The numbers of attendees and arrests (where figures are available) from contemporaneous sources for the summer solstice event at Stonehenge since open access was introduced in 2000.
| Year | Arrests | Estimated Crowd | Notes / Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | ? | 8,000 | (20) |
| 2001 | ? | 10,000 | (20) |
| 2002 | 11 | 22,000 | (19) |
| 2003 | ? | 30,000 | (18) |
| 2004 | ? | 21,000 | (17) |
| 2005 | ? | 21,000 | (16) |
| 2006 | 4 | 18,700 | (14)(15) |
| 2007 | 4 | 24,094 | (14) |
| 2008 | 15 | 30,000 | (12)(13) |
| 2009 | 37 | 36,500 | (3) |
| 2010 | 34 | 20,000 | (4) |
| 2011 | 20 | 18,000 | (5) |
| 2012 | 37 | 14,500 | (6) |
| 2013 | 22 | 21,000 | (7) |
| 2014 | 25 | 37,000 | (8) |
| 2015 | 9 | 23,000 | (9) |
| 2016 | 3 | 12,000 | (21) |
| 2017 | 7 | 13,000 | (22) |
| 2018 | 0 | 9,500 | (23) |
| 2019 | 4 | 10,000 | (24) |
| 2020 | N/A | ~0 | Cancelled due to COVID lockdown |
| 2021 | ? | ~200 | Unofficial access despite cancellation |
| 2022 | Low | ~6,000–7,000 | First official post-lockdown gathering |
| 2023 | Low/few | ~8,000 | Peaceful; ~154k watched livestream (26) |
| 2024 | 1 (minor assault) | ~15,000 | Peaceful overall (27) |
| 2025 | Low (safe & successful) | ~25,000 (record) | Record attendance – good weather + weekend (25) |
| 2026 | 2 ( + Drones seized) | ~20,000 (record) | Lower than 2025 |
Stonehenge Summer Solstice Attendance by Day of the Week
(2000–2025, excluding 2020 and 2021 – abnormal COVID years)
| Day of Week | Years Included | Number of Years | Average Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | 2004, 2010 | 2 | 20,500 |
| Tuesday | 2005, 2011, 2016, 2022 | 4 | 14,375 |
| Wednesday | 2000, 2006, 2017, 2023 | 4 | 11,925 |
| Thursday | 2001, 2007, 2012, 2018 | 4 | 14,524 |
| Friday | 2002, 2013, 2019, 2024 | 4 | 17,000 |
| Saturday | 2003, 2008, 2014, 2025 | 4 | 30,500 |
| Sunday | 2009, 2015, 2026 | 2 | 26,666 |
Key observation: Weekends (Friday–Sunday) show significantly higher average attendance, with Saturday being the strongest by a clear margin. Parking charges were introduced in 2016 (£15 per car) and have since increased (to £20 in 2025 and £25 in 2026), with pre-booking required in recent years.
2014: English Heritage’s manager of Stonehenge believed all sides had come a long way since the days of the exclusion zones, describing the event as a “peaceful celebration enjoyed by many thousands”. She attributed success to a “close working relationship” with druid and pagan groups as well as Wiltshire Police. (10)
2015: “23,000 people went to Stonehenge to watch the summer solstice sunrise this morning but the General Manager of the site says that is fewer than she was expecting. She added that the celebration was a calm and peaceful one that passed off with relatively few problems.” (11)
(This is a referenced version of the reports, originally prepared at the request of an English Heritage employee.)
Summary of trends (updated June 2026)
Attendance has fluctuated significantly over the years, with notable peaks in 2009 and 2014, followed by a decline and then a strong rebound, culminating in a record ~25,000 in 2025. Despite claims in 2016 of steadily rising numbers driving problems, the data shows variability rather than consistent growth. Arrest numbers have remained very low in recent years, and events are routinely described as peaceful.
Summer Solstice 2026 – Attendance Update
Following the event, Amesbury Police have released official figures for this year’s Summer Solstice.
Confirmed attendance:
• Stonehenge: Around 20,000 people
• Avebury: A further 7,000 people
Arrests: Two arrests were made at Stonehenge on suspicion of assault. Several drones were seized due to the temporary restricted airspace in place.
The police described the event as a “safe and successful occasion” with no major road issues reported. Chief Superintendent Guy Elkins thanked everyone who attended and celebrated responsibly.
This figure is slightly lower than the record ~25,000 seen in 2025 (which fell on a Saturday), but still represents one of the stronger attendances in recent years. The sunny weather and weekend timing clearly contributed to the large turnout.
References
(1) http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-wiltshire-35990687
(2) STONEHENGE SUMMER SOLSTICE 2016 ROUND TABLE GROUP MEETING MINUTES OF THE MEETING HELD ON 7 APRIL 2016 AT ANTROBUS ARMS HOTEL, AMESBURY
(3) http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/wiltshire/8110646.stm
(4) http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/wiltshire/hi/front_page/newsid_8750000/8750983.stm
(5) http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2006112/Summer-solstice-18-000-gather-cloudy-Stonehenge-night-party.html
(6) http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2162495/Summer-solstice-2012-Stonehenge-soggiest-years-Royal-Ascot-set-washout-too.html
(7) http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-wiltshire-22999367
(8) http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-wiltshire-27954267
(9) https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/jun/21/summer-solstice-23000-stonehenge
(10) http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-27405147
(11) http://www.itv.com/news/meridian/update/2015-06-21/fewer-visitors-to-stonehenge-for-solstice-than-expected/
(12) http://www.abc.net.au/news/2008-06-21/big-crowds-cheer-summer-solstice-at-stonehenge/2479504
(13) http://www.megalithic.co.uk/article.php?sid=2146413477
(14) http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/wiltshire/6225118.stm
(15) http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/wiltshire/5098706.stm
(16) http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_pictures/4114146.stm
(17) http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_depth/photo_gallery/3825135.stm
(18) http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/wiltshire/4111416.stm
(19) http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/2057179.stm
(20) http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/1398810.stm
(21) http://www.gazetteandherald.co.uk/news/14569715.Three_arrests_made_at_Stonehenge_during_Solstice_celebrations/
(22) http://www.itv.com/news/westcountry/2017-06-22/seven-arrested-at-a-peaceful-stonehenge-solstice/
(23) https://www.wiltshire.police.uk/article/2835/Summer-Solstice-2018
(24) https://www.wiltshire.police.uk/article/4658/Four-arrested-at-Stonehenge-during-Summer-Solstice
(25) BBC News, June 2025 (record ~25,000 attendance).
(26) English Heritage press release, June 2023.
(27) The Guardian & BBC News, June 2024.
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