Drivers warned to plan journeys ahead of Glastonbury Festival
The gates open today at 8am.
Last updated 25th Jun 2025
National Highways is advising drivers to allow extra time and plan their journeys in the South West ahead of this week’s Glastonbury Festival.
Motorways and major A roads leading to the Glastonbury Festival are likely to be particularly busy from Wednesday, 25 June to Friday, 27 June, as people make their way to Worthy Farm.
With Pilton situated five miles outside of Glastonbury, festival traffic has very little impact on the town itself, but drivers are advised that traffic is expected to reach its peak on Wednesday, particularly around junctions 25 and 23 of the M5 and the A303, as festival goers make their way to the site.
In previous years the A39 has been heavily congested by mid-morning.
Increased levels of traffic are also expected on Monday, 30 June as people leave the festival site.
The primary motorway route for festival traffic to the site is the M5, with drivers exiting at junction 23 to take the A39 and A361, while the A303-A37 is also used for traffic arriving from London, with the A303 eastbound expected to be particularly busy from Podimore Roundabout.
Kathryn Wiltshire, National Highways’ Resilience Planner for the South West, said: “We’re reminding road users to plan ahead for Glastonbury – around 200,000 people are expected to attend this year’s festival and roads leading to the event are likely to be very busy.
“Our aim is to keep the National Highways network running while keeping festival goers and other road users safe and informed. We advise people to check our traffic and travel information channels, but whatever your journey, we advise people to set off early and allow plenty of time.
“And with temperatures expected to remain warm through the week, we’d also advise pre-checking your vehicles for oil, fuel and coolant levels and correctly inflated tyres, also to ensure you have plenty of drinking water for yourselves and passengers to stay hydrated, and take regular breaks.”
As part of National Highways' safety campaign, motorists are advised to factor in regular rest stops on their summer journeys – a minimum break of at least 15 minutes every two hours to ward off the effects of fatigue.
Kathryn added: “During periods of warmer weather, we always encourage drivers to plan ahead and make sure both you and your car are prepared for the journey ahead.
“Two of the top three causes of breakdowns are tyre issues and empty fuel tanks, and we don’t want anyone to go through the stress of breaking down. With soaring temperatures, please also remember to keep yourself and any passengers well hydrated by taking plenty of water with you.”
“Our TRIP advice is a handy way to remember a few simple steps to make journeys on motorways and major A roads easier and safer.”