Explainer

Download Festival: What you need to know for the big three-day music event

More than 80 acts have been confirmed so far for Download Festival Credit: PA Images

Thousands of rock fans are making their way to Donington Park in Leicestershire for the annual Download Festival.

The three-day event is now in its 22nd year, and around 75,000 are expected for this year's gathering.

Who is headlining Download Festival 2024?

Fall Out Boy, Queens of the Stone Age and Avenged Sevenfold will headline Download Festival 2024.

More than 80 acts have been confirmed so far, including Brighton-based Royal Blood and rock acts The Offspring, Avenged Sevenfold and Machine Head.

Fall Out Boy and Queens of the Stone Age, who are both headlining Download Festival 2024 Credit: PA Images

Will there be a repeat of last year's traffic chaos?

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

It comes after last year's event, which attracted 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.

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

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

Traffic congestion near last year's festival roads Credit: ITV News Central

National Highways is also urging people to allow plenty of time for their journeys.

Ticket holders are being advised to follow event signage rather than rely on their satnavs, and not assume a route used in previous years will be the same.

More travel advice:

  • there will be more parking fields with an increased number of access gates

  • people can scan a QR code on their parking passes for live updates on car park availability and capacity

  • pickup and drop off points will not be in the same areas as the camping entrances to reduce congestion

National Highways says it will be dispatching extra traffic officer patrols, and is working with the event organisers to keep the roads moving as smoothly as possible.

Which roads are expected to be busy ?

The M1, A42, A453, A50 and A38 are expected to see significant increases in traffic, and again when visitors leave on either Sunday night or Monday morning.

Anyone with a flight to catch at East Midlands Airport is being advised to allow plenty of time for their journey.

Thousands of tents at Download Festival Credit: ITV News Central

Download's other top tips:

  • It's a cashless site so bring your cards/charged devices for contactless

  • Check the website for things you can and can't bring on-site


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