Stonehenge prepares for Summer Solstice celebrations

Final preparations are underway at Stonehenge for the annual Summer Solstice celebrations, as thousands of people are expected at the stone circle.

Stonehenge was built to align with the sun on the solstices. English Heritage provides free access to Stonehenge on Saturday 20th - Sunday 21st June to celebrate the Summer Solstice.

Important timings:

The car park at Stonehenge will open at 19:00 pm on Saturday, 20^th June. 

Sunset will take place at 21:26 pm on Saturday, 20th June, and sunrise will take place at 04:52am on Sunday, 21st June (approximate timings).

Last parking admission will be at 4:15 am. Visitors must vacate the car park by 12:00 pm on Sunday, 21^st June.

Parking tickets have sold out, and English Heritage warn that if you do not have a valid car parking ticket, do not travel to Stonehenge by car.

There is no alternative parking near Stonehenge. Do not park on verges, local roads, lay-bys, byways or the A303. Enforcement Officers and tow trucks, supported by Wiltshire Police, will be operating throughout the event.

To attend without a car parking ticket, travel via Salisbury and use local public transport and the dedicated Salisbury Reds shuttle bus service.

Alternative ways of getting to the stones:

Due to road closures and heavy traffic, it's strongly advised to use public transport to attend the Summer Solstice. Cars and other vehicles without pre-booked parking will be turned away.

By bus

Salisbury Reds will be operating special bus services to transport visitors to Stonehenge from Salisbury Rail Station and Salisbury City Centre (New Canal) via Amesbury. Please visit the Salisbury Reds website for timetables.

By Train

The nearest train station is Salisbury, 12 miles (9km) away. There are regular train services from London, Bristol, Bath, and Southampton.

By taxi

Taxis are available at Salisbury train station. The drop-off and pick-up point is in the Stonehenge Coach car park. Please consider booking ahead as demand for taxis will be high.

By foot

Stonehenge is a 2½-mile (4 km) walk from nearby Amesbury. Sensible footwear and a torch are advisable.

By bicycle

Take a strong lock and only park your bike in the designated areas in the car park.  Ask a steward at the car park entrance for assistance. Please do not chain your bike to any of the gates – these are for use by the emergency services, and any bikes causing an obstruction will be removed.

Can't make it?

Once again, there will be a live stream of the Summer Solstice sunrise and sunset for free on English Heritage's digital channels. To watch the stream, visit the official Stonehenge or English Heritage Facebook pages, or the English Heritage YouTube channel.