SUMMER Solstice will return to Stonehenge this year - if the lockdown restrictions are lifted as planned.

The celebration is due to take place on the evening of June 20 into the morning of June 21 - the same date all legal restrictions are due to be lifted in England.

UPDATE: Summer Solstice at Stonehenge called off

English Heritage has said it is "well underway" with planning, and is working carefully with the police, Wiltshire Council and other authorities to "keep abreast of the latest Covid guidance and how it impact on access to Stonehenge."

However, if the guidance changes for England or Wiltshire, English Heritage says plans will need to change.

Sunrise..The Summer Solstice at Stonehenge DC9147P67 Picture by Tom Gregory.

Sunrise..The Summer Solstice at Stonehenge DC9147P67 Picture by Tom Gregory.

It added that "plenty of additional safety measures" will be place, and asks that anyone who is thinking of coming, checks details of these along with precautionary health measures and the usual conditions of entry.

It said: "Anyone arriving on 20 June can expect to see socially distanced queuing, hand sanitiser stations, and reminders to keep your distance and to stay within groups of fewer than 30. Catering outlets will all operate under Covid-secure arrangements.

"We are asking everyone who attends to be considerate of their own safety and that of those around them, to respect the stones and remember that this is a spiritual occasion for many.

"As proved enormously successful last year, we will be live-streaming the sunset and sunrise for free so that those who cannot join us or feel nervous about attending an event with lots of people, may still enjoy the occasion from the comfort and safety of their own home."

Handout photo issued by English Heritage of Stonehenge in Wiltshire, during a soggy start after the shortest night of the year, as more than 3.6 million people around the world tuned in to a livestream from Stonehenge on Saturday night and Sunday morning

Handout photo issued by English Heritage of Stonehenge in Wiltshire, during a soggy start after the shortest night of the year, as more than 3.6 million people around the world tuned in to a livestream from Stonehenge on Saturday night and Sunday morning

The event was live streamed last year, and watched by more than three million people.

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