Boomtown festival bans open fires and cooking stoves on ‘tinder dry’ site

Organisers urge revellers to put out cigarettes carefully and stay hydrated in England's latest heatwave

As the Boomtown music festival opens its gates for the first time since 2019, organisers have placed a ban on open fires amid fears the extreme hot weather poses a significant hazard to crowds.

Up to 66,000 people are expected to attend the four-day dance festival at the Matterley Estate, near Winchester, and have been warned not to use open fires and to be careful with stray cigarettes.