Anyone who has been to a festival will know that the journeys in and out are usually on the chaotic side. So, planning is always essential – especially if you’re going to Glastonbury, the UK’s biggest music festival.
With the hotly-anticipated event set to kick off on Wednesday June 21, stretching on until Sunday June 25, around 200,000 people are going to be descending on the south west.
Here’s everything you need to know to prepare – including the weather forecast...
When is the best time to travel to Glastonbury?
Most car parks at Glastonbury will open at 9pm on Tuesday, 20 June, although festival-goers are not allowed to camp in them. If you’re willing, you could get there nice and early to secure a good parking spot – but that will mean waiting in either your vehicle or the entrance queue overnight.
Most people travel to the site on Wednesday, which is why it’s usually the worst day of the five-day stretch in terms of traffic delays – Thursday is significantly quieter, but that does mean you would miss the initial excitement of the festival, and potentially your preferred camping spot.
Entering and leaving the festival on Friday and Saturday is usually quite easy because it’s already the middle of the extravaganza, so traffic levels are quite low.
The National Highways’ emergency planner for the South West, John Ingram, also encouraged people to “check our traffic and travel information channels” and to “set off early and allow plenty of time”.
He added that warm weather means it’s worth “pre-checking your vehicles for oil, fuel and coolant levels” as well as correctly inflated tyres.
Travel with drinking water too, and remember to take breaks!
What is the best route to get into Glastonbury?
The busiest road is usually the M5, particularly junctions 25 and 23.
But, the A39 and A361 get pretty full too on the peak travel days.
The A303 and A37 are the main ways for drivers to travel from London too, especially the A303 eastbound.
However, the actual village of Glastonbury is five miles away from the site meaning it’s normally pretty undisturbed by the excitement of the music festival.
If you’re dropping people off, try to avoid doing so on local roads as that can lead to more build-ups (and can mean a long trek to the actual event).
Instead, try using the Bath and West Showground as a drop-off spot – festival-goers can jump on the free bus to Pedestrian Gate A.
When is the best time to leave Glastonbury?
Traffic starts to build up again on Sunday, with many choosing to leave after the headline act finishes up.
And this congestion only gets worse through Monday.
It’s worth remembering that the A361 will be closed for through traffic on the Monday after the festival, between Glastonbury and Shepton Mallet.
What will the weather be like at Glastonbury?
According to the Met Office, it’s looking pretty warm and sunny (mostly) with high UV levels – so remember to pack that suncream.
Wednesday
Expect highs of 22°C, although there will be some cloud cover around lunchtime with 30-40% chances of rain between 3pm and 7pm.
Thursday
The temperature should creep up to 23°C around lunchtime, with a small chance of rain, but plenty of sunshine.
Friday
The Met expects this day will be “cloudy changing to sunny intervals by early evening”, with highs of 24°C at 4pm.
Saturday
With less than 5% chance of rain, this sunny day should beckon in a roasty 25°C.
Sunday
Yet another sunny day, with only 10% chance of rain around the afternoon, it’s expected to be between 18°C and 24°C, possibly even 26°C, all day.
Monday
In perhaps a fitting move for the end of the festival, it looks like the weather will start shifting, with cloud cover obscuring the sun from early morning and staying all day. The temperature will drop a little too, falling to 22°C.