Music fans’ fury after heavy rain at Glastonbury causes 25 HOUR delays as organisers warn punters not to travel
Thousands of revellers heading for the festival have been hit by agonising delays sparked by downpours and pile-up
THOUSANDS of revellers heading for Glastonbury have been hit by huge delays caused by heavy rain and a four-car smash.
Music fans were urged by organisers to stay at home as some claimed they took a whopping 26 hours to arrive at Worthy Farm.
It led to Glasto chiefs urging revellers not to set off in cars, campervans and caravans to the site today.
Heavy rain in recent days turned main access routes into a quagmire.
Frustrated fan Alexandra Badwi revealed she took 25 hours to arrive at the world famous site - more than four times longer than expected.
She tweeted: “Seriously!! @GlastoFest @Policeatglasto our journey has hit 25 hrs, I am only driver in vehicle, no sleep! Comm is terrible!! Bad situ !!”
Oxfam volunteer Jim Barnes posted on Facebook: “We’ve been queueing in our van for 14 hours and we’re meant to be working for oxfam…. What’s the best way into purple parking?”
The early birds had failed to heed a warning from organiser Michael Eavis to delay their arrival until Wednesday morning.
He said: “We did ask people to come in later but we’ve had lots of early arrivals this year.”
A pile-up on one of the main roads into Glastonbury combined with heavy rain sparked travel chaos.
A four-car pile-up on the A303 near Stonehenge has added to the delays.
Two pals were pictured having a kick about in the road next to stationary traffic.
The car parks were due to open by 9pm on Tuesday evening but some revellers claimed they were not able to get in.
Zoe Jones posted on Facebook: "Can you tell us why we haven't even moved in two hours?
"I wouldn't mind if we were moving but they're obviously not letting anyone in from our direction."
Trisha Wells said: "It's horrendous. We have moved 0.8 miles since 7.30pm last night."
Police and the festival organisers pleaded with ticket-holders to delay their journeys until later on Wednesday.
A 6.30am update from the event said: "If you are coming to the Festival by car or campervan / caravan and have yet to begin your journey, please do not set off yet.
"If you have set off and have yet to reach the site, please stop somewhere safe and warm.
RELATED STORIES
"If you are coming to the festival by coach or train please set off as planned. But be prepared for your journey to take longer than usual."
A statement added: "The current wet weather and ground conditions are causing heavy traffic congestion around the Glastonbury Festival site.
But when the gates to Worthy Farm finally opened at 8am the revellers were wading through mud and puddles.
Even a cider delivery lorry dropping off gallons of drink to the famous Cider Bus got stuck in the sludge.
Cider Bus's general manager Nick Laurie said: "We've tamed the mud. It was pretty awful.
"When we arrived in the corner of our marquee was a foot deep pond, which was pumped out, but when we brought in the big vehicles like the lorry the mud came up to the axle."
Coaches are set to arrive at the site but heavy delays are expected.
Gates open today before the festival begins on Friday.
Organisers released an update at 1.30pm to say the festival is fully open for business.
It said: "We’re pleased to report that the Festival is fully open for business.
“Everyone is welcome to travel to the site, where traffic is moving as it usually does for the Festival.
“Please expect to queue, but we will get you in.
“Thank you for your patience and help with this today.
“We look forward to seeing you for a great Glastonbury.”
More than 130,000 music fans are set to attend the world famous five-day festival, headlined by Adele and Coldplay.
Weather boffins have urged revellers to bring wellies with a washout expected today.
However, Met Office forecaster Emma Boorman said there is a chance of warmer weather before Friday.
She said: "When you have people and mud it exacerbates the situation so if there's no people on site today and a mostly dry day, it should give things a chance to dry out a little bit."
Bookies have slashed odds to 1/3 that rain falls every day during the festival, while it is a 5/1 shot that when the rain stop temperatures reach 30C or higher.
Jessica Bridge, spokeswoman for Ladbrokes, said: "Festival-goers are being kept on their toes by Mother Nature, but as far as the odds are concerned the early hopes of a dry
festival have been washed out by rainfall every day on Worthy Farm."
On Tuesday a man in his 20s dies after catching fire at the Glastonbury festival site.