End of the Road Festival 2026: stages, travel and camping

End of the Road Festival runs from Thursday, September 3 through Sunday, September 6, 2026 at Larmer Tree Gardens on the Dorset and Wiltshire border. The current lineup is headed by Geese, Mac DeMarco, Pulp, CMAT and Super Furry Animals. Stage times arrived on September 1, which leaves two days to settle the harder part of the weekend: getting a tent and a tired person from Salisbury or the car park to the right gate.

Photo: Roger Jones via Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0. The photograph shows the Woods Stage in 2011, not the 2026 event.

The site is rural, the campsite carry can be hilly, and the official Salisbury shuttle does not run continuously through the whole weekend. Save the live timetable, festival map, transport ticket and route home before leaving. Phone charging is available through rented battery packs, but that is a backup rather than a reason to arrive with an empty phone.

The short answer: use the official stage timetable to make one conflict choice per day, reserve the Salisbury shuttle before travel, follow festival road signs instead of the Larmer Tree Gardens map pin, and keep every essential ticket and map offline. Campers arriving on Thursday can enter from 11:00, but everyone must collect a wristband by 23:00 on their arrival day.

This guide was checked at 16:15 UTC on September 1, 2026. Set times, weather, ground conditions, transport inventory and security instructions can still change.

End of the Road 2026 at a glance

Build a stage plan that can survive one change

The fresh timetable gives the weekend its shape, but copying every set into a second article would create a stale schedule as soon as one artist moves. Keep the official day and stage splits as the live source.

The current headline pattern is simple:

• Geese open the Woods Stage headline run on Thursday.
• Mac DeMarco headlines Friday.
• Pulp headlines the Woods Stage on Saturday.
• CMAT and Super Furry Animals are among Sunday's main closing choices.

The September 1 NME stage-time report identifies two decisions worth making before the site gets busy: Pulp overlaps Earl Sweatshirt on Saturday, and CMAT overlaps Kurt Vile and The Violators on Sunday. Check the official timetable for the exact times and any later correction.

Use a three-level list

Mark each act as one of these:

1. A set you will arrive early for.
2. A set you will see if the previous stage route works.
3. A set you are willing to miss.

That sounds blunt, but it keeps the weekend from becoming a sequence of rushed walks. The Woods and Garden stages sit in a rural garden setting, and the route between performances is part of the event. Leave room for food, water and a slow path after dark.

Choose a fixed meeting point for each evening. A sign, information point or named stage edge works better than a message that may arrive late when thousands of phones are active.

Salisbury shuttle, coach or taxi?

Salisbury is the practical rail interchange. The festival says a train from London Waterloo takes about 90 minutes, then the official National Express shuttle completes the trip to Larmer Tree Gardens.

Current Salisbury shuttle windows

These are the current National Express festival times. Book the journey you intend to use. Do not treat the service window as a promise that an unreserved seat will be waiting.

There is no published Saturday shuttle window on that page. If your train arrives outside the listed service, arrange another final leg before boarding the train.

What fits on the official coach

National Express currently allows one medium rucksack or suitcase, one tent, one sleeping bag and one item of hand luggage. Trolleys are not permitted. That limit matters if you planned to move a large family camp or several crates by coach.

The festival lists local Salisbury taxis and estimates about GBP 50 for a one-way vehicle. Larger vehicles can be requested. Treat the price as an estimate, not a fixed fare, and book before a late arrival rather than building a plan around cars waiting at the station.

Direct coaches

The official provider lists direct event coaches from 11 UK points, including London, Heathrow, Bristol, Cardiff, Bournemouth, Brighton, Portsmouth and Southampton. A direct coach avoids the Salisbury transfer, but its baggage allowance still applies.

Driving: the map pin is not the entrance

The festival explicitly warns that satellite navigation does not lead drivers to the correct event entrance. Use its approach postcode, then switch to the temporary festival signs:

• From London, the Midlands, Wales, the North, Bristol or the South West, use SP7 0PP until festival signs take over.
• From Bournemouth, Southampton or the South Coast, use DT11 8DD, then follow the event signs. The festival warns of stop and go traffic on the single-lane southern approach.

Gate colors depend on the booking:

• Green Gate serves General, Family, Quiet, Accessible and staff camping.
• Red Gate serves Boutique Camping.
• Orange Gate serves campervans, caravans and other live-in vehicles.

General car park entry currently runs 10:00 to 22:00 Thursday, 08:00 to 22:00 Friday, 08:00 to 21:00 Saturday and 08:00 to 18:00 Sunday. Have the parking pass downloaded before the final approach.

A campervan or caravan needs its own advance pitch in addition to admission. A standard car parking pass does not turn a vehicle into a live-in pitch.

Choose the campsite from the carry, not the name

Standard weekend terms include General, Quiet and Family Camping. Boutique and live-in vehicle options use separate bookings. Accessible camping requires approval.

The car park to tent distance is not just a number. A current eFestivals camping discussion describes a short walk that becomes much harder with a loaded trolley because sections are hilly. That is community experience, not an official distance guarantee, but it explains the real decision: reduce the number of heavy trips.

The festival has trolley hire near the car park entrance. Its general information page currently lists short hires at GBP 7 per half hour before Friday at 15:00 and separate overnight bookings with a cash deposit. Recheck the live page because price and availability can change.

If you leave by car and return, entry may be possible but the same parking spot is not guaranteed. A public return-to-site discussion reports that later returners can be directed to another field. Ask staff before leaving and carry the pass.

Arrival sequence for Thursday or Friday

1. Open the parking, coach or shuttle ticket before the final approach.
2. Follow the gate color for the booked camping type.
3. Collect the festival wristband before 23:00 on the arrival day.
4. Make the first campsite carry with shelter, warm layers, water and essential medication.
5. Mark the tent location on an offline map or with a photograph of nearby signs.
6. Find the information point, drinking-water points and the route to the chosen meeting place.
7. Check the live stage timetable only after the camp can handle rain and darkness.

All official water points provide drinking water. The festival says toilet water is not drinking water. A reusable bottle and a clear distinction between those taps avoids a needless purchase or mistake.

Bags, stoves and items that can change with conditions

Wristband exchange includes bag searches. Use the current prohibited-items list and the ticket-holder email when packing. Do not rely on an older festival checklist.

Camping stoves are normally allowed when used away from tents, but the festival can change that rule for dry ground, weather or wildfire risk. Check the final ticket-holder message before bringing fuel.

One reasonably sized gazebo up to 3 by 3 meters is allowed per group under the current FAQ. It still needs to be sturdy enough for changing weather and considerate of neighboring pitches. Assistance dogs are the only dogs permitted.

Warm sleeping gear matters even after a sunny afternoon. The published terms specifically tell campers to bring warm sleeping bags and extra blankets. Pack for the overnight low, not the best daytime photograph in the forecast.

Phone charging, signal and offline files

Friends of the Earth provides roaming battery packs rather than static plug-in charging. The official FAQ currently lists GBP 5 for 5,000 mAh, GBP 7 for 7,000 mAh and GBP 10 for 10,000 mAh, plus a GBP 20 refundable deposit. Availability is not guaranteed.

Bring a charged power bank of your own if it complies with the current entry rules. Use festival charging to recover from an unexpected drain, not as the only way to open a Monday coach ticket.

Crowd load can slow any mobile network. Before arrival, save:

• the admission ticket and parking or shuttle ticket;
• the official stage timetable and site map;
• the gate color and approach postcode;
• the tent location and evening meeting point;
• medication and emergency notes;
• the accommodation or onward-travel address; and
• the last workable Sunday or Monday route home.

Screenshots are useful, but keep the original ticket file too. Staff may need to zoom or scan it.

Accessibility after the application deadlines

The festival's 2026 deadline for accessible camping, parking and viewing-platform applications was July 1. The personal-assistant deadline was August 15. The official page says late applications cannot be accepted, so do not arrive expecting a gate team to create an approval.

Approved visitors collect the festival wristband at the box office, then receive the relevant campsite wristband, parking pass and viewing-platform lanyard from the Accessible Campsite team. Viewing areas operate first come, first served and can fill for popular acts.

Accessible toilets use RADAR locks. Keys can be hired for a refundable GBP 5 under the current information. Charging for necessary wheelchairs and scooters is available in the Accessible Campsite and at viewing platforms, but visitors need the correct adapters.

If an access arrangement or confirmation is unclear, contact the festival before travel. The route through a grassy, uneven outdoor site still needs individual planning even when a viewing platform is approved.

Files to save before entering the fields

• Official End of the Road site: use the current schedule, map, general information and any ticket-holder update.
• National Express: keep the booked coach or shuttle journey and baggage conditions available offline.
• National Rail or the rail operator app: check the live train into Salisbury and the Monday journey home.
• Met Office: use the current local forecast and any warning, then compare it with festival instructions.
• Offline maps: save Salisbury station, the correct approach point, Larmer Tree Gardens and the onward destination.

Do not install an app simply because an old guide calls it official. The browser timetable and downloaded files are enough if the festival does not direct ticket holders to a current app.

Mobile data for an international festival trip

The public Roaming eSIM catalog returned 18 United Kingdom plans when checked at 16:08 UTC on September 1. Four current fixed-data examples were:

Prices and inventory can change. A network label does not guarantee capacity at a crowded rural festival.

Why Roaming eSIM fits this trip: stage-time coverage tells you who is playing, but it does not solve the international visitor's data setup. With a compatible unlocked phone, a traveler can choose a United Kingdom plan before arrival, keep the usual SIM installed and see the allowance, validity, retail price, network field and top-up status before checkout. The four examples above support top-up, and Roaming eSIM support is available 24/7. Keep tickets and maps offline because no provider can promise festival-site capacity.

Choose a United Kingdom Roaming eSIM for a trip that stays in the UK. Compare the established Europe eSIM guide when the festival is part of a wider route, but check the selected package's country list before paying.

Use the travel data calculator before choosing an allowance. Then confirm whether the phone supports Roaming eSIM and when to install it. Families extending the trip can use the United Kingdom with kids guide.

Ten End of the Road 2026 visitor questions

1. When is End of the Road Festival 2026?

The music program runs from Thursday, September 3 through Sunday, September 6. Campsites close at midday on Monday, September 7.

2. Where is End of the Road Festival?

It is at Larmer Tree Gardens near Tollard Royal, on the Dorset and Wiltshire border. Drivers should use the festival's approach postcode and road signs rather than the central venue map pin.

3. How do I get from Salisbury station to the festival?

Book the official National Express shuttle. Current outbound windows are 10:00 to 17:00 Thursday and 11:00 to 18:00 Friday. Outside those times, arrange a taxi or another confirmed transfer.

4. Can I take a trolley on the coach?

No. National Express says trolleys are not permitted. Its current allowance is one medium rucksack or suitcase, one tent, one sleeping bag and one item of hand luggage.

5. What time does camping open?

The campsites open at 11:00 Thursday. Once wristbanded, campers have 24-hour campsite access, but the wristband must be collected before 23:00 on the arrival day.

6. Which campsite should I choose?

Choose General for the standard experience, Quiet when sleep matters more than distance, and Family when camping with children. Boutique, accessible and live-in vehicle areas require the relevant advance arrangement.

7. Is the walk from the car park difficult?

The official site does not publish one guaranteed tent distance. Current attendee discussion describes a short but hilly carry whose difficulty depends on the pitch and load. Reduce heavy trips and use the festival trolley service if available.

8. Where can I charge my phone?

Friends of the Earth rents portable battery packs with a refundable deposit. The festival no longer advertises static plug-in phone charging. Bring your own charged power bank as the primary option.

9. Will phone signal work at End of the Road?

Public mobile networks serve the United Kingdom, but no operator or Roaming eSIM can guarantee capacity at a crowded rural event. Save tickets, the timetable, map, meeting point and route home offline.

10. What should I do if two headline sets clash?

Pick one must-see set, save the current official timetable and avoid planning an exact mid-set transfer unless the route has already been walked. The current Saturday and Sunday timetable contains major headline overlaps.

These questions come from the official FAQ and current public discussions about camping carries, shuttles, returning to the car park, charging, solo visits and stage clashes. Community posts identify the uncertainty; official festival and transport pages establish the rules used in the answers.