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Original poster

Sunday night Reading festival nightmare - do they even care?

354 replies

itsallabittiring · 31/08/2021 19:20

I wanted to ask about the experience people had on Sunday night in the campsites. My daughter, who is 18 and fairly streetwise, said it was absolutely terrifying as people were going round blowing tents up using aerosols. There was also a massive fight right next to them and then a stampede of people trampled over her tent. They seriously feared for their lives. Until then they had had quite a good time, although some men camping nearby had been threatening on and off so they felt a bit unsafe at times.
Security guards were next to useless apparently and a few of them were apparently clearly on drugs and were asking people for 'Ket'.
It literally sounded like the most unsafe place you could probably think of - they had to take it in turns to stay up and not sleep to try and stop themselves getting blown up. She said it felt so out of control and everyone was drugged up and didn't care.
I would seriously think twice if you think your 16- 18 year old could cope with that. I know my daughter and her friends will never, ever go back. I think it is pretty appalling how scenes like that are allowed to happen. If your teen does insist on going maybe ensure they aren't there for Sunday night which is when it all really kicks off in a nasty way.

OP posts:
LarryUnderwood · 31/08/2021 19:24

Ooh that sounds unsettling. Reading has a reputation for being quite rough, doesn't it? I went when I was 17 and it was full of drugs and weird happenings - I had a great time but was with a large mixed group, might have felt differently if had just been with a couple of girlfriends.

nodtik · 31/08/2021 19:24

Son said something similar on the last night at Boardmasters.

Coked up idiots stole his mates tent ⛺️ and just ran off with it ....... idiots!

PaulGallico · 31/08/2021 19:25

Really sorry your daughter had such a difficult time at the festival. My son and his friends (mixed group) had a great time and felt quite safe. I realise this does not address your OP but wanted to offer a different point of view.

PipsM · 31/08/2021 19:25

This was the case when I went in 2008 at the age of 28, tents were being set alight and I was terrified that all of the tents would catch on fire and we’d all die in a blazing inferno. It was horrific and ruined a great festival for me. Sorry that your daughter had the same experience.

Theblackdogagain · 31/08/2021 19:27

I went in 99, 00 and 01. It was the same then, Sunday night people passed on tents and turned over portaloo with people in them. Put me of camping for life.

HalfShrunkMoreToGo · 31/08/2021 19:32

Same when I went in 2001, luckily we were in the quieter campground because we needed the wheelchair accessibility, but we were sat at the campfire watching all the lampposts being ripped down and tents being set on fire at the standard camp field. Would have been feeling very uncomfortable if I'd been over there.

ididitsocanyou · 31/08/2021 19:34

My DD decided to leave as the atmosphere went bad on Sunday night. They were planning on staying but got the 1.30 am train. Ppl were stealing stuff and chucked it on a bonfire. She said security was bad and not just in the campsites. They didn’t help at all when her and her friends were desperately trying to get out of a crowd crush before KSI started. They were crying and begging to get pulled out as more and more people were let in (they didn’t let ppl leave before letting the new crowd in) but the security just shrugged and looked away. In the end a man in the crowd thankfully pushed them over the barriers. I agree it is no place for kids but my Dd who has only just turned 17 is adamant she’s going. She still enjoyed it other than that though.

Fishocado · 31/08/2021 19:35

Is there any video or photographic evidence of this?

I would actually get in touch with the HSE to see whether it can be raised, and dealt with in a appropriate way.

Abraxan · 31/08/2021 19:35

My Dd went to both Boardmasters and Leeds.
Leeds was definitely a different type of crowd - more of the dodgier crowds there.

DD had a great time and both and had no issues at all. However, they weren't on the main campsites. They were in the accessibility sites at both. There was no issues or trouble in either.

She didn't see a great deal of bother in the arena parts itself. Some general overdoing it from certain groups. But overall she felt safe throughout.

Tangledtresses · 31/08/2021 19:35

Sorry your daughter experienced that... my son had a great time and he said he didn't see any shite.... but they were camped in n the white field away from orange which is apparently a nightmare 😱

RevolutionRadio · 31/08/2021 19:37

Reading and Leeds have always had this happen on the Sunday night.

After going for the full weekend a couple of times, I started to go for the weekend and leave straight after the bands on the Sunday.

JoyOrbison · 31/08/2021 19:42

It was like this in 1996 when I went - but back then it was the black bin bag brigade that went marching round destroying stages, trampling tents down etc, it's chaotic once the bands finish, even I can remember feeling unsafe back then!

Haudyourwheesht · 31/08/2021 19:47

In my festival days I always paid extra to stay in the bargain bit of the boutique camping. Just a bit nicer and much safer.

Original poster
itsallabittiring · 31/08/2021 19:50

Thanks all for your kind words - it really did sound like one of the worst experiences she and her friends have ever had and they really are not princesses and have attended smaller festivals before.
It just makes me so angry that this is known to happen yet they let it, someone will definitely get seriously injured or burnt alive at some point. Perhaps they have in the past.
Unfortunately my daughter probably camped in the wrong field (yellow or orange, can't remember what she said but I will find out) - they literally could not find anywhere else when they got there they said and found it really stressful finding anywhere despite arriving on Wednesday evening. Either way, no field should literally be the field where you may get burnt alive in!
I do think it is such a huge, huge health and safety issue and agree with you @Fishocado. I will see if she has footage.

There are fire towers everywhere apparently, which my daughter thought was weird until realising why on Sunday night.

Anyway, I will certainly not be allowing my youngest daughter to go ever. I do think it has become such a normalised thing to go a festival to get the experience without thinking what that actually is.

I'm all for teens experiencing things and taking some risks but this is just unbelievable.

I suggest people think very, very carefully before you blithely agree to your teen going thinking it would be 'cool' for them. I know I will.
Also - just another delightful anecdote my daughter heard was that some girl lost two fingers getting crushed against the barriers at the front of one of the acts.....I wouldn't be surprised if that was probably true.
Absolute health and safety nightmare.

OP posts:
AffableApple · 31/08/2021 19:51

Classic Reading. I paid to stay in a better area of the camp when I was older and wiser. I'm sorry she experienced that, but sadly it's not anything new.

ReeseWitherfork · 31/08/2021 19:51

I went in 2007, camped in a quiet bit, had an amazing weekend. I went again in 2010 and had exactly the same experience you described, so many tents being set on fire. My husband (then boyfriend, we were about 20) stood outside it all night watching. Horrific. Never been back to a festival. Had done a few others including Glastonbury and IOW and some smaller ones and never had any issues. Glastonbury was a very happy experience. IOW was a bit drunken and loud but certainly didn't fear for my safety let alone my life.

Rainallnight · 31/08/2021 19:51

Wow, that sounds horrendous.

AffableApple · 31/08/2021 19:52

Please don't let it ruin things for your younger daughter though.

Twizbe · 31/08/2021 19:52

I went to Reading when I was about 20 and hated it. People setting fire to tents, creepy men, drugs, the lot.

Mrsfrumble · 31/08/2021 19:52

Yes, I remember similar at Leeds in 2000. We were camping on a further out field so weren’t affected, but on the fields nearer the stages there were fires and portaloos being tipped over on the Sunday night.

Branleuse · 31/08/2021 19:53

Reading is a lot more teenagers let loose than most other festivals. V festival waa much the same.

Pantaloony · 31/08/2021 19:55

My dad used to work there every year when he was growing up and saw a lot of what you described and refused to let my sister go when she was 17. I think it does have a reputation for being quite a rough festival.

Original poster
itsallabittiring · 31/08/2021 19:56

I won't - just a veto to Reading!!

OP posts:
DrHildegardeLanstrom · 31/08/2021 19:58

It is the local authority who deal with these events, not the HSE (except during build and break).

gogohm · 31/08/2021 19:58

Dd said she didn't see any trouble when she went but then she was with a group of 30 armed forces all built like you might expect, no one would give them trouble (and they are compulsory drug tested so super careful about even breathing in drugs nearby)