With festival goers being told not to set off for Glastonbury because of 'major delays' getting on site, there are worries that the UK's biggest festival could be something of a washout.
Let's hope it doesn't end up anything like this month's Download, a heavy metal festival in Leicestershire. It's been dubbed 'Drownload' by some of you who got in touch. Now no-one expects organisers to control the weather, but festival-goers do expect the festival organisers to be, well, organised.
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James Turner, 25, had an unforgettable experience with his girlfriend Donna, for all the wrong reasons. He told us it was all a total washout, saying the weather, traffic, poor organisation and toilet troubles spoiled their weekend.
The couple weren't staying on site and the problems began when they drove home after the event of Friday night. He said it was difficult to find their car because there was very little lighting in the car park and then it took over two hours to exit, with no stewards directing the flow of traffic. He says: "We even thought about parking up and crashing out in the car. It was complete chaos and dealt with very badly."
On Saturday, James says the event organisers had made some efforts to relieve the mud in the arena by putting down some straw, but they hadn't done anywhere near enough. He tells Watchdog: "the mud got so bad, it started to turn into a river and I saw a few people who were disabled and couldn't move their position in case they got stuck."
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And then things got even worse for the couple on Sunday. After three hours of waiting in traffic to get into the festival and having missed eight of their favourite bands, they abandoned the festival and drove home.
James complained to Download and asked for a refund for the Sunday and for the pre-paid parking, but his request has been refused.
Download told us: Due to a non-festival-related incident on the M1, it was closed southbound for 27 hours starting on Sunday 12 June between junctions 22 and 23, which resulted in major traffic disruption.
They say that they worked closely with other agencies and despite that particular disruption, an unprecedented and not seen before rainfall in the 48 hours prior, there were no cars queuing to be on site beyond 3.30pm.
They also say that an extra 30 acres of land were secured to help create more space in car parks this year. As a result of the weather and help to alleviate issues with vehicles getting stuck, festival-goers were redirected to alternative car parks where conditions were better.
There was, however, no word on a refund.
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If you do make it through the Worthy Farm gates in Somerset or indeed have other outdoor music events lined up over the summer, we've got some top Watchdog tips to help you to avoid your own personal #FestivalFail.
Food safety: no-one wants to be stuck in a Portaloo all weekend. Always choose food cooked fresh, ideally, watch them actually cook your food. If it looks undercooked, don't eat it. Pack some anti-bacterial gel too, washing facilities can be few and far between, so at least lathering your hands in anti bac gel can prevent the spread of bacteria. Baby wipes are also excellent for a quick hand clean.
Valuables: Don't leave them hanging around your tent (obviously). Split them up and hide them at the bottom of your sleeping bag, in a shoe or a pillowcase - the more random, the better. If any items get lost, stolen or damaged then you could be covered under your home insurance (usually termed 'all-risks cover) but there could be limits on how much they are covered for. Check your policy before you go and ideally, don't bring any of your granny's heirlooms.
Take sealable plastic bags: When it rains at a festival, everything gets soggy. Put your phone, clean pants and anything else you want to keep bone dry in them. Might prevent you having to claim on that home insurance.
Charging your phone: Expect queues at public charging points and pricey private vendors charging the earth. Avoid them by investing in a personal phone charger that you can use in your tent - prices start at around a tenner.
Drugs: A charity called The Loop tests drugs found at festivals and has found that high strength Ecstasy pills are currently on the market. The charity has called on people to be aware of red Mastercard and yellow Mickey Mouse pills as they can contain harmful, or even lethal doses of MDMA.
Watchdog and BBC Three are working together. If you have a story you'd like to shout about, you can contact the producers at Watchdog directly on watchdog@bbc.co.uk and put 'BBC Three' in the subject heading.
This article was first published on Wednesday June 22nd, 2016
