To be at a festival and wish everyone would just grow up!?

[bumbleclat]

Each year I'm 'lucky' enough to be given free tickets to a very well known music festival which runs over four days (live nearby so organisers give local residents tickets to keep them sweet).

It's your usual hippy fest with lots of workshops, vege food, healing yurts and a variety of music.

Each year I go, I become more bored of the cliche hippydom, for example faces full of glitter, posh white youths wearing ironic vintage clothes, dub beats in the background, overpriced drinks, pious recycling regimes, home educated children called 'Oak' and 'Cloud' being wheeled around in metal wagons with fairy lights around the edges at 3am, the constant wondering from tent to tent, the illusion of freedom and the naive art work everywhere.

I must be getting old but these events just don't do it for me anymore, I see men and women in their fifties and sixties wearing fairy outfits and elf ears and it just gives me this, 'oh just grow up' reaction inside.

I dislike this judgemental threatened Katie Hopkins like beast that seems to rise up inside me each time, but I think next year I will just sell my much coveted ticket to a more appreciative visitor.

I am BU aren't I!?

Andy's Records in Aberystwyth was run by an Andy. It's still there (has a Facebook page). This is confusing.

Every year I lay in my nice comfy bed in Leeds listening to the torrential rain and pity the festival goers, even though I'd been cursing them hours earlier as I battled the traffic to get home

Last time I went to a Buddhisty festival I saw an acquaintance from my India days doing whirly dervish dancing and had an instant roll-my-eyes feeling. Then I thought how unbearable the weekend was going to be unless I stepped into the mood. So I danced, chanted, laughed and had a great time. Also went on a 'open to the love' type workshop that I think helped me realise my partner was the one. So that weekend ended up changing my life.

I knew it was the last one though, and haven't been back to a festival since. Sounds like you also need to pass for a while - or perhaps you are done for good.

YABU and a teeny bit joyless.

While I wouldn't wear elf ears (sounds painful!) I have worn silly hats and the like at festivals. At my advanced age (ahem), I do find myself getting annoyed with the teenage poshos whose parents have dumped them there for the weekend (I really should stop going to Latitude), who get ridiculously drunk and stagger around braying at the tops of their voices, but never enough to ruin my own weekend. I think possibly the fact you're getting in for free rather than to see a band or an act you like may be jaundicing your view.

I actually blame the ridiculous ticket prices for the change in atmosphere, a lot of people can't afford to go who in the past would have been able to (I went to my first Glastonbury in 1989, tickets were £28 and I was able to wander up to the CND office in Islington and buy them there and then. Even by the time I stopped going because overcrowding was getting silly in 1994 it was only £59 - this year it was £228 plus booking fee and inflation has not gone up that much over the years!) It makes it that more exclusive and less open to all.

And what the hell is wrong with going to theme parks without children?

You want them to grow up but talk about youths and children in the OP.

They are still young. They are still having that kind of fun.

14y is currently at a 4 day festival with friends (and a couple of mums keeping an eye on them) and is no doubt having fun and being a teenager. No drugs or alcohol for them fortunately but fun and some silliness I imagine.

Have been in last couple of years or so to there as a family and had fun. Dd has a 'normal' name and isn't home ed though so maybe we are okay.

As for the others

Zoo - have been without children. I enjoy photography. I like photographing animals and it's good practise for when I am photographing children (which I do for work often) - you can't really just practise on random unknown children, monkeys etc are a good alternative!

Disney - only been as an adult with a child but know others who have done the odd day without. They like rides. They like Disney from their childhood. They've paid so what's the issue. I like theme parks and roller coasters - can't imagine doing a full holiday there when dd has left home, but maybe a day if in the region.

I don't want to have to be just stuck to wandering round stately homes and open gardens. I'm 43. I'm young enough still to have a bit of fun surely?!

"Luckily my boobs are big enough that I can tuck mini bottles of rum under them."
This is why I like Pirate Festivals (really just a Ren Faire with a few more boats). Carefully stowed flasks of rum are part of the 'look'.

Don't go to a festival while pregnant. Been there, done that, almost burnt the t shirt on the camp fire in hormonal irrational rage
It's horses for courses. you don't like it, others do and aren't doing any actual harm to you in their enjoyment.

No fairy wings for dd this time. There is some form of parade dress up thing apparently this weekend with a myths theme - so unicorn it is.
I'm sure she had shirts, tiny top, wellies and flowers though
Really hope she took a waterproof though as forecast doses have rain!

I like this AIBU lark, you're all very funny- I know I'm BU maybe I should open my mind a bit and try to enjoy it.
Nipple tassel workshop for my MASSIVE pregnant nipples should be fun.

I went to my 1st festival last weekend aged 36 and absolutely loved it! I did the whole flower headband and glitter eyes thing and totally embraced the whole thing. I've already made plans to go next year

I quite enjoy parts of a festival, but can't get past the dreadful loo experiences, and the sheer irritation of being surrounded by people pretending to be hippies despite the fact that they clearly live in a 1m house in North London with bifold garden doors and send their children to independent schools.

The first time I went to Latitude the first thing I saw was a performer singing a song about how great it was to live in Stoke Newington and how many smoothie bars had recently opened up there (I kid you not...! ) The loos were indescribable but we had to literally fight our way in to the popup Notting Hill artisanal pasta restaurant past the crowds of London literati and teenagers called Perdita and Camilla. Authentic hippiedom it was not If you can get past the sheer hypocritical annoyance of most of the attendees, though, the music can be quite good.

Havnt read the whole thread cos i'm traumatisee by all the people whi hate Disney

As in Disney movies not the place

If you don't enjoy it any more then don't go, it is as simple as that.

If you have been going to the same festival for many years then I am not surprised that it has got a bit boring.

The festival dd is at had a nipple tassel workshop! She said she didn't feel it was the workshop for her when we spotted it. TBH at that point she was still getting over discovering the festival was neat and fish free and the only 'meat' available was an insect bar.

Due to network, battery and data we've not hard much about how it's going, other than wet last night, hot today and good nights.

Wayfarersonbaby that is hilarious yes lots of Stoke Newington types there.
Saw a sort of sailors hat yesterday, covered in sequins with a £120 price tag!
Today saw girl wearing it
Sent DH and DSD down there tonight whilst I stayed back and watched interviews with the firsts from the series Girls while wating bourbons- much more fun.
I can't sleep though because of major noise coming from festy but I'm just glad I'm not there I know I'd be in a massive queue for chips before going back to endure more 'fun'

Actors from girls and eating bourbons!

OP are you at Shambala? I love a good festival, wish I could attend more. If you don't like it, don't go!

YANBU. Definitely sell the ticket to someone else and spend it on doing something you'd actually enjoy.

Festivals can be very commercialised and manufactured, just a pseudo version of how they began. I totally agree with you about the "freedom" being just a carefully orchestrated illusion.

YANBU. I'm also from a small West Country town full of weekend hippies. I can hear Glastonbury without buying a ticket. I quite enjoy myself at festivals but have never felt the urge to wear pixie ears or smear my face in glitter. I'm all about the sensible footwear and practical coat - I'm in fields most days so it's no novelty! I also hate dressing up. I'm off to Pilton Party next week, I'm there to see Fatboy Slim and like the rest of the locals I'll be wearing jeans and a hoody!!

YANBU. It's the studied quirkiness that's the problem, not the glitter/fairy wings in themselves.

To the posters judging adults for going to theme parks, zoos etc. without kids- what is it to you? Tickets are normally considerably expensive so I'm entitled to go any ride I want to go on. Sounds like you really got into the spirit of Disneyland, smirking at adults having a good time.
Regarding festivals, if you don't like it, don't go. You're lucky to be given a ticket in the first place which could perhaps be passed on to someone who would enjoy it?

Depends on the festival.
Some of them are massively commercialised - I spent a weekend at Reading festival muttering darkly about consumerism - pricey ticket, £20 for a bit of paper to tell you who was actually playing, £3 for a bottle of water, God knows what the beer cost, £12 for a burger.. the acts were great but the atmosphere was really grabby.
The smaller ones are often a lot more relaxed - you can wear what you like (no enforced jollity), there's a nice range of things to listen to and everyone does their own thing. I do like the morning T'ai Chi workshops to get my back into place after sleeping in a tent! There might be the odd Xerxes and Anathema running around with their Stoke Newington parents taking selfies but most people are pretty friendly. Have never felt the need to dress up particularly.

FWIW I'm not that mad about Disney or the Fairie Woode festivals (I'd miss the music), but it's all very horses for courses.

vladthedisorganised yes it's the enforced jollity that does my head in, it actually all feels very controlling like the whole festival vibe is the embodiment of one of those annoying people who try to force you up onto th dance floor even though the music or the situation isn't moving you to dance at all.
It all just feels really inauthentic and dumb.
I did love it all when I was younger but I just simply think I've grown out of it and these things are not part of my path anymore.

I have to point this out, did know one else wonder..?

I'm the same and I also hate Disney movies and adults who crap on about Pokemons and bacon.

BACON? Who do you know who excessively talks about bacon?