letting my 16 year old DD go to overnight festival

[karenwiller]

My daughter wants to go with three friends to an over night festival. This would be the first time she would be at a festival and I am very apprehensive and worried. Drugs would be my main concern and harassment from drunk adults. She isn't going with a group of people but rather knows a large amount of people going. My main concern is over her staying their and sleeping their; I'm not sure if she would be able to handle a bad situation if it were to arise.

Still undecided and she is pressuring me to decide as the tickets are getting pricier.

Which festival is it? People might be able to help you decide!

I would let her go.
I went to my first weekend festival at that age and its one of my favourite memories.

I think it depends entirely on the festival tbh. Can you say which one it is? I've been/worked at loads and like to think I'd be ok with DC going alone with friends around 16/17, but then we've taken them to festivals already as a family so they're familiar with the environment.

How big is the festival? How far away from you is it? Has she camped before? Do you trust the friends?

Alcohol would be my No1 concern!

Mine went to Latitude last year at 15 for the weekend, seemed well run and she had a great time

Our eldest was doing V from 16, but it's only about 20 miles from us

I think a lot of it depends on your kid, and how they are likely to behave.

I went to my first Glastonbury at 16 (nearly 30 years ago, mind!). My mum wasn’t initially very keen, but I was desperate to go and wrote her a detailed letter listing all the reasons she should let me, how I wouldn’t do anything stupid etc and I will always remember her reading it and saying, you’ve made some really good points, you can go! I’ve always looked back at that moment with such gratitude that my mum trusted and respected me enough to let me go. And of course these days you can keep in touch on mobiles and there is a hell of a lot more security and health and safety at these things. Of course you will worry, I would about my sons, but maybe it’s a good stepping stone to independence.

It depends on the festival. I went to my first when I was 17. I've been to some that were dodgy to say the least, but I now take my own DC to family friendly festivals where I have no worries about their safety.

She would be safest going with a group and sharing a tent with at least one friend. Would she be sensible and confident about dealing with things like drugs, alcohol and over friendly strangers? I'm a seasoned festival goer and it definitely made me more assertive at a young age.

Depending on the festival she needs to be prepared for the possibility that there might be adults completely off their faces, throwing cups of piss over the crowd, trying to touch her inappropriately etc. It really does depend on the festival!

Huge numbers of 16 year olds go to Reading festival straight from getting their GCSE results, Thursday - Monday. I can’t pretend I wasn’t anxious about it, but sensible kids should be absolutely fine. Filthy, tired, badly fed, but fine!

It all depends on the teenager and how responsible they are. My mum trusted me a lot at that age but she knew I wasn't a reckless teenager and that I could be trusted to not do anything silly.