Skip to main content

Music fans told: 'Don't use Highway to Hell'

UK National Highways agency urges heavy metallers not to follow satnav to Download Festival
By Adam Hill June 7, 2022 Read time: 1 min
Donington Park: far out - to get closer, just follow the signs (© Christian Bertrand | Dreamstime.com)

Even heavy metal fans need traffic management help sometimes.

This weekend's Download Festival at Donington Park in the UK (10-12 June) is a magnet for thousands of heavy metal fans hoping to see headliners Kiss and Iron Maiden.

But the country's National Highways agency has warned revellers to follow signposted routes - and not their satnav devices.

"When you get within a few miles follow the road signs and the instructions from the organisers rather than your satnav as they will guide you on the correct route to the correct car park," explained National Highways network resilience planner Jamie Tomlin.

"There are changes to the traffic management plan this year so don’t be tempted to follow a previous year’s route."

The event, which is located next to East Midlands Airport, is expected to attract 100,000 people across the three days.

National Highways says it is dispatching extra traffic officer patrols and has worked with the event organisers to keep the roads moving as smoothly as possible.

Major routes in the area including the M1, A42, A50 and A453 are likely to be busy until next Monday.

Electronic message boards on nearby motorways will advise people of any delays.

Related Content

  • Ukraine: how ITS works in a war zone
    November 28, 2023
    Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has cost thousands of lives and devastated much of the country. Ertico – ITS Europe hosted a webinar in which some key players in Ukraine’s ITS community – Kyiv Digital, TomTom and Uber - shared their extraordinary stories. Adam Hill listened in…
  • Why Netflix could overcome road pricing resistance
    October 28, 2019
    As the US moves towards a national road usage charging trial, education is paramount – and subscription services like Netflix might help people understand why the money is needed, writes Bill Cramer
  • RoadPeace exhibition highlights human cost of collisions
    May 26, 2023
    When Lives Collide is the starkest possible illustration of the importance of road safety. Adam Hill talks to Paul Wenham-Clarke, professor of photography at the Arts University Bournemouth, about the inspiration for this heart-wrenching collection of images and memories
  • Smarter motorway for West Yorkshire
    February 2, 2016
    Drivers on the M1 near Wakefield will benefit from reduced congestion and improved journey times after the final phase of a new US$172 million smart motorway went live. The Highways England scheme along a seven-mile stretch of motorway between junction 39 and junction 42 is the first all lane running motorway in the north, where the hard shoulder has been permanently converted to an extra lane. The smart motorway uses the latest technology to monitor traffic levels and variable speed limits on overhea