Thousands mark Summer Solstice at Stonehenge
The ancient stones drew another massive crowd for the celebrations
Last updated 21st Jun 2025
Thousands have flocked to Stonehenge to celebrate Summer Solstice.
The event at the ancient stone circle near Amesbury marks the longest day and the shortest night of the year.
Wiltshire Police have confirmed a crowd of around 25,000 people took to the stones as the sun rose at around 4.51am this morning (Saturday 21st June 2025).
Chief Superintendent Doug Downing said:
"This year's summer solstice was a safe and successful occasion and I'd like to say a huge thank you to everyone who attended, our communities and the visitors to the site.
"There were some traffic issues due to vehicles being abandoned which meant we had to close some roads around the site for the protection of pedestrians on the A303 and A360. Once the car park at Stonehenge was full motorists chose to park along the main roads, which caused further safety concerns and traffic management issues. We appreciate the patience of those effected by the delays.
"We would also like to thank our partners, stakeholders and of course the National Trust together with English Heritage, for working with us because collectively we have ensured that everyone could enjoy the event peacefully. And finally, thank you to our officers, staff and volunteers who worked through the night at such an incredible event."
People travel to Stonehenge to mark solstice from across the world and for a variety of reasons.
Shared experiences & milestone birthdays
Louise told us that Solstice being on a Friday was the perfect opportunity to share the experience with her daughter.
"I first came here 10 years ago without my daughter on a spontaneous trip and absolutely loved it," she said, adding: "Because it fell on a Friday and my daughter wouldn't have to miss school or be tired, I thought now is our opportunity to come and I can show her how awesome it is."
Married couple Brian and Lisa revealed they were celebrating his 60th birthday at the Stones.
Lisa said: "The last time I came was in about 1984 and it's my husband's birthday this week and I just thought what better place to start the celebration for his birthday than here at the summer solstice?"
Brian told us he'd last visited Stonehenge when he was eight years old.
He said: "It's kind of on the bucket list of being back here one time when I can walk among and touch the stones and see it again and try and recreate that magic from when I was knee high."