STONEHENGE, England- Dancing, chanting and beating drums, thousands of people greeted the year's longest day Friday amid the prehistoric megaliths of Stonehenge.
While millions of their compatriots rose early to watch England's World Cup quarterfinal clash with Brazil, more than 20,000 partygoers, self-styled druids and New Age followers watched dawn break over the 4,000-year-old stone circle.
As the sun - obscured by thick cloud - rose over the lichen-covered stones, revelers beat drums, banged gongs and blew whistles.
"It's such a cool place to be," said John Rothwell, a computer technician from Telford in central England who called himself a "traditional British witch" and added, "Everybody needs a reason to gather together, a place of reverence."
The stones were opened to the public for the solstice two years ago, after being closed following violence between police and revelers in 1985.
Police said Friday's gathering was peaceful, but that 11 people were arrested for drunkenness and drug offenses. Several people were ejected from the site after clambering onto the stones.
Stonehenge - the remnants of the last in a sequence of circular monuments built between 3000 B.C. and 1600 B.C. - has become a traditional gathering place at the solstice, the northern hemisphere's longest day and the first day of summer.
Exactly how and why Stonehenge was built remains a mystery. Some experts believe it is aligned with the sun simply because its builders came from a sun-worshipping culture, while others believe the site was part of a huge astronomical calendar.