The 48th annual Great Dorset Steam Fair starts today.

Here’s our guide to the site itself and what’s due to take place.

What is it?

A giant annual five-day celebration of all things steam and more. Taking place across 600 acres, it is one of Europe’s largest outdoor events.

Since it first launched in 1968, the popular annual event has attracted hundreds of thousands of visitors. 

When’s it on?

The Great Dorset Steam Fair has new dates this year and will be running over the August bank holiday weekend.

It takes place from Thursday, August 25 to Monday, August 29. It was moved to the weekend instead of the week so more families could attend.

Managing director Martin Oliver said: "Now that we no longer clash with other major local events such as the Bournemouth Air Show and the Dorset County Show, we also hope to welcome more visitors from Dorchester, Weymouth, Poole and Bournemouth this year.”

How do I get there?

The fair is held at Southdown in Tarrant Hinton, which is on the A354 between Blandford and Salisbury. The postcode you’ll need for your sat nav is DT11 8HX

Won’t I just get stuck in traffic?

The Great Dorset Steam Fair attracts around 200,000 people so it will inevitably be busy on the roads. Roads which will be particularly affected include the A354 and the A350, although all routes in and around Blandford town centre are likely to experience considerable congestion.

However, as this year’s event doesn’t coincide with the Bournemouth Air Festival as that took place last weekend which should make main routes in Dorset less congested.

Is it suitable for the disabled?

Yes and there is a car park for disabled people on site next to the main arena and Campsite 3A.

I don’t have a car. Is there any public transport to the fair?

Yes! The nearest station is Salisbury with a direct bus route to the showground. Bus company Damory are running services to and from the fair from Salisbury and Blandford. The X20 service runs from Salisbury Railway Station from 8.15am with the last bus leaving the site at 7.15pm.

What will the weather be like?

It's looking very good! Obviously there are still a few days to go and the forecast could still change but it looks like you won’t need to worry about wading through mud this year as it’s going to be dry and sunny for the entire event with temperatures reaching 21C.

Do I need tickets in advance?

Advanced tickets can be purchased from more than 20 Tourist Information Centres across the region or you can buy a ticket on the day when you arrive at the showground.

Advance tickets are £16.50 for adults, £15 for seniors or £7 for children aged between six and 15. Monday tickets are £10 in advance.

You can also visit in the evening from 5pm which costs £8 for adults and seniors and children under 16 are free.

How much does entry cost on the day?

At the gate, tickets will cost £20 for adults, £17 for seniors and £8 for children. Monday tickets are £14 for adults and seniors.

What about camping?

The deadline to pre-pay for camping at the steam fair has already passed. Prepaid campsites opened at 8am on Monday and will close midday on Tuesday, August 30.

Will it be muddy again?

Last year a new road system was put in place to address problems in 2014 created by wet weather.

The weather forecast is looking really good and there hasn’t been much rain recently, but it won’t hurt to pack your wellies just in case!

The showground is uneven as it’s a working farm so you’ll need to wear sensible shoes.

How easy is it to get around the site?

A shuttle bus will operate a hop on and off service around the showground for the sixth year running.

What time does it start?

Car parks open at 7am and the main showground opens at 8am with five arenas open at different times throughout the day.

Arena One is the heavy haulage arena and is open every day 11am until 6pm (5pm on Monday) where you’ll find steam locomotives, tractors, steam rollers and even steam cars

Arena Two features stunts, classic cars, vintage motorcycles and the Big Pete Monster Truck Display Team. It’s open from 11am until around 4pm or 7pm on Sunday

Arena Three is the heavy horse ring and is open between 10am and 5pm on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and bank holiday Monday then 8.30am until 5pm on Sunday’s heavy horse show day.

Arena Four has commercial vehicles and military vehicles and is open from 12pm until mid-afternoon.

The Countryside Arena is open from 10.30am until around 5pm. Inside this arena you’ll find a sheep show, falconry, gun dogs and The Wye Valley Axemen.

What else there to see and do?

There will be stunts from the Bolddog Lings Freestyle Motorcycle Display Team who will be performing tricks such as the ‘look back heart attack’, ‘kiss of death’ and ‘holy grab’.

Plus you’ll also get to see riders from Xtreme Stunt Team perform their new show and witness car crushing action from the Big Pete Monster Truck Display Team.

There’s also a shopping marquee, fairground, live music and dance shows to keep you entertained. You’ll find more about the music below.

What’s not to miss this year?

There’s a WWI Centenary Commemoration Display which this year will commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Battle of the Somme.

This year marks 50 years since the Steam Plough Club (SPC) was founded. In conjunction with the SPC and National Traction Engine Trist, there will be a special exhibition held as part of the Great Dorset Steam Fair.

There will also be over 20 steam heavy haulage road locomotives and more than 30 steam engines.

Tell me more about the live music

When we say live music, there’s an entire festival dedicated to it!

There are six stages to choose from; An Outdoor Concert Stage, Real Ale Marquee, The Black Bull Stage, Shires Arms, Countryman Stage and the Michael Oliver Marquee. Expect to find everything from punk to folk and even country and western.

The Outdoor Concert Stage is the biggest and acts lined-up include Stereotonics, Oasish, The Wurzels, Saints of Sin, Coldplace, Mainly Madness and the Skimmity Hitchers.

What about food and drink?

There’s space for 50 independent food stands inside the Food Hall Marquees offering everything from freshly baked bread, cakes and pastries, home-made speciality sausages and pies, strawberries, cream teas, local jams, cheese, pickles and ploughman’s lunches.

Interesting facts...

At the site, you’ll find more than 1,000 trade stands, 2,000 exhibitors and even 600 portable loos.

Setting up for the event takes two weeks and 10 days to clear away once it’s over.