M5 warning as Glastonbury Festival 2024 means 'hours of delays'

Motorists have been given an M5 warning with Glastonbury Festival set to mean hundreds of thousands take to the roads. Drivers are being warned to brace themselves for significant travel disruptions next week, including on the M5.

The five-day event, which kicks off on June 26 in Somerset, is expected to draw around 200,000 attendees. As a result, roads in the South West, such as the M4, M5 and A39, are predicted to be busier than usual on Wednesday, June 26, as festival-goers make their way to Worthy Farm.

Traffic congestion is also anticipated to spike again on Sunday, June 30, and Monday, July 1, when the festival concludes. People have been warned to take action ahead of the weekend.

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Public car parking will be available at the festival upon arrival for a cash-only fee of £60. The car parks will open at 9pm on Tuesday, ahead of the event's start, when traffic volumes are lower.

However, apart from toilets, no other facilities or entertainment will be provided in the car parks, and drivers are expected to stay in their vehicles until the festival gates open at 8am on Wednesday, June 26.

Glastonbury organisers have advised that the worst time to arrive by car is between 7am and 2pm on Wednesday. In recent years, during peak times, the queue to enter the car parks via the A39 took several hours, while those travelling on the A37 experienced less than an hour's wait.

Motorists have also been reminded that their satnav may not guide them all the way to the festival site and that they should follow the official signage.

When preparing to depart the festival, the worst time to travel is on Monday, July 1, between 8am and 5pm, when there can be lengthy delays of up to nine hours.

To avoid the rush, motorists are advised to set off early on Monday morning between 1am and 7am.

Chris Wood, AA Patrol of the Year, highlighted the importance of car maintenance, saying, "whether you're a music or a sports fan, it's vital that your car is event-ready".

He emphasised the significance of performing basic vehicle checks and ensuring breakdown cover is up to date to "can save you a lot of hassle later," as per his advice.

Wood mentioned that AA patrols will be present at numerous live events throughout the UK, but he still encourages drivers to do "essential car checks" before heading out.

The prestigious Wimbledon tennis tournament kicks off on Monday, July 1, and runs until Sunday, July 14, expecting around 500,000 spectators to witness the grand event.

Chris Sheldrick, co-founder and CEO of what3words, spoke about the challenges of navigating crowded events like Glastonbury and Wimbledon, stating: "At busy events such as Glastonbury and Wimbledon, it can be tricky to describe meet-up points with friends, and direct assistance should you have vehicle troubles in the expansive car parks."

"What3words enables The AA to pinpoint the exact location of your breakdown and send their teams to help as quickly as possible."