Download warning to East Midlands Airport passengers

Passengers flying from East Midlands Airport while Download festival takes place nearby are being warned to give themselves extra time to travel.

The Donington Park festival - headlined in 2026 by Linkin Park, Limp Bizkit and Guns N' Roses - is expected to welcome about 95,000 music fans from 12 to 14 June, with campsites opening on 10 June.

East Midlands Airport (EMA) said the festival brought "significant extra traffic" to the roads near the airport, including the M1, A42, A50 and A453 - with the event causing "unprecedented" congestion in 2023.

Download put new traffic management measures in place in 2024, but EMA has still advised passengers to allow extra time for journeys.

Download Festival said it was working with North West Leicestershire District Council, highway agencies, police and an independent traffic management company to conduct a "comprehensive review" of the traffic management plan of the festival.

"We are committed to ensuring the overall experience is improved for everyone involved," it said.

Festival bosses added during the event, there would be various changes to the local road network, including road and footpath closures, signage adaptations and speed limit reductions, which it said would be communicated in advance of the event.

An airport spokesperson said 624 flights were arriving and departing over the five days when people would arrive, stay and leave the festival, and added airlines should alert passengers to "potential delays".

Lauren Turner, operations director at EMA, said: "Every year we meet frequently with the festival organisers to plan how the traffic will be managed to minimise the impact on our operations and our customers.

"The arrangements for getting people to and from the festival site are now well established and effective, but with extra traffic on the roads around the airport during this time, we always advise our customers to allow extra time.

"The other potential impact on our operations is the use of drones to film at the festival.

"It is illegal to do so close to the airport, which we know is a message organisers emphasise with festival-goers, as it could create diversions, delays and risks for passenger and cargo flights."

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