The roads set for major gridlock as Glastonbury Festival kicks off
The roads set for major gridlock as Glastonbury Festival kicks off
The RAC has warned drivers of the best and worst times to travel to and from the event
Thousands of fans will be heading to Glastonbury Festival
(Image: Getty Images )
The M4 and other major connecting roads to Worthy Farm, the home of Glastonbury Festival, could face gridlock as early as Tuesday evening as Britain's most famous music festival kicks off. The RAC warns that local routes, as well as the M4, M5 and A303, could get busy as early as 9pm on Tuesday, June 24, ahead of the car parks opening.
Traffic data analysed by the breakdown and insurance experts shows queues from the M5 at Puriton to the A361 more than doubled between 8pm and 9pm on the same Tuesday last year, while the route connecting the M4 in Wiltshire to the A361 west faced lengthy delays during the same period.
On Wednesday, it is considered best for festival-goers to arrive in the very early hours, rather than between the peak hours of 7am to 2pm along with most of the traffic.
Last year, the A37 southbound from Bristol saw delays of more than 30 minutes from 10am, increasing to over two hours by early afternoon.
Elsewhere, the 20-mile stretch from the A39 Bridgwater to the site, connecting southbound M5 traffic, saw delays of more than half an hour as early as 7am.
All of this was before queuing to get into a car park, which can also add several hours to the day.
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When looking for parking, the Glastonbury website advises music fans to use the blue route from the A303, then the A37 if possible, where there is more space and less of a queue getting in and out.
The website also states those using the A39 typically queue for several hours to get into the car park.
Looking forward to the following Monday, June 30, with more than 210,000 festival-goers leaving site on the same day, queues are inevitable between 8am to 5pm.
In 2024, RAC analysis found major routes back to the M5 saw delays of more than 90 minutes longer than usual between midday and 3pm, while queues from the A37 back to Chippenham and Bristol started to build from as early as 7am.
Festival organisers suggest the best routes for departure include the 12-mile stretch from the A37 southbound to the A303 via Podimore and the A361 to the A350 via Frome and Swindon, which faced fewer hold-ups last year.
The RAC added that the best time to head home is Monday morning between 1am and 7am, but warns those attending not to get behind the wheel if they don't feel safe to drive after a heavy weekend.
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The 1975, Neil Young and Olivia Rodrigo headline the festival this year.
It takes place from June 26 to June 30.
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