Thousands of festival-goers descended upon Glastonbury this morning in the hopes of securing a prime camping spot as the world-famous festival opens its doors.
Today is the busiest day for arrivals at Worthy Farm in Pilton, Somerset – with music fans hauling their luggage in and some even enjoying cans of cider for breakfast as queues of cars were set to line the country roads surrounding the site.
Campers arriving at the 900-acre site can expect ‘mostly warm, dry and settled’ weather for the next five days but scattered showers could begin from day one and last until the end of the weekend, according to the Met Office.
This year’s event will see headline performances from global stars including pop singer Dua Lipa, British rock band Coldplay and American soul singer Sza, while Canadian country star Shania Twain will play the coveted legends slot.
Other attractions at the festival, which runs from today until Sunday, include speeches, film screenings and Q&As, circus performances, comedy sets and more.
People queue for entry on the first day of the Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm in Somerset
Festival-goers descend on Glastonbury at Worthy Farm in Pilton, Somerset, this morning
Revellers wait for the gates to open at Worthy Farm this morning ahead of Glastonbury
Festival goers remain in high spirits on the early hours of Wednesday morning before the festival opens its gates
Revellers sleep as they queue at Worthy Farm for the Glastonbury Festival in Pilton today
Revellers queue at Worthy Farm for the Glastonbury Festival in Pilton, Somerset, this morning
Two festival goers queue to get into Glastonbury. There will be around 3,000 performances over 80 stages
Visitors queue ahead of gates opening at 8am during day one of Glastonbury Festival 2024
People arrive laden with bags ahead of the five-day mega event . Rock band Squeeze will open the Pyramid Stage on Friday at midday, followed by rising star Olivia Dean, K-pop group Seventeen and singer Paul Heaton
The gates of Glastonbury are officially opened, as over 100,000 people descend on the festival
Rock band Squeeze will open the Pyramid Stage on Friday at midday, followed by rising star Olivia Dean, K-pop group Seventeen and singer Paul Heaton.
Later on, PJ Harvey and LCD Soundsystem will warm up for Dua Lipa as she headlines the main stage on Friday night – her Pyramid Stage debut.
The 28-year-old pop star is expected to treat festival revellers to a selection of her hit songs, including Houdini and Training Season from her third studio album, Radical Optimism, released earlier this year.
Other highlights on Friday will include D-Block Europe and Idles playing the Other Stage, while Jungle top the bill on West Holts and Fontaines DC head up the Park Stage.
On Saturday, the main stage will welcome Nigerian stars Femi Kuti and Ayra Starr, followed by US 80s chart-topper Cyndi Lauper and rock band Keane.
Two revealer cheer as they make it through the gates into the festival
People begin to race to get the best camping spots available as the gates to the festival open
Two party-goers seen wheeling all their belongings in on two wheelbarrows
Campers arriving at the 900-acre site can expect ‘mostly warm, dry and settled’ weather for the next five days but scattered showers could begin from day one and last until the end of the weekend, according to the Met Office
Revellers wait for the gates to open at Worthy Farm this morning ahead of Glastonbury
Festival-goers descend on Glastonbury at Worthy Farm in Pilton, Somerset, this morning
Revellers wait for the gates to open at Worthy Farm this morning ahead of Glastonbury
The Met Office told Glastonbury revellers the weather should remain ‘largely dry and cloudy’
Mercury Prize winner Michael Kiwanuka and British rapper Little Simz will also play on the Pyramid Stage in the evening before Coldplay top the bill.
It will mark the rock band’s first Pyramid Stage appearance since 2016 and will make them the first act to headline Glastonbury five times.
Meanwhile, on the Other Stage, the Saturday line-up includes Brit rising star winners The Last Dinner Party, US singer Camila Cabello and electronic duo Disclosure.
The main stage on the final day will open with a performance by Interlinked Ballet, with Seasick Steve and Paloma Faith set to take to the stage in the afternoon.
They will be followed by Twain, who is expected to play her hits including Man! I Feel Like A Woman!, You’re Still The One and That Don’t Impress Me Much.
Festival-goers descend on Glastonbury at Worthy Farm in Pilton, Somerset, this morning
Revellers wait for the gates to open at Worthy Farm this morning ahead of Glastonbury
A reveller brushes his teeth as people queue at Worthy Farm for the Glastonbury Festival today
Festival-goers descend on Glastonbury at Worthy Farm in Pilton, Somerset, this morning
The country star follows in the footsteps of artists such as Dolly Parton, Kylie Minogue and Diana Ross in the prestigious legends slot.
US singer and actress Janelle Monae and Nigerian singer Burna Boy will take over for the evening session before Sza closes out the Pyramid Stage with her hits including Saturn and Kill Bill.
The US singer, real name Solana Imani Rowe, who was named international artist of the year at the Brit Awards in March, will be making her debut at the festival this year.
Sunday will also see US star Avril Lavigne, Northern Irish band Two Door Cinema Club and US rock band The National perform on the Other Stage.
A number of slots across the schedule have been left as ‘TBA’, including a space at 6pm on Saturday on the Woodsies stage.
In previous years, acts such as the Foo Fighters, The Killers and Radiohead have surprised festival-goers in these secret slots.
Revellers wait for the gates to open at Worthy Farm this morning ahead of Glastonbury
Revellers sleep as they queue at Worthy Farm for the Glastonbury Festival in Pilton today
Festival-goers descend on Glastonbury at Worthy Farm in Pilton, Somerset, this morning
The festival will also pay tribute to the late DJ Annie Nightingale, the first female presenter on BBC Radio 1, who died in January at the age of 83.
Her life will be celebrated with a special event across two stages at the Somerset festival on June 27 including a daytime celebration at The Glade stage, featuring King Of The Beats and Paper Dragon, before moving to the BBC Introducing stage for the evening festivities.
The Met Office has told Glastonbury revellers that the weekend should be ‘largely dry and cloudy’, but they may face showers.
Forecasters provided a mostly positive outlook for the next five days, but added scattered showers could begin today Wednesday and last until the end of the weekend.
Met Office spokesperson Andrea Bishop said: ‘From Friday to Sunday it will remain largely dry and cloudy, with the potential for lighter showers across the weekend.
Revellers wait for the gates to open at Worthy Farm this morning ahead of Glastonbury
Revellers wait for the gates to open at Worthy Farm this morning ahead of Glastonbury
Revellers haul their luggage as they arrive at Worthy Farm for the Glastonbury Festival today
‘Conditions will be slightly above average between 18C and 21C.’
The Met Office said the Glastonbury area will see temperatures between 25C and 27C today, the busiest day for arrivals on the site, when queues of cars line the country roads surrounding Worthy Farm.
It has predicted an average temperature of 20C tomorrow, when campers could face ‘light rain’ and a ‘cold front’, before the average drops to 18C on Friday.
The weather will warm up on Saturday and Sunday, with an average temperature of between 20C and 21C forecast.
It comes after Nick Higginson, chief executive of Phoenix Health and Safety, urged festival-goers to drink plenty of water in order to avoid dehydration during the event.
He said: ‘Being outdoors in the heat can be physically demanding, especially if you’re on your feet dancing. If you combine this with drinking alcohol, it can easily lead to exhaustion.’
