Thousands gather for 40th Glastonbury festival

The usually sleepy Somerset village of Pilton was bracing itself tonight as tens of thousands of revellers gathered for the 40th Glastonbury festival. After hours of queueing in heavy traffic, they came heavily laden with tents, sleeping bags and, in many cases, as much alcohol as they could carry. One item which many will have brought, but will be hoping they will not need, is a pair of wellies, as the Met Office has forecast fine weather for the next four days. The festival opened its doors at 8am and by tonight the fields of Worthy Farm, where it is held, were filling rapidly with music fans searching for the best camping spot. A big screen at the Pyramid stage ensured football fans saw England progress through to the second stage of the World Cup. Sunday's match will also be shown. The festival – the biggest in Glastonbury's history, with more than 175,000 tickets sold – will feature headline acts from Muse and Stevie Wonder, as well as Gorillaz, last-minute replacements after U2 were forced to cancel. Others performing include Dizzee Rascal, Snoop Dogg and Shakira.