A disabled man had to abandon his plans to see Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds at Heaton Park because the ground was so muddy he couldn't move his wheelchair.
Ryan Whitt, 25, travelled for two hours to attend last Friday night's gig, but ended up leaving the park before the show even started because he found it impossible to safely manoeuvre his motorised chair on the treacherous ground.
Ryan, who has Duchenne muscular dystrophy, says he found the access inadequate, and feels that event organisers could have done more to help avoid any issues.
He was trying to make his way to a viewing platform to watch the show, but the ground was so wet and muddy because of heavy rain that he and his carer barely made it out of the car park before they ran into difficulties and had to turn back.
Event organisers say an 'extensive accessibility strategy' was in place, but say that adverse weather conditions on the night had made it difficult for some fans to access the platform.
Now Ryan is calling for better provisions to be put in place for wheelchair users at outdoor gigs in future, so that everyone can enjoy the show, regardless of the weather.
He said: "I didn't see any of the gig, I didn't get near it.
"I know the weather was bad, but that's the country we are in - it's going to rain.
"We went on the car park and it was fine, and when you got to the paths, it was muddy but mostly okay, until you got to the hill.
"I saw someone in a manual wheelchair who couldn't get around either.
"I asked if they couldn't have put metal sheets down, but they said it was a trip hazard.
"I don't know how they were expecting for a wheelchair to get there. I don't feel they were that helpful, but most places are like that anyway.
"You don't want to be struggling like that, you just want to enjoy it like everyone else, and this takes that away.
"We had to drive two hours to get there and then we just had to go straight back home.
"It just needs thinking about more. It doesn't really look like they put much effort into it.
Ryan's mum Tracey added: "I can’t really put into words how this has made both myself and Ryan feel. Disappointed, upset and very angry that in this day and age wheelchair users are still discriminated against.
"I’m fully aware that no-one can predict the weather, but no provisions were available for many wheelchair users.
"I’m sure that Noel Gallagher himself had no idea what was happening, but people need to be made aware of the impact this has on people."
Read more of today's stories here
A spokeswoman for the event's organisers said: "We are aware that a small number of customers have raised concerns in regards to wheelchair access at last Friday’s show.
"We are in direct contact with these individuals in order to resolve these.
"An extensive accessibility strategy was implemented during the event which included a designated entrance, car park and on-site support staff, but unfortunately the adverse weather conditions meant that access to the viewing platform became difficult for some customers.
"We are reviewing our operations for future events and remain dedicated to ensuring our shows are accessible for everyone, as well as continuing our support of initiatives such as Attitude is Everything."
