How to travel to and from Leeds Festival this bank holiday

Leeds Festival is a rite of passage for some over the August bank holiday, but it does come with disruption to local roads.

Some 90,000 people are expected to descend on Bramham Park over the next five days, eagerly waiting for the likes of Liam Gallager, Lana Del Rey, Fred Again and many more to grace the twelve stages. 

Although the event does not directly impact the Harrogate district, surrounding roads and major highways including the A1(M) are set to be affected - meaning drivers in our area should plan ahead for their journeys.

People with early bird tickets can access the festival from today and traffic is likely to be heavy until Monday (August 26).

We’ve collated a list of nearby roads that will be impacted as part of the festival, as well as how to travel to and from Bramham Park. 

A1(M)

Those travelling southbound to the festival on the A1(M) via junction 44 are encouraged to use routes via Clifford, Boston Spa and Tadcaster. This will take festivalgoers along the white route to the relevant car park.

However, drivers are advised to avoid the A1(M) / Grange Moor / Wattle Syke roundabouts between 8am and 6pm when traffic is likely to be at its peak. This also applies between 7am and 3pm on Monday. 

Those travelling northbound to the festival via the A1(M) will follow the brown route. Drivers will be signed via junction 45 to the Grange Moor / Wattle Syke roundabouts.

They are then advised to travel south on West Woods Road to Thorner Road, left on Thorner Road and then right onto Paradise Way. The brown gate entrance will be on the left.

This route will be used throughout the weekend and traffic is expected to be particularly heavy on the Wednesday, Thursday and Friday mornings.

From 9pm on Sunday, August 25, this route will then reverse to allow festivalgoers to leave. Leeds Festival said this traffic will be travelling one-way out and is expected to be heavy on the Monday morning.  

Pick-up and drop-off routes

Pick-up and drop-off traffic will be diverted along the red route.

The red route starts on the A1(M) and requires all traffic to exit via junction 44 and join the A64 York Road westbound. Traffic will then enter the site on a right turn into red gates one and two.

National Highways provided the below information on pick-up and drop-off areas ahead of the festival:

• All drop-off and pick-up traffic will be directed to A1(M) junction 44 and west on the A64.
• Traffic will be permitted to use the hard shoulder in Aberford Dip to queue for junction 44.
• The A64 will be closed eastbound from Red Bus Layby to junction 44.
• The A64 westbound from the junction 44 roundabout will be festival access only for drop off and pick-up.

Leeds Festival said a one-way system will be in place on the A64 this year for the duration of the festival.

Festival organisers said the A64 between the Fox and Grapes pub and the A1(M) / A64 roundabout will be closed to all traffic travelling eastbound (i.e. Leeds to York) from today until Monday at 3pm.

Kiddal Lane at the junction with the A64 York Road, and Potterton Lane at the junction with Kiddal Lane will be closed from today until Monday.

There will be additional signs for residential access only at Barwick Road and Leeds Road Barwick to deter festival traffic.

East Leeds orbital route

Festival organisers advised those that normally use the A64 to access the A1(M) northbound to instead go via the east Leeds orbital route (ELOR).

Drivers can take the A6120 to the A58 northbound and then towards Wetherby. From there, drivers can access the A1(M) following signs to either junction 45 or 46, the festival said.

Additional details

Leeds Festival also said there will be a temporary closure on the bridge over the A1 (M) that leads to Bowcliffe Hall and Bramham Park other than for residents and businesses.

The organisers added 30mph speed limits and no U-turns will apply to the following roads:

• Along Bramham and Thorner Road from the junction with Kirkfield Avenue to the Bramham bypass / Paradise Way.

• West Woods Road from Wattle Syke to Thorner Road

• Bramham bypass from Thorner Road along Paradise Way and Spen Common Lane to the A1(M) / A64 roundabout

• A64 York Road from the A1(M) / A64 roundabout to Thorner Lane

For a full list of all road closures and disruptions, click here. 

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