Chaos Erupts After Justin Timberlake’s Chelmsford Show as Fans Left Stranded for Hours
So let me tell you what went down in Chelmsford after Justin Timberlake’s highly-anticipated return to the UK stage — and trust me, the music wasn’t the only thing people were talking about.
On Friday night, around 25,000 fans packed into Chelmsford City Racecourse for the kickoff of Chelmsford City Live. Timberlake, the 10-time Grammy winner, lit up the stage with a performance fans had waited years for — the last time he performed in Essex was way back in 2014 during the V Festival. But while his show was electric, what followed was an absolute nightmare for thousands.
Imagine this: You’ve just danced the night away, adrenaline is high, you're ready to head home — and then… nothing. You’re stuck. Car parks were gridlocked. People were stranded in fields. Fans literally waited hours just to move a few feet in the car park. Some just gave up and walked home. Others vented online, calling it chaos and a total failure of planning.
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A car fire earlier on the A131 didn’t help, and there were other vehicle incidents around the area too. It created a perfect storm of gridlock that backed up for miles. Some people abandoned their cars altogether to make it in time for Timberlake’s set — walking over grass verges, crossing major roads. Then after the show? Same story in reverse. Confusion. Horns blaring. No clear signage. No direction. It turned into what some described as “a free-for-all.”
There were even reports of people getting aggressive — banging on buses, shouting abuse, ignoring traffic marshals. The nearby Dog and Partridge pub had fans flooding in before the gig because of pre-show traffic madness. Locals couldn’t get home from work without spending two to three hours on the road — a journey that usually takes ten minutes.
The racecourse has apologized, saying they hadn’t anticipated how badly things would go and blamed several “unforeseen incidents.” They say they’ve revised the traffic management plan for the next two nights, with Duran Duran on Saturday and Olly Murs headlining on Sunday.
But fans are skeptical — and I get it. One attendee said the event was amazing, but the evening was “completely overshadowed” by how badly the exit was handled. Another said she felt lucky to get out in under an hour, while others were still sitting in the parking lot three hours later.
This wasn’t just a hiccup — it was a logistical meltdown. A concert is supposed to be a memory you cherish, not one you relive in frustration. And with more major acts lined up for the weekend, all eyes are now on the organizers to fix it — fast.
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