Download Festival provides travel tips to prevent disruptions
With the 2025 Download Festival fast approaching, attendees are being advised to carefully plan their journeys to Donington Park to prevent travel disruptions. The festival, which is expected to draw over 75,000 fans and takes place from Friday 13 to Sunday 15 June, will likely cause significant traffic congestion, especially during peak arrival and departure times. It is essential for festival-goers to follow the official event signage and travel information provided on the festival’s website rather than relying solely on GPS navigation systems. Changes in entry points for the current year and real-time road conditions are not always accurately reflected in GPS systems, potentially leading to delays or incorrect routes. By paying close attention to colour-coded roadside event signage, attendees can navigate to the festival site more efficiently based on their ticket type and direction of travel.
The UK’s biggest rock festival, Download, is anticipated to attract the bulk of its crowd when campsites open on Wednesday, June 11, and when attendees start leaving, primarily on Sunday night or Monday morning, June 16. As Donington Park is located near East Midlands Airport, several major roadways, such as the M1, A42, A453, A50, and A38, are expected to experience increased traffic during these peak times. To manage the traffic impact, National Highways and event organisers are working together to deploy additional resources, including extra traffic officer patrols, recovery services, and electronic message boards on motorways to keep traffic flowing smoothly.
For those driving to the festival, a pre-purchased car park pass is crucial, with passes available through Ticketmaster. The last postal date for UK customers to receive passes is Thursday, June 5, 2025, and for international customers, it is Tuesday, May 27, 2025. Different parking fields have been allocated based on ticket type, with designated parking areas for various camping options and accessibility considerations. Car parks will open at 9 am on Wednesday, June 11, and parking stewards will direct attendees to ensure efficient parking. It is important to remember where your car is parked and to follow the traffic team’s guidance when exiting the festival site. Designated pick-up and drop-off points are located within the Transport Hub to ensure safety and reduce congestion, while areas surrounding the festival site are not suitable for stopping vehicles.
Attendees are encouraged to explore sustainable travel options such as coaches and trains to lessen their environmental impact and avoid the hassle of driving. Big Green Coach provides carbon-neutral return services to the festival’s coach park from various UK locations, starting from £60. Regular festival transfer buses run from East Midlands Parkway and Derby mainline railway stations to the Transport Hub. Train travel is a greener option compared to driving, being significantly less polluting. Car sharing is also promoted, with the Download Liftshare platform connecting individuals to offer or find empty seats. Additionally, a portion of all car parking fees is donated to Trees for Cities, supporting local communities by enhancing canopy cover, biodiversity, carbon sequestration, and air quality improvements.