MUSIC FANS travelling to the Oxegen festival in Co Kildare this weekend have been advised to bring their raincoats and wellies as periods of very wet weather have been forecast, writes STEVEN CARROLL
Some 80,000 people are expected to descend on Punchestown Racecourse, near Naas, for the three-day festival, which officially begins at 2pm tomorrow and continues until Sunday night.
Met Éireann is predicting that conditions will be cloudy but dry for the most part today, with temperatures of between 16 and 19 degrees. Tomorrow is expected to start off dry, but thickening cloud and rain is to spread across the country during the day.
The weekend is forecast to “ be wet, even very wet at times” with further outbreaks of heavy rain likely through Saturday and Saturday night. More rain is likely on Sunday, but the skies could clear later in the afternoon.
Tomorrow night the festival is to be headlined by recently reunited Britpop icons Blur, while US rockers Kings of Leon and The Killers are to top the bill on Saturday and Sunday night respectively.
Other acts expected to create a stir over the weekend are Snow Patrol, Lily Allen, Bloc Party, Nick Cave The Bad Seeds, Lady Gaga and Nine Inch Nails.
The festival campsites open at noon today and close at 6pm on Monday, and a selection of activities, games and live performances will be on offer tonight for revellers who decide to arrive early.
Having listened to fans’ opinions on camping in previous years, festival organisers MCD have installed picnic benches, barbecues, mobile phone charging facilities, 24-hour shops and locker-rooms in the campsites.
MCD has also stressed that glass and illegal substances are not permitted on the festival site, while identification may be requested to purchase alcohol and enter the site. Under 17s must be accompanied by an adult aged over 25.
Scouting Ireland will be offering a tent pitching and repair service, for a small fee which will be donated to charity, for those unfamiliar with outdoor pursuits.
Both MCD and AA Roadwatch are encouraging festival-goers to use public transport to make their way to Punchestown, with bus services operating from Dublin, Cork, Galway and Limerick.
A free park and ride facility will operate at Goffs, off the M7, from where free shuttle buses to the festival site will be available.
AA Roadwatch said people driving to the festival should set out early and leave at least three hours more than the usual journey time and be prepared for delays on all roads to Punchestown.
Meanwhile, The Crisis Pregnancy Agency will be distributing 20,000 “Think Contraception” packs, including a condom and sexual health information, as part of a campaign to highlight the importance of using contraception to prevent unplanned pregnancies and the spread of sexual diseases.