- Music
- 08 Jul 04
Here it is Oxegen-goers: all you need to know about the coming weekend festival including transport, camping, opening times, what to bring, etc. etc. etc.
Oxegen opening times
Campsite opens: Friday, 12 noon
Arena gates open: Saturday & Sunday, 11am
How to get to Oxegen
There are a number of ways you can get to Punchestown Racecourse. But unless you have access to a car (and a designated driver), bus is the easiest way to get to Punchestown.
Buses will deliver you directly to the festival site, travelling from Dublin city centre every 20 minutes. The buses depart from Parnell Square West between the following hours:
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Friday: 1 - 9pm
Saturday: 11am - 5pm
Sunday: 10am - 4pm
The return bus service from Punchestown to Dublin will begin at approximately 10pm.
Return bus tickets, priced at €20, can be purchased from Dublin Bus (59 Upper O’ Connell, Dublin 1), the Sound Cellar (Nassau Street) or Ticketmaster outlets nationwide.
Please note that the return tickets are only valid for one day. This means that if you're going to Oxegen both days - and returning to Dublin Saturday night - then you will need to buy two return tickets at a total cost of €40.
Travelling by car
* Traffic from M1, N2, N3 and N4: travel via M50 to RedCow Roundabout and N7 to Naas and then via R410 to Punchestown.
* Traffic from South Dublin: travel via N81 to Blessington and via R411 to Ballymoreustace and Punchestown.
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* Traffic from the South of the country: travel via N7/M7 to the Curragh, then via R413 to Kilcullen, then via R448 to Punchestown.
Once you get to Naas there will be Oxegen signposts marking the way. So stay cool, drive safely and avoid road rage.
Parking and drop-off points
Free car parking is available on the site. Cars parked on surrounding roads or outside of the designated on site areas will be towed away.
There will be two clearly signposted drop-off points for private cars and taxis only. If you’re calling a taxi home, tell them the name of that particular drop-off point (because there are two!).
Ticket collection
Ticketmaster collections are located in car park 1.
Underage party people
If you are under 18, an accompanying parent/guardian. It is recommended that the guardian is aged 25 years or over, and they will need to fill out a consent form at the entrance to the site. This can completed in advance by downloading it from here.
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Stuff to bring
* Whatever you may want signed at the HP Signing Tent (CDs, posters, Hot Press covers!)
* Sun cream, hat, shades (remember last year, lobster people?).
* Rain gear, just in case (eg, waterproof shoes, hat).
* Medication: inhalers, insulin, pain killers, etc. (better to be safe than sorry).
* Condoms (better to be safe than sorry!).
* Money for food, drink, merchandise, etc (there are no ATMs on site).
* Camping gear (tent, sleeping bag, torch, bog roll, plastic rubbish bags).
* Your Oxegen ticket!
* If you are over 18, proof of age identification (if you want to drink).
Stuff to leave behind
* Anti-social attitudes - spread the love instead!
* Illegal drugs of any ilk. The stage areas and campsites will be patrolled heavily by security – it is simply not worth the risk.
* Weapons, or anything that could be considered a weapon (this includes camping mallets and umbrellas).
* Stoves, barbecues and other cooking equipment
* Valuable items (thieves go to festivals too).
* Glass containers (including ketchup bottles, beer bottles, etc,).
* Full or partially opened bottles of drink. Only unopened or empty water bottles will be permitted (you can top them up at the standpipes).
Camping tips
* Only people who have pre-purchased weekend camping passes may set up camp.
* The campsite is open from Friday afternoon to Monday morning (your camping wristband must remain intact for this period!).
* No fires of any kind are allowed (tents are highly flammable objects).
* Selected food stalls will be located within the campsite.
* Bring a lock for your tent if you do take the risk of bringing valuable items (thieves camp too).
Other tips for seasoned and virgin festival-goers
* One day ticket holders will not be given pass-outs.
* Make a meeting site with your friends (mobile phone coverage is typically shoddy)
* Drink loads of water and pace your booze intake.
* Don’t drink and drive - ever.
* Surefire ways to get thrown out include crowd surfing, moshing + pyramid building
* Eat, eat, eat! There will be a diverse array of food stalls, including vegetarian options, on the site.
HAVE FUN!