The exodus has begun as campers make their way home from the Glastonbury Festival, leaving behind tonnes of debris.

A major clean-up operation is under way on Worthy Farm as the 1,000-acre festival site is turned back into farm land, with 1,800 litter pickers scouring the grounds for rubbish while revellers pack up their tents and head for the exits.

A festivalgoer in in the mud at the Glastonbury Festival, at Worthy Farm in Somerset.
(Yui Mok/PA)

The 135,000 festival-goers are expected to leave behind 500,000 sacks of rubbish, 57 tonnes of reusable items and 1,022 tonnes of recycling, according to the Glastonbury Free Press.

Bleary-eyed campers will load up their cars and camper vans and try to leave the site – but the muddy conditions which plagued arrivals on Wednesday and continued throughout the festival could cause delays and traffic chaos.

Festivalgoers in the mud at the Glastonbury Festival, at Worthy Farm in Somerset
(Yui Mok/PA)

Organisers have warned people to prepare for the worst, advising: “If your vehicle has a towing eye, please attach this ready for possible towing.”

Tractor and tow crews will be on hand in case of trouble. The AA said they were preparing for the busiest day of the festival.

On Sunday evening, headliners Coldplay closed the festival on the Pyramid Stage, bringing on special guests including festival founder Michael Eavis – who performed Frank Sinatra’s My Way – and Bee Gees star Barry Gibb.

 Chris Martin of Coldplay performing live on The Pyramid Stage at the Glastonbury Festival, at Worthy Farm in Somerset.
(Yui Mok/PA)

The band also paid tribute to the band Viola Beach, whose four members and manager died in a car accident in February. Coldplay gave Viola Beach their posthumous Glastonbury debut by performing their song Boys That Sing.

Muse made a triumphant return to Glastonbury Festival when they played the Pyramid Stage on Friday, completing their hat-trick – having now headlined all nights of the festival.

Matt Bellamy of Muse performing at the Glastonbury Festival, at Worthy Farm in Somerset.
(Ben Birchall/PA)

Adele overcame her nerves about the size of the crowd to make her Glastonbury debut, which she hailed “the best moment of my life”.

Between cackled anecdotes and rambling expletive-filled musings, Adele treated the crowd to hits from her career-making Hometown Glory to Send My Love and When We Were Young from her new album 25.

Adele performing live on the Pyramid Stage at the Glastonbury Festival, at Worthy Farm in Somerset.
(Yui Mok/PA)

The EU referendum loomed large over Glastonbury Festival 2016, with the vote taking place on the Thursday.

By Friday morning when news broke that the UK had voted to leave the EU, there was a sombre mood among campers.