Jeremy Clarkson’s Diddly Squat Farm to host ‘hell on earth’ event as 25,000 set to descend
Locals fear it could plunge the area into gridlock
Cotswolds locals claim they’re bracing themselves for “hell on earth” as Jeremy Clarkson’s Diddly Squat Farm prepares to welcome one of the nation’s largest agricultural exhibitions.
The television personality behind Clarkson’s Farm has announced that his Oxfordshire property will play host to the 2026 Cereals Event, drawing approximately 25,000 attendees and over 550 exhibitors across two days in June.
The crop farming exhibition will feature live demonstrations, field displays, equipment showcases, and a social area including a “Farmer’s Dog bar” alongside the existing farm shop.
However, residents are expressing concerns that the gathering could bring traffic chaos to the region.
One frustrated neighbour declared: “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.”, reports the Express.
A second local warned the occasion would “impact the natural beauty” of the vicinity, whilst another quipped: “The council should treble the number of parking inspectors working. They would make a fortune.”
Yet not all residents share these concerns, with some highlighting that the Cotswolds already welcome 35 million tourists annually.
“The Cotswolds local district has a population of 91,000 people. You’re worried about 25,000 over a weekend?” one remarked. Another commented: “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, whose agricultural struggles have become one of Amazon Prime’s biggest television hits, maintains the event will benefit the sector.
He informed 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.”
Exhibition director Alli McEntyre revealed the show would “deliver a technical progressive arable and raise the profile of British farming,” whilst countryside agronomist Charlie Ireland – recognised by supporters as ‘Cheerful Charlie’ – has been heavily involved in developing the schedule.
“Diddly Squat Farm, like any other, is impacted by unpredictable weather and market volatility,” he explained. “Cereals will provide a platform for discussions on sustainable, profitable food production.”