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Original poster

To have thought we'd get some sleep at a festival! I think ive made a mistake booking

64 replies

Davidroseswoollyjumpers · 02/07/2026 06:45

Was not expecting a great sleep. Official party/dance music carried on to about 3/3.30 which is as i thought and I was assuming we'd sleep after then/this morning. But one tent of people is still outside drinking and are really loud and talking nonesense/shouting. They aren't even young.

This was a treat for my teen but he won't cope with zero sleep. I think ive made a big mistake. 4 more nights.

OP posts:
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LastoneYawning · 02/07/2026 19:46

QuintadosMalvados · 02/07/2026 09:27

When you go to something like this, you've got to have a live and let live attitude.
Also, trying to relive youth is misguided as the 23-year-old you is not the same as the 50-year-old you.

I honestly think that at certain festivals people over 30 should be banned.
For their sake as much as anyone else's.

Of course the snag is that some places are so expensive only older people can afford the tickets.
If my suggestion was carried out, I'd most definitely be banned. I'm not an 18-year-old having a go at the oldies. 😁

That's OK. I don't want to be lying in a tent at 3am kicking myself for having made a stupid decision thinking I'm the same person I was at 23.

I have been going to festivals for over 30 years. I have friends in their 70s that do. We are fine thank you very much. We have a great time.

Bobbybobbins · 02/07/2026 19:37

When I went to Glastonbury as an 18 year old, I don’t think we slept much for the first 3 nights

EmptyPropertyJapan · 02/07/2026 19:00

In general people do NOT go to festivals to sleep well !

crackofdoom · 02/07/2026 18:31

Delphiniumandlupins · 02/07/2026 12:10

Can you wake the knobheads? Don't see why they should get peace to sleep and you want them tired at a reasonable time tonight.

I would be at least tempted to nick the shoes of the guy passed out half in the tent. But I am a very bad woman.

Delphiniumandlupins · 02/07/2026 12:10

Can you wake the knobheads? Don't see why they should get peace to sleep and you want them tired at a reasonable time tonight.

Ginseng1 · 02/07/2026 11:49

RoseOliviaAu · 02/07/2026 09:17

I have friends who book a hotel near to the festival each night

Show quote history

See I love the sitting around in the morning chatting to other campers talking bout your day who you saw going for a coffee etc so no a hotel would not be an option for me!

Original poster
Davidroseswoollyjumpers · 02/07/2026 11:40

So....
Showers coffee and croissants - and a generally lovely atmosphere - and we are good.

To those saying what did you expect??... fair point!!!

Its a great line up. DS is currently planning the day. He doesn't love crowds or lack of sleep but lives for music and some of his favourite bands here. I figure he'll get a bit of confidence doing this for when old enough to go with friends.

The group who overdid it are currently passed out, one half in/half out of their tent.🤣

The youngsters next to us are drinking fancy lager and eating rice cakes. Its a more civilised generation that we were.

OP posts:
Fupoffyagrasshole · 02/07/2026 10:59

this is just festivals - surely being tired and partying late is part of it all

I've had my daugter at festiivals since she was 2 and never had issues with sleep tbh - we also camp all the time so maybe we just used to it

GertrudePerkinsPaperyThing · 02/07/2026 10:25

blueplates · 02/07/2026 10:22

I found family camping worse as you have babies and young children up as soon as it is light but older teenagers in family camping allowed freedom to stay out late coming back noisily to their tents at 2am. I'd rather be kept awake at night knowing most people around me would be sleeping in until late morning/afternoon.

Sounds a very good point!

blueplates · 02/07/2026 10:22

I found family camping worse as you have babies and young children up as soon as it is light but older teenagers in family camping allowed freedom to stay out late coming back noisily to their tents at 2am. I'd rather be kept awake at night knowing most people around me would be sleeping in until late morning/afternoon.

VanessaFence · 02/07/2026 10:17

It's much easier to sleep through general background noise than a single drunk idiot shouting all night. Even earplugs can't defend you from that. When this happens I normally put a (boring soothing) podcast on in my headphones to drown it out.

Try to get a nap during the day when the campsite is quiet. Even if you can't sleep just lying down for a bit to recharge can be really helpful. Hope tonight goes better for you guys!

Lentilcakes · 02/07/2026 09:40

I haven’t been to a festival (camping) since my 20s - went to Glastonbury twice and def slept for some of the time(!) I do remember being up for most of one night, but that was by choice! it may all have changed though in last 30 years…
All other festivals I went to were day ones - prob realised camping was too grim …

Ablondiebutagoody · 02/07/2026 09:32

I like to camp as close the the perimeter fence and possible. Tents are usually much more generously spaced out there and only on 3 sides of you.

lifeisgoodrightnow · 02/07/2026 09:27

lifeisgoodrightnow · 02/07/2026 09:25

Is it Lytham ? Looks such a great line up my cousins and my best mate are all there. Very jealous.

oops no just seen you’re at rock werchter David Byrne is a ‘must see’

QuintadosMalvados · 02/07/2026 09:27

When you go to something like this, you've got to have a live and let live attitude.
Also, trying to relive youth is misguided as the 23-year-old you is not the same as the 50-year-old you.

I honestly think that at certain festivals people over 30 should be banned.
For their sake as much as anyone else's.

Of course the snag is that some places are so expensive only older people can afford the tickets.
If my suggestion was carried out, I'd most definitely be banned. I'm not an 18-year-old having a go at the oldies. 😁

That's OK. I don't want to be lying in a tent at 3am kicking myself for having made a stupid decision thinking I'm the same person I was at 23.

echt · 02/07/2026 09:26

And this is why I pay top dollar to camp in a shipping container. In a gated part of the festivals I go to in Australia.
I must say though that the sheer noise from the stage means you don't sleep much. Meh.

lifeisgoodrightnow · 02/07/2026 09:25

Is it Lytham ? Looks such a great line up my cousins and my best mate are all there. Very jealous.

Taggiesbeefdaube · 02/07/2026 09:25

waterrat · 02/07/2026 07:32

@Taggiesbeefdaube it's all about where you sleep. Stay in glamping/ quieter camping or off site.

I would not camp in general camping ever again. Honestly it's al ottery and you could be next to a group of teens on drugs or adult men on the piss with no manners.

I'm hoping I'm worrying over nothing. It's the big feastival so not exactly glastonbury. Its a pre pitched tent but still in the general area I think.

Honestly thinking about backing out..

ElizaSchuyler · 02/07/2026 09:23

cuckoolodger · 02/07/2026 07:33

Currently at the formula 1 and we’re are in an accessible electric area. Was very noisy until about 2am and none of us slept particularly well but that’s to be expected as its the first night, unusual beds AND then add on the noise etc. honestly tonight will be better.

Dd camped at Zaandvoort last year and she said it was noisy (often due to the entertainment) but she did sleep and peope were quiet from a certain time onwards.

Not sure I would cope with a proper festiva!

crackofdoom · 02/07/2026 09:20

waterrat · 02/07/2026 07:31

hey Op Im a veteran of many festivals - been to so many different ones from glasto to smaller ones and actually this would also annoy me.

However you have to plan where you camp to avoid this. It only takes one group of drunks to ruin things - I moved my tent at Shindig festival one year because a group of 'stag's were singing loudly until about - I kid you not - 11am from 3am onwards.

Best is familiy camping or quiet camping - however family camping - kids get up at crack of dawn!

there are usually quieter spots. Pre erected tents can sometimes by noisy as people who don't usually camp may be worse behaved!

Could not agree more. I had to leave Boomtown early a couple of years ago- there were even some quieter fields further away from the centre of things where I would have been OK, but I had a free ticket and was obliged to put my stupidly big and difficult to move tent in a specific crew camping thar was on the hillside above all the main stages and sound systems, with the wind blowing from them towards us, and discovered that the official switch off time for all the stages was four am 😱

FeelingALittleWoozyHere · 02/07/2026 09:20

I would definitely have told that group to shut up!

I was once that obnoxious person at a campsite. Was in Australia, we'd been drinking, me and a friend were singing disney show tunes at 2am. A bloke yelled at us to shut up. It suddenly occurred to us that we were being absolute arseholes and went to bed.

60degreecycle · 02/07/2026 09:19

Ginseng1 · 02/07/2026 09:15

This is why I stopped going to festivals at 50, used to go to one every year, a 3 nighter tho. But even in the 'quiet' camping area I just couldn't sleep between noise n the hard ground. Last one I was in bits for a week after. I miss it tho - I'd go if I had a nice camper van to go in so maybe I will again

A van is definitely the way forward...

RoseOliviaAu · 02/07/2026 09:17

Ginseng1 · 02/07/2026 09:15

This is why I stopped going to festivals at 50, used to go to one every year, a 3 nighter tho. But even in the 'quiet' camping area I just couldn't sleep between noise n the hard ground. Last one I was in bits for a week after. I miss it tho - I'd go if I had a nice camper van to go in so maybe I will again

I have friends who book a hotel near to the festival each night

Ginseng1 · 02/07/2026 09:15

This is why I stopped going to festivals at 50, used to go to one every year, a 3 nighter tho. But even in the 'quiet' camping area I just couldn't sleep between noise n the hard ground. Last one I was in bits for a week after. I miss it tho - I'd go if I had a nice camper van to go in so maybe I will again

twilightermummy · 02/07/2026 09:10

I remember going to Leeds fest as a teen (one of the best weekends of my life) and I literally fell asleep in the booming dance tent - I was that tired!

Jealous of those at F1. Hope I can take my lot next year 😊