Showground itself.

There’s also a ‘car pooling’ clause which dictates only those travelling with a minimum of 4 people (so, like, 3 passengers) in their vehicle will be granted entry into the carpark. Tickets will set you back a generous $30 per day, plus booking fee.

Website: Park & Ride

Vehicle Drop Off

Pros

* Your Friends/Family Have To Do All The Work
* You Totally Don’t Have To Worry About Anything

Cons

* Your Friends Might Ask You For Petto Money
* You Might Royally Piss Off Your Family

If you have awesome ‘rents or really really generous mates who are either too poor or whose taste in music is too shithouse for them to be coming to Soundwave themselves, you can try conning them into giving you a lift and depositing you at the festival’s registered ‘drop off zone’.

Said zone is located on Langs Road in a westbound direction between RASV Gates 3 and 5, and remember to make sure they know that they can only enter Langs Road from Epsom Road and for the love of god stay in the left-hand lane.

Website: Soundwave Transport Info

Accessible Parking

Pros

* Direct Access To Melbourne Showground

Cons

* Accessible Parking Permit Required

There’s good news for festival-goers with mobility issues, with exclusive parking available via Melbourne Showgrounds Western Carpark, which can be accessed via Leonards Crescent off Langs Road. As mentioned above, you will need an Accessible Parking Permit to be eligible for this option.

Website: Soundwave Transport Info

Next: Getting Home On Saturday