Passengers warned of delays ahead of city events

Kings of Leon will be performing in Newcastle on Friday

People are being warned to plan their travel ahead of concerts and a major rugby match.

About 10,000 people are expected to watch Kings of Leon headline Come Together Festival on Newcastle's Town Moor, while UB40 will appear in the city's Leazes Park for the Park Series Reggae Festival and comedian Peter Kay will perform at the Utilita Arena on Friday.

On the same day, Sunderland is hosting the opening game of the Women's Rugby World Cup, which sees England take on USA at the Stadium of Light.

Metro operator Nexus has urged people to allow for extra time when travelling due to station closures and potential delays.

Nexus said Metro trains would be busier than usual and crowd-control measures would be in place to manage queues.

Here is what to expect when travelling for the bumper day of events.

Newcastle events

The Come Together Festival began in Newcastle on Wednesday when Robbie Williams headlined on the Town Moor stage, with Kaiser Chiefs and Perrie, formerly of Little Mix, also performing.

Kings of Leon will headline on Friday with the Courteeners and a host of other artists taking to the stage.

Northbound closures on the A167 (M) central motorway from Newbridge Street to the Great North Road will be in place between 00:00 – 08:00 BST on Friday.

Claremont Road, between Barras Bridge/B1318, Great North Road and Queen Victoria Road Roundabout (including Park Terrace), would also be closed for a short time during the event to ensure customer safety on departure, Come Together organisers said.

For those travelling on the Metro, temporary station closures at West Jesmond and Ilford Road will be in place from 15:00 on Friday, and trains will run through without stopping.

People are being encouraged to alight at either Jesmond or Haymarket instead.

Kevin Storey, operations manager at Nexus, said: "Customers should plan ahead and allow plenty of extra time to make their journeys if travelling there on Metro.

"Stations and trains are going to be much busier, particularly on Friday afternoon and Friday evening.

"We need to manage the flow of people by putting in station closures. Customers need to be aware of this and plan their journey around it."

Sunderland events

Sunderland's Stadium of Light will host the opening game of the Women's Rugby World Cup, which kicks off at 19:30 BST.

Sunderland City Council has warned fans that public transport and the local road network will be "especially busy" and measures will be put in place to ease congestion.

Fans using the Metro are being asked to use the Stadium of Light station when travelling northbound after the match and St Peter's station when heading south.