Thousands make trip to Stonehenge for Solstice celebrations
The crowd at the stone circle swelled by thousands as the sun rose shortly before 5am
Summer Solstice has been peacefully marked at Stonehenge, with over 20,000 people gathering at the ancient monument.
The event, which featured a seemingly bumper crowd due to it falling on a weekend, marks the shortest night and longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere, happening when the hemisphere is at its maximum tilt towards the sun.
The sun rise happened at 4.52am, with revellers cheering loudly and music being played as the sun hit the faces of those in the crowd.
Georgia Butters, English Heritage’s Head of Stonehenge, said: “There was a truly gorgeous sunrise at Stonehenge this year – and it was a really memorable occasion. Coming together at this iconic monument for the Summer Solstice is a tradition that brings people together from near and far. It was wonderful to see families and friends taking part in this joyous experience.
“As ever, we’d like to thank our hard-working colleagues and volunteers who make the Summer Solstice celebrations here safe and enjoyable for everyone. It’s a major operation and one that also relies on the invaluable support for our partners to deliver, notably Wiltshire Council, Wiltshire Police, National Highways and the South Western Ambulance Service.
“We look forward to welcoming returning and new visitors to Stonehenge for next year’s Summer Solstice.”
Ahead of the event, Wiltshire Police had set up a special operation to ensure that the road network around the historic site was kept flowing. Last year, cars had been left abandoned at the roadside, leading to road closures and cars being towed away.
The Force warned that offending cars would be removed again this year, but Assistant Chief Constable, Liz Coles said they'd not had to resort to that, telling Greatest Hits Radio that it had been a positive night from their perspective.
People who would like to watch the moment the sun rose can do so via English Heritage's livestream of the event.