Oxegen festival gets underway at Punchestown

The annual Oxegen festival gets underway in earnest today at Punchestown racecourse in Co Kildare.

The campsites were opened to early revellers yesterday, with performances on the main stages due to begin today.

The organisers say 70,000 camping tickets have been sold for the three-day event, along with 10,000 day tickets.

Gardaí are warning motorists to expect heavy traffic in the area over the weekend and are advising people attending the festival to use public transport wherever possible.

Park-and-ride facilities are available at Goffs and Flood's Cross in Naas, while Bus Eireann is running services from Custom House Quay from 11am this morning.

The weather forecast for the weekend is mixed, with showers and sunny spells expected throughout the three days.