London, June 23 (BNA): Thousands of people returned to Glastonbury Festival in England as the five-day music and performing arts event reopened Wednesday for the first time in three years after being disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The festival, which marks its 50th anniversary, is set to feature 3,000 artists, including Billie Eilish, Diana Ross, Kendrick Lamar and Paul McCartney. McCartney’s weekend party will make him, at age 80, the festival’s oldest soloist, according to the Associated Press.
Festival-goers began lining up to enter the gates at Worthy Farm in Somerset, southwest England, early on Wednesday. Many struggled to get to the site because the festival coincided with Britain’s biggest rail strike in decades.
Only 60% of trains were expected to run on Wednesday, with more strikes planned for Thursday and Saturday.
Hundreds of people waited with their bags at London’s Paddington station to try to board the train to the festival.
Camilla Seward, 26, described feeling “extremely panicked” when the rail strikes were announced.
“It’s my first real festival ever. We bought the ticket nearly three years ago. I was so nervous about getting there that I didn’t even think about who I was excited to see.”
Gina Conway, 30, thought she could beat the travel turmoil by eagerly arriving at Paddington, but she and a friend were left in line for hours.
“We got here three hours before the train left, we were stupid, we thought we could jump on any train. We thought they would be nice because of the strikes, but they wouldn’t let us through, so we are waiting now.”
About 200,000 people are expected to participate in the festival, which runs until Sunday.
“It was a long wait and it’s just the biggest gathering we’ve ever had,” said festival organizer Emily Ives.
“Having Paul McCartney for us is just the best guy he’s had this year to get this whole thing back and get everyone together,” Ives said. “And what better way to celebrate that than with Paul McCartney himself.”