Glastonbury revellers defy rail strikes to make it to Worthy Farm for first day of festival

Festivalgoers have defied the nationwide rail strikes crippling the UK’s transport system in addition to threats of tenting in torrential rain to make it to Glastonbury’s Worthy Farm for the first time since earlier than Covid.

This 12 months’s Glastonbury festival is the first since summer time 2019, and revellers are prepared to benefit from the star-studded line-up of music acts together with headliners Billie Eilish, Sir Paul McCartney and Kendrick Lamar over the course of the weekend.

But each excessive climate threats and militant rail strikes happening this week has not stopped the revellers from beginning their five-day festival weekend with a cheer.

People from all ages and components of Britain made the journey down to Worthy Farm for Glastonbury festival, which begins as we speak and ends on Sunday evening, full with their vibrant garments and prepared to benefit from the social gathering.

Mick Lynch’s militant RMT rail strikes which befell on Tuesday has declared that extra strikes will go forward from midnight tonigiht, which means simply 20 per cent of the 20,000 providers which usually run over three days within the UK will likely be in service.

And past the very restricted providers making it tough to get down to the farm in Somerset, festivalgoers are additionally confronted with the menace of tenting in torrential downpours on Worthy Farm from tomorrow after the Met Office issued a yellow thunderstorm warning for southern England on Thursday. 

Forecasters have put a yellow warning in place between 10am and 11.59pm with torrential downpours anticipated from Sheffield down to Somerset, the place Glastonbury is held. 

With Thursday’s rail strike, it is probably going the storms will add to transport points with poor driving circumstances and floodwater on roads, doubtlessly inflicting hazard to life.

There are nonetheless a lot of individuals ready in London’s Paddington and Waterloo practice stations the place they’ve put their tenting gear to good use and opened up their foldable chairs whereas they wait to head to the festival.

The festival’s essential stage won’t open till Friday, with headliner Billie Eilish set for the long-lasting Pyramid Stage adopted by Sir Paul McCartney on Saturday and rapper Kendrick Lamar bringing the occasion to a detailed on Sunday.

However, DJs and stay music is deliberate from as we speak for keen followers who’ve arrived on the website early – as greater than 200,000 individuals are anticipated to descend at Glastonbury over the subsequent two days.

The Met Office mentioned there’s a likelihood of additional rail and bus cancellations due to lightning strikes. 

It additionally warned of energy cuts to some houses and companies, whereas distant communities may very well be lower off due to flooded roads.

Flooding may additionally trigger some highway closures, with heavy site visitors on the roads already anticipated across the UK due to rail strikes.

Festival-goers have already been queuing in site visitors since daybreak for the first day of Glastonbury after the chaotic rail strike compelled many to camp in a single day on the four-day Somerset festival.

Organisers advised followers they may start parking on the website from 4pm on Tuesday after trains and Tube providers have been disrupted for a second day working – forcing revellers to get to Worthy Farm early to beat the frenzy. 

The founder of the Somerset festival Michael Eavis was pictured formally opening the gate to Glastonbury this morning marking the official begin of the four-day music spectacular.

The festival is returning for its fiftieth anniversary after a three-year hiatus due to Covid-19. 

Eavis and his daughter Emily have been stood at one of the festival’s many entry factors and clapped because the first attendees entered the location.

Eavis, 86, advised these coming into the gates: ‘This goes to be the perfect present on the town.

‘Wait and see. You higher imagine it.’

Huge crowds of revellers have been pictured sitting on tenting chairs by steel railings as they secured their spot in line to the doorway of the festival.

Armed with tenting gear and funky containers, excited followers waited patiently as they queued to get in to the UK’s most-anticipated music occasion of the 12 months as they have been met with superb 19C (66F) sunshine – a nice change from the standard rain that marks the beginning of the muddy festival. 

Despite, Glastonbury normally opening its parking amenities at 9pm the evening earlier than the first day of the music extravaganza, bosses allowed the automotive parks to open yesterday afternoon – however this morning roads to the location have been gridlocked with site visitors.

Ben Colgan, from Stockport, drove down to Pilton together with his good friend on Tuesday night and slept within the automotive in a single day forward of the festival gates opening on Wednesday morning.

Colgan, a 34-year-old technical supervisor, who will likely be joined by his spouse on the festival on Thursday, advised the PA news company: ‘It’s genuinely like a dream.

‘It sounds a bit unhappy, however it is. Glastonbury, for the previous seven years, has been our factor. Me and my spouse got here first, after which introduced just a few pals alongside, introduced just a few extra, and now there’s about 12 of us that come and camp collectively.

‘And it genuinely is the perfect place on Earth. It actually is.

‘Everyone’s in the perfect temper, everybody needs to chat, everybody needs to be your mate, and also you simply do not get that wherever else.

‘It’s simply unbelievable.’

Jake Sayer, who drove to the festival from North Devon, setting off at 3am, mentioned he felt ‘reduction’ after making it into the festival, having been queuing since 5am.

Speaking concerning the acts he is most trying ahead to seeing, the 28-year-old, surf college supervisor mentioned: ‘Personally, I attempt not to put an excessive amount of stress on it.

‘I discover that for those who’re working round on a regular basis with your folks and who they need to see and stuff, it will get a bit hectic.’

Speaking to PA shortly after 9am, Sayer who was already shirtless and making probably the most of the nice and cozy climate, added that he most enjoys the escapism Glastonbury supplies from the skin world.

‘It’s all about having a great time,’ he mentioned.

‘I really like simply feeling actually faraway from work and all that stuff. You’re right here. Your telephone’s off. It’s like being on a distinct planet virtually… Glastonbury is huge. It’s obtained a tradition and everybody’s so stoked.’

Chloe Clifford and Gary Stirrup, who’re from Wales and dealing as stewards on the festival, cycled to the location amid the journey chaos brought on by three days of practice strikes.

Ms Clifford, a 21-year-old cleaner, mentioned ‘We’re simply fortunate we did not want to get the practice,’ with firefighter Mr Stirrup, 39, including: ‘I really feel sorry for everybody on the trains on the minute, however it wasn’t too unhealthy getting right here for us.’

Safiye Yilmaz and Maisie Hockings, who set off to the festival by automotive from Bristol at 4am, mentioned there have been a variety of acts they have been excited to see throughout the weekend.

Hockings, 27, mentioned: ‘I would like to see Kendrick Lamar, Sam Fender, Billie Eilish. I’m excited to go to the Temple on Friday evening for all of the techno.’

Yilmaz, a 27-year-old accounts assistant, added: ‘Whatever your music style, even for those who’re not into music, within the day there’s simply a lot to do. You simply cannot be bored.

‘When you see your favorite acts at The Other Stage or the Pyramid Stage, it’s wonderful.’

The two girls additionally revealed they’ve come to the festival armed with fancy costume outfits for Friday evening.

Yilmaz advised PA: ‘We’ve obtained tons of cowboy outfits.’

Hockings, who donned a shiny pink cowboy hat, added: ‘We’re going to costume up on the Friday, I really feel like everybody clothes up on at the very least one of the times, so we’re going to costume up in our trusty cowgirl outfits.’

Organisers mentioned: ‘There will likely be no leisure or amenities aside from bathrooms within the automotive parks and festivalgoers will likely be anticipated to stay of their automobiles till the festival gates open.’

Great Western Railway is hoping to preserve trains to Castle Cary – the closest station – however has suggested passengers to test for amendments earlier than travelling.

A GWR spokesman mentioned: ‘All we expect are festival staff, the location does not open to most people till Wednesday.

‘It was busy on Monday however most of the individuals who arrived have been scheduled to get right here early. Since then the numbers have been minimal in contrast to what we’d see on a standard festival journey day.’

Emily Eavis has mentioned it is an ‘wonderful feeling’ to see individuals returning to Glastonbury festival.

The music occasion has opened its gates this morning, signalling its return for the first time in three years after it was delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Speaking to Lauren Laverne on 6 Music, she mentioned of the gates opening: ‘I imply, I’m nonetheless recovering as a result of the construct up has simply been so lengthy, we have by no means had a construct up so long as this, clearly.

‘We’ve by no means all collectively been via such an excessive time collectively, so it’s like, to truly have the option to see individuals there and welcome them in and simply watch them streaming in and simply working to pitch their tents up and fill the fields, it’s simply an incredible feeling.’

Speaking concerning the build-up to this 12 months’s occasion she advised BBC radio presenter Laverne that, as this 12 months celebrates the festival’s fiftieth anniversary, some of the unique concepts for the 2020 festival are ‘are nonetheless form of enjoying out this 12 months after which we have melded all types of concepts into this one festival and we have had a lot time to form of take into consideration this one and I feel each element, and type of half of the method has been devoured and savoured by all people, as a result of it’s so treasured.

‘Everyone is appreciating it so, a lot… everyone seems to be simply nonetheless beaming as a result of they’re so happy, everyone seems to be so satisfied to be again so it’s a very distinctive environment, I simply can’t wait to get everybody in right here.’

Shortly earlier than the gates opened, radio host Jo Whiley mentioned Glastonbury is the ‘final festival’ and that Sir Paul McCartney’s headlining slot on the Pyramid Stage on Saturday evening is a ‘very, essential and important efficiency’.

The former Beatle, 80, will turn into the music festival’s oldest ever solo headliner when he takes to the stage this weekend.

Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today Programme, Whiley mentioned: ‘Glastonbury is the final word festival, it’s a celebration of all the humanities and it’s all concerning the human expertise.

‘So sure, there are all these bands enjoying, there’s the primary stage, everybody will get very enthusiastic about that, however it’s all about simply having fun with this, simply the quantity of issues I feel you’ll be able to get pleasure from whenever you get there… Over 100 phases, there are all totally different varieties of performances happening wherever, so you’ve to assume of it as like a large smorgasbord which you can go alongside and you’ll simply maintain tasting all these various things… circus acts, cabaret, music.

‘And everyone seems to be simply so pleasant, so that you make tons of pals, it’s only a fantastic expertise.’

On Sunday on BBC Radio 2 Whiley will current stay from Pilton, 7pm-9pm, together with highlights from Diana Ross’ set on the Pyramid Stage.

She advised BBC Radio 4 of Sir Paul that it’s a ‘very, essential and important efficiency that will likely be taking place then, it’s the best songwriter of all time from the largest band, on the biggest festival on the earth, it’s a giant second’.

Shortly earlier than the gates formally opened at 8am on Wednesday, tons of of Glastonbury attendees had already been queueing for hours with their luggage and a few mentioned they arrived on the website within the early hours of the morning.

Mark Lawrie, 49, from Reading, who works for a sports charity, mentioned he had arrived on the festival at 2am together with his 18-year-old daughter Bethan.

‘We slept within the automotive for just a few hours and joined the queue at 6am,’ he advised the PA news company.

‘This is our third time and it’s at all times good. The second you get right here and begin to see the tops of the tents, you get such a buzz.

‘It’s at all times such a optimistic environment right here, everybody’s simply so good to one another and pleasant to one another, however I feel after what we have been via the final two and a half years it’s going to be particular.’

Ms Lawrie mentioned the act she is most trying ahead to is Billie Eilish, whereas her father mentioned he’s hotly anticipating Sir Paul McCartney.

‘When I used to be first a major college trainer, I did not realise this however I lived subsequent door to (McCartney) in East Sussex,’ he mentioned. ‘One morning he was strolling his canine outdoors and I had a hangover so I used to be in mattress and did not go to say howdy to him.

‘My mother and father will completely by no means forgive me for not having performed that, so he’ll be wonderful to see.’

Ahead of the five-day occasion, meteorologist Tom Morgan from the Met Office advised the PA news company, this 12 months’s climate outlook guarantees to be ‘one of two halves’.

Temperatures may attain 27C on the 900-acre website – 9C increased than normal – within the lead-up to the world-famous occasion.

However, the mud synonymous with Glastonbury remains to be set to make an look, with showers and thunderstorms predicted from Friday onwards.

To the dismay of many festival-goers the occasion coincides with three days of deliberate main rail strikes over rail staff’ pay, main to journey disruption for individuals making their method to Worthy Farm.

Just 60% of trains will run throughout Wednesday, with walkouts deliberate for Thursday and Saturday.

This 12 months’s much-anticipated festival, working from Wednesday to Sunday, will host large stars from Diana Ross and Sir Paul McCartney, to Billie Eilish, Kendrick Lamar and Olivia Rodrigo.