Cotswolds locals 'bracing for chaos' as 25,000 set to descend on Clarkson's Farm

Cotswolds residents say they are preparing for "hell on earth" as Jeremy Clarkson's Diddly Squat Farm is set to host one of Britain's biggest farming showcases. The Clarkson's Farm star has confirmed the 2026 Cereals Event will be staged at his Oxfordshire site, attracting around 25,000 visitors and more than 550 exhibitors over two days in June. The arable farming show promises live demonstrations, crop plots, machinery displays, and a networking hub complete with a "Farmer's Dog bar" and the farm shop.

But locals are warning that the event could plunge the area into gridlock. One neighbour fumed: "It's going to be hell on earth for me, living next door. The roads are tiny single-track lanes. When the shop opened it caused mayhem. People couldn't get out of their houses to go to work or to medical appointments. No one could get through or around Chipping Norton. People just dumped their cars, and everywhere was gridlocked. What are the dates? I'm going to make sure I am far away on holiday somewhere."

Another resident said the event would "impact the natural beauty" of the area, while a third joked: "The council should treble the number of parking inspectors working. They would make a fortune."

But not everyone is opposed, with some pointing out that the Cotswolds already attract 35million visitors a year. "The Cotswolds local district has a population of 91,000 people. You're worried about 25,000 over a weekend?" one said.

Another added: "If you're going to have a country show, it's going to be in the country, on country lanes. We have something similar near us called the Southwell Ploughing Match, and a different location hosts it each year. Yes, it's chaos for three days, but it's fun and good for the area. All country shows cause a bit of chaos."

Clarkson, who has turned his farming misadventures into one of Amazon Prime's most successful TV series, insists the event will be a boost for the industry.

He told Farmer's Weekly: "Farmers across the country are facing some of the toughest conditions seen in decades. So we wanted to be involved in something positive, and hosting Cereals was an opportunity for us to run a large-scale, practical event for UK food producers.

"For us, it will be interesting to see how the event's crop plots perform on our Cotswold brash land, and of course, there will be the pop-up Farmer's Dog bar and the Hawkstone Filling Station to enjoy."

Event director Alli McEntyre said the show would "deliver a technical progressive arable and raise the profile of British farming," while rural agronomist Charlie Ireland - known to fans as 'Cheerful Charlie' - has been closely involved in curating the programme.

"Diddly Squat Farm, like any other, is impacted by unpredictable weather and market volatility," he said. "Cereals will provide a platform for discussions on sustainable, profitable food production."