Glastonbury Festival 2024 gates open to music lovers

The gates to Glastonbury Festival 2024 have officially opened.

Organiser Emily Eavis unbolted the gates to the site at 08:00 BST on Wednesday, as she has done with her father Sir Michael Eavis in previous years.

Thousands of ticket holders have begun filtering into the site, which is set to benefit from a sunny week with temperatures forecast to hit 27C on Wednesday before cooling down for the rest of the week.

Ms Eavis told the BBC: "This is the moment we’ve all been waiting for. We work on it all year to open the gates and see everyone here, it’s amazing."

Emily Eavis led festival goers in a countdown before they surged on to the field

Accompanied by a small brass band, Ms Eavis led festival goers in a countdown before they surged on to the field in the hopes of securing a prime camping spot.

Carmel and Phil Cole, from South East London, said they had been queuing since 02:00 BST.

"It’s our 10th festival, but we haven't been for four years," they said.

"We can't wait to get on site and enjoy the festival."

• In pictures: Festival-goers arrive at Glastonbury site

For Meghan Wood, 28, from London, it is the first time she has attended the festival.

"I’m so excited, I can’t wait," she said.

"I’ve been wanting to go since I was a teenager and I finally got tickets, I’m so excited. Looking forward to seeing Coldplay.”

Tom and Emma Naysmith travelled from Bradford-on-Avon for the event

Trains heading to Castle Cary were packed this morning with people heading to site

Tom and Emma Naysmith, from Bradford-on-Avon, in Wiltshire, said they were "a bit tired, but excited to be here", adding "hopefully we've got everything".

The five-day festival runs from Wednesday to Monday, with performances on the main music stages beginning on Friday.

Gabija Lauce, 28, from Lithuania, said: "I've been to Glastonbury before, this is my second time.

"I'm really excited to be here, and I know my way around now."

Hundreds of people queued up outside the festival through the early hours

The gates were officially opened early on Wednesday morning

Female headliners a 'passion project'

Talking to BBC 6 Music on Wednesday, Ms Eavis described the morning as "just so magic".

She admitted as a child she had found the festival "terrifying", but said: "Now I feel like we’ve grown old together, I suppose.

"And what was a completely out of control, wild ride in the 80s is now a beast that we understand and we know how to manage."

Coldplay, Shania Twain, Dua Lipa and SZA are amongst those headlining the Pyramid stage.

It is the first year the festival has had two female headliners, something Ms Eavis described as a "passion project".

While other artists such as Camila Cabello, Disclosure, James and Two Door Cinema Club will be performing on the Other Stage and West Holts throughout the weekend.

To celebrate the opening of the world-famous festival there will be a drone show at 22:30 BST on Wednesday, ahead of the traditional fireworks.

People will be arriving by car, train and bus throughout the next two days

Festival will not screen football

Football fans heading to site will have their loyalties tested during the festival, as Glastonbury has confirmed it will not show England's last-16 game at the Euros over fears it will clash with headline acts.

In a statement released before Scotland were knocked out of the tournament, a spokesperson for the festival said: "We would like to wish both Gareth Southgate and Steve Clarke's sides all the best in Germany.

"And we hope we'll all be able to watch them play quarter-final matches in the days after this year's festival."

Live coverage from the festival can be watched on BBC television and the iPlayer.

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