Thousands of fans have begun arriving at Punchestown racecourse for the Oxegen '08 music festival.
The sunny humid conditions of mid-morning gave way to light showers in the afternoon, but the conditions underfoot are nowhere near as bad as last year where torrential rainfall caused the ground to churn up from the beginning of the festival.
Remedial works which saw 20 kilometres of new roads being built on the sites and 10 kilometres of temporary tracks has kept the way to the campsites and the car-park free of mud.
Promoters MCD have offered new tickets to 40 fans from Belfast who had to abandon theirs when their bus travelling to the venue caught on fire on the M50 this afternoon just after the Finglas exit.
Alternative transport will also be provided for them along with camping equipment and blankets.
The incident closed the M50 for a time and caused tailbacks to the junction with the M1.
Gardaí opened the central median of the road that is being used for roadworks to relieve the tailbacks. Delays are unlikely to ease until later this evening. However, there are no tailbacks approaching the venue.
Fans arrived in good cheer weighed down by camping gear and crates of beer. Of the multitude of acts which will play this year's festival, headliners Kings of Leon and Rage against the Machine appear to be generating the most excitement.
Matthew McManus (17), from Roscommon, said: “If there was one band it would be Rage Against because they are unbelievable."
Ryan Keane (18) from Roscommon town, said: “Rage is the one that everyone wants to see. They've been gone for 10 years. They're back and they're headlining.”
Marty Cooper (17) from Belfast said: “Their live shows are just infamous and the crowds are just awesome.”
Nicholas Deboar (18) from Carrickduff, Co Antrim, added: “Rage Against the Machine are a massive band, but the Kings of Leon following Interpol is my idea of what Oxegen should be like”.
The Future Kings of Spain will open the festival tomorrow evening at 5pm.
