Grow Wild is the UK’s biggest-ever wild flower campaign, bringing people together to transform local spaces with native, pollinator-friendly wild flowers and plants.

Grow Wild has designed the colourful living archway leading into the Greenpeace Field, which is packed with native wild flowers including red campion, oxeye daisy, yellow rattle and many more. Come and call in at their space nearby to find out more about the importance of native wild flowers, how communities across the UK are already doing something positive where they live, and why small actions can lead to big changes.

You can also join in by sending a free Grow Wild postcard to your future self, or a loved one, with a gift of wild flower seeds. Supported by the Big Lottery Fund, Grow Wild is the national outreach initiative of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Register for your free packet of wild flower seeds today to get them in time for autumn sowing – www.growwilduk.com.

The Psychoactive Substances Act 2016 came into force last month, bringing an end to so-called legal highs. Under the new legislation it is an offence to produce, supply, offer to supply, possess with intent to supply, import or export psychoactive substances. As contraband goods, these substances are banned at Glastonbury.

A psychoactive substance is defined in the new law as a substance which is capable of affecting a person’s mental functioning or emotional state, but is not currently controlled as a class A, B or C drug. This includes Nitrous Oxide.

Avon and Somerset Police said: “Psychoactive Substances are extremely dangerous and since their emergence have been linked with numerous incidents where people have been admitted to hospital, suffered long-term harm and even died. Anyone selling so-called legal highs at Glastonbury will now be breaking the law, and if caught doing so, could face a maximum prison sentence of seven years.”

For more information, please see the Glastonbury Police website.

If you’re still planning your journey to Glastonbury, then one of the greenest ways to arrive is with National Express, which is offering services direct to the Festival’s bus station from 70+ towns and cities across the UK.  And, for those coming in a group of four or more people, their group travel discount gives you 25% off standard fares.

This year, the first National Express services arrive at the Festival site at 05:30 on Wednesday, June 22. There are also more early morning Monday departures, with the first coaches leaving the site on Monday, June 27, morning at 2am, enabling people to get home in time for breakfast

From London, coaches depart Victoria Coach Station from 02:00 on Wednesday through to 15:30 on Friday – with coaches every half an hour at peak periods.

All services are direct to the Festival’s own bus station, at the heart of the Glastonbury site.

For more information and to book, head to www.nationalexpress.com/glastonbury.

New to the Festival and part of the revamped John Peel area, The Wood is a miraculously undiscovered patch of woodland complete with a natural willow-lined pond called Peeter’s Pond. This is an area of the farm that has never been opened up to the public before. The Wood is the creation of the Avalon and Glade crew who also created The Spike in a small patch of hidden woodland in the centre of the site near the Glade.

Together with a new team of local crew and with the blessing of Michael and Emily they been working all year to make this a feature for the North West of the Festival creating low impact pathways between the trees and linking natural clearings in parts of the woodland with lighting effects, installations and other Glastonbury moments to discover.

Right next to John Peel this is a real haven, a far cry from the South East Corner but feels like coming home to us. A view of the Tor, a camp café in the trees, the Pyramid a stones throw away, a bar and loving attraction to this most beautiful bit of Pilton Park; this will be the magical place to be from dawn till dusk and beyond.

This year we are working again with GoCarShare to encourage people to share journeys, to cut congestion and help reduce our carbon footprint.

If you think that you might have a spare seat in your car, you can add it on the Glastonbury car share site and help Festival-goers get down to the farm, whilst getting a contribution to the journey costs.

Last year people car shared from every corner of the UK, and beyond. This year, GoCarShare are hoping that even more drivers will offer lifts. Festival-goers can get involved in the car share here.

Here’s another batch of Jason Bryant’s photos with just eight days until the gates open here at Worthy Farm.

We’re pleased to announce that the Stroke Association is attending Glastonbury Festival as our Health Charity of the Year for 2016 and they want you to get your hands dirty to help conquer stroke.

Stroke is one of the greatest health challenges of our time but doesn’t get the attention or funding it deserves – especially compared to cancer and heart disease. Stroke Association is the leading charity in the UK changing the world for people affected by stroke. They want to change how people think about this devastating disease. But they can’t do it on their own.

Visit them in the Green Futures field where you will be invited to sign a petition for better support for stroke survivors and leave a purple hand print on a wall of pledges. You can also show your support by taking a selfie in their purple photo booth and share using the hashtag #conquerstroke.

Stroke Association staff will be on hand to give free blood pressure checks and information and advice about preventing a stroke. Many people don’t know that a stroke can happen to anyone at any age.

For more info and to sign the petition now visit: stroke.org.uk/NewEra

UPDATE: Today (Sunday, 12 June) is the last day to order one of EE’s Juice Tube Power Banks to use / swap at this year’s Glastonbury. A limited quantity will also be available to purchase at the Festival.

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We’re pleased to announce that the official Glastonbury 2016 mobile app is now available to download, for free. The app, which has been built by EE, is the only official mobile app for this year’s Festival. It’s available for devices using Apple iOS and Android. Click the buttons below to download the app now.

The app allows you to build your personal line-up and connect to Facebook so you can see what your mates plan to see. It also features an interactive map, allowing you to share map pins to help coordinate places to meet, or show people where your tent is.

Plus, you can keep up with the latest Festival news and – if you allow notifications (which we would recommend) – get major updates direct to your home screen.

KEEP YOUR MOBILE CHARGED

EE is, once again, also providing free mobile charging in their recharge tent at this year’s Festival (whatever network you’re on). Plus, you can buy a Juice Tube Power Bank, to keep your phone charged all through the festival. You’ll be able to swap your Juice Tube for a fully charged one, once every day at Glastonbury Festival 2016. Click here for more info.

Glasto Latino is the Festival’s very own corner of Latin America, full of the sights, sounds and smells of the region where rhythm, colour, movement and passion take centre stage.

Every night, after the main stages finish, they hold their famous salsa parties, with top acts from around the world; in the afternoons their awesome teachers give dance classes in salsa, tango and reggaetón. To celebrate their ninth year, they are extending the programme, running all the way through from Wednesday afternoon, with music every night.

The Glasto Latino field is at the night-time entrance to the South-East (aka Naughty!) Corner – between Block 9 and The Common. For lots more info, head to their area page.

As this article from Avon & Somerset Constabulary on their Glastonbury-specific site explains, unmanned aerial vehicles (aka drones) are banned at Glastonbury and it is illegal to use them at the Festival. Please do not bring them.

For more Glastonbury police advice, head over to glastonburypolice.co.uk.