THOUSANDS of people will descend upon the South Downs as one of the UK's biggest music festivals returns for another year.

Boomtown, Winchester's five-day-long music festival, returns to the Matterley Estate this week, Wednesday, August 9 - Sunday, August 13, with Chapter Two: The Twin Trail.

Famed for its unique take on the festival experience, with complex storylines taking place throughout a pop-up town, this year's 15th anniversary features some big names in the industry.

The arrival of tens of thousands of festival-goers will cause local traffic disruption.

Artists and stages:

Artists such as The Prodigy, Sister Sledge, Peaches, Cypress Hill and Beenie Man will be headlining the Grand Central stage.

The annual event has a 66,000 capacity this year, with 13 stages set up on the backdrop of the Hampshire countryside.

This year's festival will feature stages such as Grand Central, Hidden Woods, The Fools Leap, Spectrum 360 and more.

Payment:

As a 'sustainable festival', Boomtown is cash-free, meaning that cash and card will not be accepted anywhere in the festival.

Wristbands with contactless payment technology will be provided, and festival goers can create an account to top them up online.

Attendees will need to register their account online by using their ticket barcode in order to top up their wristbands.

Traffic and Roads:

Traffic and road closures are to be expected throughout the period of the festival, with traffic restrictions placed on the following:

  • Petersfield Road, Chilcomb
  • Alresford Road, Ovington
  • Fawley Lane, Alton
  • Kitcombe Lane, Alton
  • Woodlands, Bramdean
  • Easton Lane, Easton
  • Three Horseshoes Lane, Bramdean
  • Cheriton Road, Cheriton
  • West Tisted Road, Alresford
  • Spitfire Link, Winchester
  • Avington Lane, Itchen Abbas
  • Wood Lane, Bramdean
  • Filmore Hill Lane, Bramdean
  • Newburgh Street, Winchester
  • Brandy Mount, Cheriton
  • Brightstone Lane, Alton
  • West Tisted Road, Alresford
  • Tithelands Lane, Bramdean
  • Winnall Manor Road, Winchester
  • Woodlands Road, Bramdean
  • Ovington Park Lane, Ovington
  • Easton Lane, Easton
  • Brick Kiln Lane, Alresford
  • Petersfield Road, Alresford
  • Alresford Road, Ovington
  • Hill Farm Road, Alresford
  • Woodlands, Bramdean Common
  • Mary Lane, Alton
  • East Lane, Ovington
  • Alresford Road, Winchester
  • Petersfield Road, Chilcomb Down
  • Alresford Bypass, Alresford
  • Alresford Road, Winchester

Weather:

As of the time of writing, the weather throughout the festival is looking inconsistent.

  • Wednesday, August 9 - Partially Sunny with highs of 22 C and lows of 15 C
  • Thursday, August 10 - Sunny with highs of 24 C and lows of 17 C
  • Friday, August 11 - Light rain with highs of 22 C and lows of 16 C
  • Saturday, August 12 - Light rain with highs of 20 C and lows of 14 C
  • Sunday, August 13 - Light rain with highs of 20 C and lows of 14 C