Seeing in the Summer Solstice at Stonehenge
Embrace your inner druid and celebrate the longest day of the year at the ancient site of Stonehenge.
What is it?
The Summer Solstice marks midsummer in the northern hemisphere and is the day of the year with the most daylight. It also marks the time when the days will begin to get shorter as the year heads towards winter. The date changes due to the rotation of the earth, but usually falls between June 20 and 22. In 2017, Summer Solstice is on June 21. It has been celebrated by druids and pagans for thousands of years as they observe the passage of time and the changes of nature.
From the early 1970s, neo-druids and other alternative types began to resurrect the celebration at Stonehenge. Over the years a series of clashes with police resulted in the site being closed to the public, but it was reopened in 1999. The event now attracts around 20,000 people each year.
What should I expect?
Attendees are allowed into the site from 7pm on June 20 and settle in for a night of positivity and peace. There will be music playing, dancing, yoga, chanting and all manner of other new age activities as the crowd waits for the sunrise just before 5am. An alcohol ban was implemented for the first time in 2016, so you’ll have to create your own natural buzz.
If you want to extend the experience, you can stay at the nearby Stonehenge Campsite & Glamping, which runs a three-night celebration close to the stones. Accommodation ranges from pitch-it-yourself tents to quirky self-contained pods all centred around the main Events Barn, with live music and entertainment all day long.
How much is it?
Entry is free though with so many attendees, you’ll need to be organised, especially in terms of parking or transfers and accommodation in the surrounding area.
Have you ever been to Stonehenge?