Seasoned Glastonbury attendees and first-timers batted off initial bouts of poor weather as the world-famous festival returned.
Heavy rain that fell intermittently on Worthy Farm throughout Wednesday did nothing to dampen the spirits to those arriving early for the festival.
Thousands of campers have descended on the site already, with stages across the 900-acre site hosting world-class music stars as well as speeches by politicians, film screenings, theatre and circus performances until Sunday.
Festival-goers arriving in Somerset on Thursday could experience travel disruption due to wet weather, but the skies are due to clear in the area before the music kicks off on Friday.
Temperatures are set to remain warm at 22C on Thursday and highs of 26C are expected on Sunday for Sir Elton John’s headline performance.
Those already in place said they had already experienced a “whole week” of weather on the first day, after the morning downpour was replaced with hot sunshine that rapidly interchanged with further torrential showers throughout the day.
New-comers to the festival Kathy and Tony Sharp said they were “ready to have a go… and then suffer” after coming along following “rave” reviews from their daughter.
“Our daughter came last year for the first time, so she came home and was raving, and it’s on Tony’s bucket list,” Mrs Sharp, 53, told the PA news agency.
“I think (her) experience made us more eager to try and get the tickets.”
The couple set off at midnight to get to the festival with their daughter, but were swiftly left to their own devices once they arrived.
Glastonbury veterans offered advice to other campers, reminding them to drink “plenty of water” and to “look after each other”.
Dave Lowe, 36, from Manchester, told PA: “If you’re camping here, make sure you bring ear plugs, because they start doing the sound tests pretty early, and that’ll blow you out of your tent!
“Plenty of water, stay hydrated, have a good time and look after your neighbours, and look after each other.”
Wednesday June 21 also marks the Summer solstice – the longest day of the year – with Glastonbury’s own Stonehenge made out of vintage cars opening for attendees to observe the event.
Sheffield rockers Arctic Monkeys are due to top the bill on Friday night on the Pyramid Stage, though their slot has been thrown into question over concerns for frontman Alex Turner, who has been suffering from acute laryngitis.
Saturday night will see US rockers Guns N’ Roses headline, after the original line-up of Axl Rose, Slash and Duff McKagan reunited in 2015.
Lizzo will play immediately before and has joint headline billing on the line-up poster.
Sir Elton’s headline slot on Sunday night is expected to draw large crowds, as it marks the end of his scheduled farewell tour dates in the UK.
Asked how it felt to greet the crowd and open the festival on Wednesday, co-organiser Emily Eavis told PA that welcoming people in was her “favourite moment”.
Organisers have urged festival-goers not to bring a number of items, with disposable vapes top on the list as they “pollute the environment and can be hazardous at waste centres”.
Gazebos, non-biodegradable body glitter, disposable wipes, knives and anything made of glass are also all on the “what not to bring” list this year.
Nigel Hayes, who was one of the first people to enter the grounds, said he and his sister Joanne Hayes had left London at 1.30am to get a prime spot in the queue.
“Glastonbury is all about the people, it’s a lovely vibe, it’s a lovely place to be,” Mr Hayes, 42, told PA.
“There’s something for everyone. I always say – no matter who you are, try it once if you can.”
Glastonbury festival 2023 event will run from June 21 to 25 at Worthy Farm in Somerset.
