Download Festival 2026: Commuters warned to check travel and not booze on trains

People travelling to this year’s Download Festival are being urged to check their journeys before setting off and not to booze on board.

East Midlands Railway has warned customers that rail disruption is expected on festival weekend (June 10-14) due to engineering works on the Midland Main Line.

The works will affect services to and from London St Pancras International on the Saturday and Sunday. Some routes will have fewer trains, while replacement buses will run on certain parts of the line.

A reduced service will run throughout the weekend, including one train per hour between Nottingham and London, and one train per hour between Sheffield and London. Some stations, including Market Harborough, will not be served by trains.

Passengers are also being urged to ‘leave the booze bins at home’ and only travel with luggage they can carry comfortably. This follows incidents last year where some customers attempted to travel with wheelie bins filled with beer cans and bottles. These items are not permitted on board.

Philippa Cresswell, Customer Experience Director at East Midlands Railway, said: "We’re advising customers travelling to Download Festival to plan their journeys in advance and be aware that essential engineering work will affect services across the weekend. As a result, some services will be reduced or amended, and passengers should check before they travel and allow extra time.

"We’re also encouraging customers to travel light. Last year, some festive goers tried to board services with wheelie bins or festival trolleys full of beer. While it might seem like a great idea for getting your supplies to the festival, it just isn't safe or possible to bring them onboard train services.

"Our teams will be on hand at stations to support customers and help them complete their journeys, without their bins or trolleys, as smoothly as possible."

For more information on travel, check the EMR website.