Download Festival organisers announce new traffic measures after 2023 travel chaos

  • Major delays on roads leading to Donington Park and complaints about deafening noise levels have prompted Download Festival organisers to introduce new measures to prevent some of the chaos caused in 2023, as Phil Brewster reports.

Organisers of Download Festival 2024 have announced new measures to help reduce traffic delays.

It comes after last year's event, held at Donington Park in Leicestershire and attended by 100,000 people, caused chaos on the surrounding roads and motorways, with up to five hours of tailbacks reported by drivers.

Festival organisers have told ITV News Central that this year they will be introducing new measures - including having two arrival days and a new team of traffic coordinators.

Thousands of rock fans descend on Donington Park every year for Download Festival. Credit: PA Images

100,000 rock fans made their way to the site for the festival's 20th anniversary last year - many driving on the M1, A50, A42, A38 and A453.

Drivers were warned of "severe congestion" by National Highways with a minimum of two hour delays - many drivers reported they're were stuck for up to five hours.

2024 festival organiser, Jess Shields, said this year there will be two arrival days so traffic will be spread out, as well as less than 100,000 attendees.

An investigation by North West Leicestershire District Council was launched in July 2023, following over 200 complaints about traffic and noise from the festival.

It concluded that festival organisers did not breach noise and traffic licence conditions

The tailbacks also caused delays to journeys for those travelling to East Midlands Airport.

100,000 people attended the 20th Download Festival at Donington Park last year. Credit: PA Images / National Highways

A spokesperson for East Midlands Airport said it's working with Download Festival this year on their plans to minimise disruption:

"We are liaising with Download organisers around their plans to minimise disruption in the area. We would advise anyone coming to the airport that weekend to allow plenty of time to get here and check travel reports and social media for latest advice."

Download Festival 2024 is being held on the 14th - 16th of June, with headliners Fall Out Boy, Queens of the Stone Age and Avenged Sevenfold.

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