Music fans begin Oxegen trek

Music fans are set to begin the trek today to Co Kildare for this year's Oxegen festival, with campsites opening from noon.

According to gardaí, an estimated 24,000 fans had arrived by 6pm, with some 35,000 expected by the end of the day. There were no traffic delays to and from the concert site and no incidents reported, gardaí said.

Up to 80,000 fans are expected to attend the three-day event at Punchestown to see bands such as Blur, Snow Patrol, Kings of Leon and the Killers. However, the festival has not yet sold out and tickets are still available.

Gardaí have asked those planning to attend the three-day music event to use public transport, warning that those who choose to use the public car parks can expect delays of up to 90 minutes at the end of each night as priority will be given to buses and coaches. Car parks will open from 10am and will not close until 6pm on Monday.

Those who have to drive are asked to car pool and use the park and ride facilities at Goffs, Kill, Co Kildare, which are being provided free of charge.

Dublin Bus will operate a service from Parnell Square West to the concert site between noon and 9pm today and tomorrow; from 10am to 5pm on Saturday and from 11am up until 4pm on Sunday. Buses will return from the venue each night after it finishes, and will also operate from 6am until noon on Monday.

Buses have been requested not to allow people to leave the vehicles until they reach the final drop-off point, and fans are being warned to allow an extra three hours' travel time to and from the venue.

Gardaí have implemented a traffic plan to deal with the extra traffic, with blue and routes to car parks in operation.

The blue route will serve traffic from the M1, N2, N3, N4 and N11, travelling via the M50 to the N7 and on to Naas before travelling on to the Blessington Road via the R410 and on to Punchestown.

The red route will serve traffic coming from a number of areas, including South Dublin via the N11 and N81, through Ballymore Eustace (R411) and on to the racecourse. Traffic from the South East - N9, N78, N80, M9 - can take the Carlow or Athy routes through Kilcullen and onto the Naas Road. Others travelling from the South East can come via the N81 through Ballymore Eustace. South and south west traffic can travel via the N8, N7 and M7, taking the Newbridge exit (Exit 12) and travel towards Kilcullen on the R413 before following signage through Athgarvan village and onto the R448 (Kilcullen Road).

Recent music events, including Oasis at Slane and ACDC at Punchestown have caused controversy after some travellers experienced serious problems both getting there and returning home.

However, Dublin Bus is hoping to avoid the significant delays of recent events. A spokeswoman for the company said there had been a number of meetings in the run-up to Oxegen to resolve the travel arrangements. "We have learned from previous experiences," she said.

Meanwhile, revellers are in for a wet weekend, with rain predicted for the coming days. Organisers have warned fans to be prepared for wet weather, with wellies and waterproof clothing on the list of festival essentials.

Inexperienced campers will have help on hand with the Scouting Ireland Festival Crew returning to Oxegen for the fourth consecutive year to advise on surviving the great outdoors.

The scouts will also help fans pitch and repair tents in return for a small charitable donation to raise funds for Scouting Ireland projects.

Meanwhile, the Irish Society of Chartered Physiotherapists (ISCP) and the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy Northern Ireland (CSPNI) have produced a festival survival guide aimed at helping revellers avoid the common mishaps.

Concertgoers are reminded to bring necessary medications such as asthma inhalers or anti-histamines for hayfever sufferers.

While the forecast for the weekend is wet, it's probably a good idea to bring sun screen just in case, while supportive, waterproof footwear is recommended to avoid ankle sprains and fall injuries as much as possible.

The guide also warns that dancing and even walking around in the mud can put a strain on your body, particularly those who are unused to strenuous physical activity.