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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:
Reallyreallyborednow · 31/08/2021 19:59

My friends daughter was at Leeds. Apparently the atmosphere there this year was very friendly -“even the druggies were lovely” 😂.

DiscoDown21 · 31/08/2021 20:10

In the early 2000s it was toilet blocks that were being set on fire at festivals I went to. I was early twenties by then and I was more used to festivals etc. But that was shocking to see. They can attract some complete morons who think they are able to act as they wish and get away with it.

At my first in the 90s it was quiet in the campsite and nothing of the sort would go on. But then none of the littering and leaving shit all over happened either.

OhYouBadBadKitten · 31/08/2021 20:14

I would not allow a young dc of mine to go to Reading.

DiscoDown21 · 31/08/2021 20:15

The last few times I went to festivals I paid extra for the special campsites that are already set up for you etc. They were well worth the extra cost for better organisation in general and often more toilets and showers etc.

It’s been a few years though and festivals seem to attract more and more people.

JayAlfredPrufrock · 31/08/2021 20:20

My DD did Leeds three times from 2017 and never mentioned this.

Had her sleeping bag and food knicked at Boomtown in 2019 and no one gave a shit.

OneAugustNight · 31/08/2021 20:25

I expect a lot of parents and young people who attend don’t know about this. I have teenagers (not festival ready yet) and I would be concerned about drugs but didn’t know about violence and fire risks.

TabithaTiger · 31/08/2021 20:26

I've been to loads of festivals including Reading, and my DS went to Reading in 2018 and 2019. You're always going to get a certain amount of stupidity when crowds of young people, high on drink and drugs are tightly packed in together for 4 days, but I do feel it's got out of hand in recent years.

If I was the organiser, I would look at how to increase the average age of festival goers slightly - no unaccompanied under 18s/ day tickets only for under 18s. Reduce the number of people on site. Look at the acts and don't book those who attract a certain type of crowd. Increase security into the campsites and more visible police presence.

However all these things mean less profit so they're unlikely to happen until something really serious happens.

TartanJumper · 31/08/2021 20:28

I went to Reading once, V a couple of times, IoW... Reading was by far the worst so I believe it.

HarryDresdensLeatherDuster · 31/08/2021 20:30

DD went to Reading 10 years ago when she finished her GCSEs. Had some bloke who was out of his head try to claw her eyes out of her face in a mosh pit. I got a hysterical phone call asking me to pick them up and was horrified by the scratches on her face.
I posted about it here at the time.
One of my DSs has been a couple of times since but seemed to have a better time. Scary place!

ratspeaker · 31/08/2021 20:30

Its been a few years since I went to Reading.
First time I really thought it was rioting over in Brown
Always camped in white, across the river quieter, but a long walk to arena.
Then I got a campervan, again over in white.

I didnt like the atmosphere at Reading tbh, many teens pissed, high etc some guys refused to let us past to leave one arena, complained to security later but they were" going off shift"
but Im older and grumpy

I ve been going to Download for years, never once felt the same tension but again Ive always been in campervan field.

Jojo19834 · 31/08/2021 20:32

Wow, I’m shocked this is the norm for so long. Glad you raised it OP

FrankOrTheBeans · 31/08/2021 20:35

Every festival has drugs. As somebody in my 30's (so not entirely old yet) I'm always amazed at the amount of drugs I witness school-age teens doing at them. Saw some kids doing drugs and then COMPLETELY spaced out, eyes rolling back in their heads. A lot parents are disillusioned to what their kids get up to or don't believe their kids are doing it. I know my friends were doing coke at 16 and that was many years ago before iPhones and social media. Even easier for kids to do drugs nowadays.

I went to Reading a few years ago (on a day ticket) and the festival was one of the chavviest festivals I'd ever seen and it was predominantly 16-18 year olds camping. So I'm not surprised with the immature lighting of tents as it's basically unsupervised summer camp for them with lots of drugs.

I think the only festival worst than Reading is Creamfields.

Phyllis321 · 31/08/2021 20:37

Blimey, I went in 1992 (ancient) when Nirvana played and the only downer was the torrential rain causing tents to collapse. How sad it’s become so unpleasant.

1forAll74 · 31/08/2021 20:37

So does drink and drugs make you burn down tents and go wrecking everything in view., and the music is just a side line..seems to be the name of the game at some festivals., and all part of the fun.

converseandjeans · 31/08/2021 20:39

I went in 1990 and saw none of this. Setting tents on fire & toppling over portaloos is really dangerous. I'm shocked that this has been happening for so long and the festival is allowed to go ahead again.

TatianaBis · 31/08/2021 20:41

I don't know why parents think festivals are places for young teens. I'm fairly relaxed by MN standards as I was quite a wild teen myself. It's because I'm streetwise not prudish that I don't recommend them.

Maladicta · 31/08/2021 20:44

Ds (17) went with a mixed m/f group of friends, they avoided the fires/drugs but what troubles me most about it is the sexual violence.

When they were all together, there was less of it but when the girls were by themselves they all encountered groping - one girl went home as she had such a bad experience. No one in authority there was interested. Even ds, quite a muscular lad and looks much older than 17, said he was 'felt up' during one set so moved away.

elbea · 31/08/2021 20:44

I’ve been to Leeds a few tons in my teens and early twenties between 2010-2015. To be honest it all sounds pretty normal. You can pay for quiet camping I think. The only festival I’ve been to where things like that haven’t happened is Wilderness but it’s a very different target market.

ohfook · 31/08/2021 20:45

I used to go to Reading or Leeds in the early 00s and it was a thing at both festivals then. I'm afraid of fire anyway so I used to find it terrifying and I know a lot of people used to leave after the last band on the Sunday night.

If it's as bad as it used to be it really is a miracle someone hasn't been seriously injured in their tent.

ReeseWitherfork · 31/08/2021 20:46

I don't know why parents think festivals are places for young teens. Not sure 18 counts as young teen. I think I was 16 the first time I went to Reading and not entirely sure I even got my parent's permission. I mean, they knew where I was and probably could have stopped me had they really wanted to, but it certainly wasn't something I recall asking to be allowed to do.

legoriakelne · 31/08/2021 20:48

This has been going on for 20-25 years? Why?!

And why have I never heard about it in the media? Does anywhere report on it? BBC does pieces on which festival to choose etc. Why no mention of ritualised violence at them?

notnownora · 31/08/2021 20:50

My daughter went to Leeds a couple of years ago and had problems on the Sunday night with nearby tents on fire and things being stolen. She called me at midnight begging to come home as the alternative was to stay awake in the midst of the chaos.

legoriakelne · 31/08/2021 20:50

To be honest it all sounds pretty normal.

That just makes it even more disturbing.

Waitwhat23 · 31/08/2021 20:50

I was at Leeds in 2000 or 2001 and the portaloos were being blown up with explosives. There were riot police there with dogs and I sat in my tent, really quite scared. Went to Reading the year before and after Leeds and it seemed a bit less rough. I enjoyed both festivals but it is quite an eye opener as a 17 - 19 year old!

So yes, this has been fairly normal

labradorsandgin · 31/08/2021 20:51

I experienced the same at Reading when I was 19. Got lost on the way back to my tent on the Sunday night and it was terrifying. Stumbled across a load of people chucking stuff onto a bonfire- I tried to move away only to be thrown to the floor hard by a policeman screaming 'don't you f-ing throw that cannister at me' in my face. I was a ridiculously polite, well behaved, shy and sober teenager (never even received a school detention) so just burst into tears. Police officer continued to shout in my face until some random strangers started protesting on my behalf.
I expect the officer was just angry or scared himself but I'll always remember that, and won't be letting my children stay on the Sunday night when they're old enough.

Horrible, horrible experience.