WITH or without U2, Glastonbury Festival is upon us and is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year.

Gorillaz will ably fill the void created by U2’s withdrawal after Bono’s back injury, joining the likes of Muse, Scissor Sisters, Stevie Wonder and even Yeovil Town Band on the famous Pyramid Stage.

A favourable forecast should make this a year to remember so if you’re heading off to Pilton it’s factor 50 rather than wellies needed this year.

For those of us stuck on the outside, traffic is due to cause its annual mayhem as 150,000 people descend on our beautiful county - although organisers opened the car parks on Tuesday night for the first time this year to enable really keen festival-goers the chance to beat the peak traffic.

On a brighter note, even if you don’t like music you can enjoy the site of St Michael’s Tower on Glastonbury Tor being lit up each night until Sunday to celebrate the 40th anniversary milestone.

The Prince of Wales, president of Water Aid, will also be at the festival meet stall holders, exhibitors, musicians and festival goers.

Joining the supergroups at the festival will also be the winners of the Avon and Somerset Constabulary's Live and Unsigned competition. Two in a Boat, of Bristol, who are playing on the Introducing Stage in the Dance Village at 1.25pm on Saturday.

The constabulary has also issued advice to festival-goers warning them that there is no relaxation in drug laws.

A spokesman said: “No matter what myths you may have heard about police having a policy at Glastonbury of allowing people to smoke cannabis or take small amounts of other drugs, it is not true. Police have a zero tolerance policy to illegal substances and will be relentless in combating drug-related crime.”

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