Frequently asked questions
What is the Ball Together Now festival?
The Ball Together Now (sometimes called BTN) festival is an annual weekend football festival taking place in Manchester. In the day we play 7 aside football, socialise and eat great local street food, and in the evening we have live music and DJs until late.
Friday 27th June: 5pm to midnight - Entertainment, music and DJs.
Saturday 28th June: 9am to midnight - Football, entertainment, music and DJs.
Sunday 29th June: 9am to 5pm - Football, entertainment, music and awards.
(exact timings and programme will be released in June)
Who can attend Ball Together Now?
Participation in the tournament is open to:
all people who identify as a woman, non binary people, and all trans people
ages 18+
all abilities
Attendance at the event as a supporter, spectator, or to enjoy the festival entertainment is open to:
all genders
all ages (under 18s are only allowed on site whilst accompanied by an adult and only between the hours of 8am - 7pm)
Are dogs allowed on site?
Yes dogs are allowed on site, but are the responsibility of the owners and must be on a lead at all times in the festival area.
There are fields adjacent to the festival area where they can be off lead.
Dogs are not allowed in the festival marquee.
What is the toilet and shower situation at the festival?
You will have access to mains showers and toilets between 7am and 7pm Saturday and Sunday with clearly marked gender neutral toilet facilities providing cubicles and urinals, a small number of private shower and changing rooms and a large number of showers which will be separated by shower curtains for privacy, and a communal changing area.
Outside of these hours (between 7pm and 7am) we will have portable toilets and access to running water.
How will camping work at the festival?
Campervans will be located in a reserved area of the car park. The exact location will be designated on arrival by out car park marshalls.
The tent camping area will be on a field adjacent to the football pitches and festival marquee, in walking distance to the car park and toilet facilities. We will have volunteers on site to help guide you where you to set up camp on arrival.
Gas stoves are permitted however open fires (eg. barbecues and fire pits) are unfortunately not permitted.
Please note that camping is for over 18s only and that the site opens at 5pm on Friday.
Will charging points be available on site?
We recommend bringing battery packs with you for charging electronics. A small number of plug sockets will be available at the following times:
Saturday 7am - 7pm
Sunday 7am - 5pm
All items are left at your own risk.
How do I get to the Ball Together Now festival?
Address: Wythenshawe Sports Ground, Willenhall Rd, Manchester M23 0BD
By Bicycle: The festival site is well connected to the local road and off-road cycle network. We have plenty of railings where you can lock your bike on site, and we have security on site all weekend.
By Tram: The nearest Manchester Metro Link tram stop is Northern Moor, which is around a 12 minutes walk to the festival site.
By Bus: The site is well connected to local bus routes, around 10 minutes walk to bus stops for bus routes including the 41, 101 and the 103.
By Plane: We are around a 10 minutes drive or 20 minutes tram journey from Manchester Airport.
By Car: The postcode for the site is Wythenshawe Sports Ground, Willenhall Rd, Manchester M23 0BD. There is car parking on site. Each team entry includes 5 car parking passes. Additional car parking passes can be bought here.
Is there a drop off/pick up point on site?
Yes, there is a free drop-off and pick-up point on site. This is next to the football pitches and camping areas.
Can I bring my own food and drink?
There will be plenty of food options, and hot and cold, alcoholic and non alcoholic drink options on site throughout the weekend.
However we understand that you may want to bring your own which is absolutely fine! We just ask that you don’t bring your own alcoholic drinks into the festival area or marquee.
What are the ticket options?
Team entry - £444 (+ transaction fee) - This gives entry to a team of up to 12 players into either the Casual or the Competitive 7aside tournament as well as access to the full weekends festival fun including music and DJs until late on Friday and Saturday nights.
You can bring less than 12 players, however we recommend at least 10 to ensure you have a few subs.
Team entry also includes: 5 weekend car parking passes, 3 non player wristbands (perfect for coaches and injured teammates who are along for the fun but not playing), and a Medal for every player
Additional player ticket - £37 If you have more than 12 people wanting to play in your team, this is the ticket you need to buy for each additional person
Tent camping - Price is per person - £25 for 2 nights Gives access for one person into our camping area. You can either share a tent with others or have your own tent. Camping is for over 18s only.
Campervan camping - £50 for 1 van and 2 people (limited availability)- Gives access to a parking spot in our campervan area for one vehicle and 2 people. If you plan to have more than 2 people in the van then you need to buy a camping ticket for the 3rd person. Camping is for over 18s only.
Non player £10/£12- Are you a coach, +1, friend, or injured team mate, if so this is the ticket for you. Gives access to the festival area and as a spectator to the tournament. Children under 18 have free entry and are permitted on site from from 5pm to 7pm on Friday, 8am to 7pm on Saturday and 8am until the site closes (around 5pm) on Sunday.
Car parking passes - £2/£4 (limited availability) - Gives access to the on site car park. Each team gets 5 car parking passes included in their team registration however if you need more then a small number of passes are available to buy online.
How will the Tournaments be set up?
We have two tournaments running in parallel at Ball Together Now 2025:
Casual Tournament:
Best suited to teams where most players are fairly new to football, or those teams who are here more for the fun and festival vibes than competitive football. The rules in this tournament are designed to make it as fun and accessible to all with leniancy towards beginners giving corners and throw ins a go for the first time, and no slide tackles permitted.
Mixed ability tournament:
Best suited to teams with a mixed ability level or those with a lot of experience on the pitch. In the group stage, all teams will be mixed randomly, and then depending on your placings in this stage you will have fixtures continuing throughout the weekend. Providing a more level platform over the course of the tournament
In both tournaments - Part 1 is the Group Stage played on Saturday: Teams will play against teams in their group. Part 2 played on Saturday and Sunday is the cup and plate stage where fixtures are determined by your placing in the group stage. All teams will get equal game time regardless of placing.
Further details of the tournament will be released in June, however we expect each team will have a minimum of 8 matches, and each match will be a minimum of 15 minutes in duration.
What is your refund policy?
Camping, Campervan, Additional Player, Non Player, and Car Parking tickets - We cannot provide you with a refund however these can be transferred to another person - please ensure that the person who you are transferring them to has a copy of the original purchase
Team entry - If you think your team may no longer be able to attend, please contact us at balltogethernow@gmail.com to discuss. If there is a team available to take your place, then we will may be able to offer you a refund (minus the administration and transaction fees incurred by BTN)
What happens if the event is cancelled due to weather or unforeseen circumstances?
In the event that adverse weather or other events outside of our control mean that the event cannot go ahead on the advertised date, we will seek to reschedule the event for another date and all tickets will be valid for the rescheduled date.
For team entries - if the team is no longer able to attend the rescheduled event or the event is not rescheduled a refund of the face value of the ticket can be given.
For all other ticket types - If the ticket holder is no longer able to attend the rescheduled event or the event is not rescheduled a refund of the face value of the ticket can be given.
How can my organisation/company get involved with BTN for selling, promotion or partnership?
We would love to chat with you. Please complete this form and one of our volunteers will be in touch soon.
I would like to volunteer at BTN, how do I sign up?
Just fill in this form and we will be in touch with you soon :)