East Midlands Airport passengers set for delays as Download Festival kicks-off

East Midlands Airport is advising passengers to allow plenty of time if travelling to and from the airport during Download Festival (8-10 June).

Road users not heading to the festival are being advised to seek alternative routes to avoid delays.

Tens of thousands of people are expected at the three-day festival, being staged from Friday to Sunday, June 8-10, and surrounding roads are likely to be very busy.

Gates to the campsite opened on Wednesday, 6 June to allow campers to spread their arrival times; however, thousands of other rock fans will come for the day.

Major roads and motorways in the area, including the M1, A42, A50 and A453, are likely to be busy.

All routes to the festival will be well signposted, but people travelling in the area should plan their journey in advance and follow the signs rather than their satnavs.

Donington Park is located next to East Midlands Airport, four miles west of junction 23a of the M1 and five miles from junction 24. Anyone travelling to the airport should allow plenty of extra travel time for their journey.

Highways England will use electronic message boards on surrounding motorways to advise people of any delays. Extra traffic officers are also being deployed for the duration, both in event control and around junction 23 and 24 of the M1, to assist motorists, clear incidents quickly and keep traffic moving.