New music event Chelmsford City Live is coming to Essex this weekend, filled with headline performances from Justin Timberlake, Duran Duran and Olly Murs.
Tens of thousands of music fans will be at Chelmsford City Racecourse on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
It is the first time the new festival will be held in Essex.
Here is all you need to know about the event, including the timings, travel and parking information, and more.
Who is performing at Chelmsford City Live?
The Chelmsford City Live event is on Friday, July 4, Saturday, July 5 and Sunday, July 6.
Ten-time GRAMMY Award winner Justin Timberlake will headline the opening show on Friday.
Also performing on the Friday is Jess Glynne, plus Norwegian pop star Dagny, and four-piece collective CTRL.
On Saturday, Rock and Roll Hall of Famers Duran Duran will headline.
They are supported by disco legends Nile Rodgers & CHIC, with JC Stewart set to open the show.
Local Essex popstar Olly Murs will headline on Sunday, joined by Blue, Lemar, his friend and radio co-host Mark Wright, and The Rock Choir Vocal Group.
What are the timings for Chelmsford City Live?
General admission and accessible gates will open at 3pm, with VIP gates and car parking gates to open at 2pm.
Entertainment is due to finish at around 11pm.
Organisers say show times are always subject to change, so suggest arriving early to soak up the atmosphere.
Getting to Chelmsford City Live
The event is taking place at Chelmsford City Racecourse, Chelmsford CM3 1QP.
The racecourse is seven-and-a-half miles outside of Chelmsford itself.
🎤 @ollymurs & @officialblue Live at Chelmsford City Live! 🎶🔥
— Chelmsford City Live (@ChelmsCityLive) February 21, 2025
From Olly’s feel-good hits to Blue’s iconic classics, this is the ultimate summer party you don’t want to miss! ☀️🎶
🎟️ Tickets are selling fast—grab yours now! pic.twitter.com/wlSID5yS30
Uber and Lyft do not operate in Chelmsford, and local taxi services will be extremely limited during the festival – you will need to book ahead.
Premium parking is in the main venue car park, very close to the festival entrance.
General admission parking and the drop-off and pick-up area are around a 10 to 15 minute walk to the festival.
Festival parking can only be booked in advance for general admission, accessible and VIP parking.
Parking can be purchased for Friday, Saturday and Sunday on Ticketmaster.
It is recommended to allow for plenty of time for your arrival, with congestion in the area expected.
Shuttle buses will operate between the racecourse and Chelmsford Premier Inn next to the train station, running every half an hour from 2pm.
There are also buses running to and from Braintree Bus Station, running every 30 minutes from 4pm.
These services will run throughout each night of the event.
Other shuttle services will run from Basildon, Billericay, Bishops Stortford, Colchester, Epping, Shenfield and Southend.
These will drop off at the racecourse and then remain at the venue until the event finishes.
For more information on the Shuttle Bus times and locations or to book for Friday, Saturday, or Sunday, head to the Ticketmaster website.
Arrive in good time for your shuttle bus, as it will leave on time.
Return journeys will leave Chelmsford City Racecourse 30 minutes after the concerts finish.
If you have wheelchair access requirements and would like to use bus shuttle services, contact the organisers.
If you are getting the train, Chelmsford City Racecourse is seven-and-a-half miles from the city’s train station.
Trains will be running to the Colchester, Ipswich, Liverpool Street, Norwich and Stratford.
Visit the Greater Anglia website for all scheduled journeys across the weekend and any updates to local services.
Food, drink, merch and bag policy for Chelmsford City Live
There will be official merchandise for sale at the festival.
A variety of food and drink stalls will be available at the racecourse, and attendees cannot bring any food or drink into the venue.
Each person can bring one sealed water bottle (max 500ml), and one empty reusable water bottle, and there are free water re-fill stations at the venue.
If you have a medical condition, then a doctor’s note will permit diet-specific food and drink only.
Bags larger than an A4 piece of paper are not permitted. All bags are subject to a search, so it is advised to avoid bringing one to help speed up entry.
For all additional information, please visit the Chelmsford City Live FAQs page.
Tickets for Chelmsford City Live
Final tickets for all three nights are available now from the Chelmsford City Live website.
All Chelmsford City Live 2025 tickets are mobile entry and you must download your tickets before heading to the festival site.
Download or update the latest version of the Ticketmaster app for your phone. Find your order in My Events. View your tickets by tapping View Barcode.
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Once you have viewed your tickets in the Ticketmaster App, your ticket is automatically saved.
Ensure you do not log out of the app as screenshots of your barcodes won’t get you in.
iPhone users cannot save their tickets to their digital wallet at this time. Android users are welcome to save to their digital wallet.
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