“We travelled nine days to get here”, said one group of Mexican mushrooms. “We are very excited.”

The longest day of the year brought people from far and wide to Avebury to celebrate this year’s Summer Solstice.

They were rewarded with a beautiful sunset and, for those staying up for the year’s shortest night, a sunny morning the following day.

As the sun set, an almost full moon rose behind the stones. 

“Apparently this is a really rare occurrence, so it makes my first time here extra special”, said Malcolm, who found the Sostice celebrations by chance while cycling back to Cardiff from Kent.

Hundreds gathered around the stones with many dressed for occasion.

For many this was more than a night of revelry with Pagans and Druids gathering at Avebury and nearby Stonehenge to celebrate a unique time of year in places of special significance.

The centre of the celebrations was the annual sunset performance, which this year involved fairies and woodland creatures dancing around a large mushroom to energetic samba-like drumming.

Measures had been taken to keep the celebrations orderly and clean with surrounding roads coned off to parking, and attendees reporting a higher than usual police presence.