Download Festival Traffic Warning for East Midlands Flyers

East Midlands Airport is warning passengers to allow extra travel time while the Download Festival takes place at nearby Donington Park in June. Around 95,000 rock and metal fans are expected at the site, with campsites opening on Wednesday 10 June. Guns n’ Roses headline on Saturday, while Limp Bizkit and Linkin Park take the top slots on Friday and Sunday.

The festival will bring heavy traffic around the airport, especially on the M1, A42, A50 and A453. Organisers are working with highways teams and police to manage the extra vehicles, and similar plans have worked in recent years. East Midlands Airport still wants passengers to leave earlier than usual when travelling during the festival period.

The airport has 624 flights arriving and departing across the five days when festivalgoers arrive, stay and leave. Airlines have been asked to warn passengers about possible road delays. Airport teams have also been speaking regularly with festival organisers about traffic plans, so flight operations and passenger journeys can be managed as smoothly as possible.

The warning matters for anyone using East Midlands Airport for summer trips in Europe or UK connections. Donington Park sits close to the terminal, so delays may affect airport runs, hotel transfers and car park access. People visiting Nottingham, Derby, Leicester or the Peak District could also find local roads busier during the extended festival weekend.

Anyone using East Midlands Airport during the festival should allow more time than usual. A normal journey could take longer once festival traffic builds, especially near peak arrival and departure periods. Passengers should check live traffic reports before setting off, follow airport updates, and avoid drone use near the site, as filming close to the airport can risk diversions and delays.