PREPARATIONS for the start of today’s Latitude festival are now in place.

The rain continues to threaten but the stages are built and the on-site team have finalised the last few details. Campsites are also showing signs of life, with festivalgoers arriving from all corners of the country.

Thousands of people are expected to descend on Henham Park, near Southwold, for the event, which runs over the weekend.

Melvin Benn, founder and creator of Latitude and managing director of Festival Republic, said he was confident it would not fall foul of the weather.

“Ground conditions are still good and I’m really hopeful we are going to be spared some of the weather horrors we have seen recently,” he said. “I can’t wait for everyone to be here.”

The festival, now in its seventh year, will see Bon Iver, Elbow and Paul Weller headline the main stage. The event’s numerous arenas will show theatre performances, cabaret, films, comedy sketches from the likes of Jack Dee and Tim Minchin and literature and poetry readings.

Latitude has worked with Norfolk and Suffolk constabularies and Suffolk County Council to develop traffic management plans which aims to ease congestion.

Organisers estimate peak traffic flows are likely to be on the A12 northbound and the A145 southbound during the late morning and afternoon of today and tomorrow morning.

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