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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Just turned 17yr old going to Leeds Fest

144 replies

ShittingHell · 25/02/2021 14:08

She has never camped, hates sleeping out, loves home comforts etc etc but her mates are going and apparently it will be brilliant. I have no experience of it at all. Who else has let their younger teens go? Were they ok?

OP posts:
partyatthepalace · 25/02/2021 17:01

Yes absolutely. I was going to Glastonbury etc at that age, and Leeds is a v young festival. God knows teens need to party. Have the drugs chat if you haven’t.

Mrgrinch · 25/02/2021 17:03

I'd just make sure you have a frank conversation about drugs.

Honeyroar · 25/02/2021 17:03

Yes Springersrock I’ve heard of charities going collecting tents. I just wish the kids would pack things up and leave them at a collection point for the charities. Some people i know actually praised their kids for leaving everything because it was like making a donation to charity. Erm not quite!

constantly · 25/02/2021 17:04

Mine went some years ago but rang to come home after a few hours. She was disgusted that people were pissing in bottles and throwing them backwards into the crowd. She was soaked

needadvice54321 · 25/02/2021 17:06

@constantly

Mine went some years ago but rang to come home after a few hours. She was disgusted that people were pissing in bottles and throwing them backwards into the crowd. She was soaked
Ugh that's disgusting!
JayAlfredPrufrock · 25/02/2021 17:10

Mine went after GCSE results at 16. She’s been several times and loves a festival.

Negnog · 25/02/2021 17:25

I first went to Reading in the 90s at 16 too, by the time I got to 21 I felt like the oldest person there!

MrsDThomas · 25/02/2021 17:34

Mine is also going at 17. Festivals are not my thing. Im not stopping her.

coronafiona · 25/02/2021 17:35

I went at 19, loved it. Cam home filthy! The worst thing was the toilets obviously

MrsDThomas · 25/02/2021 17:35

Anyone know if theres a travelodge near Leeds Festival?

DD is asking😂

askmeagainin5 · 25/02/2021 17:56

I wouldnt let my daughter go...

At that age it isn’t really a matter of ‘letting’ them go is it? She’s 17 and presuming she’s buying the ticket with her money, you can’t stop her at all. You either say she can’t go and she goes anyway and then doesn’t want to contact you if anything does go wrong because she’s annoyed at you, or you say you’re happy for her to go and make sure she knows you’re at the end of the phone if anything does go wrong at any point.

FourTurnings · 25/02/2021 18:16

Went to Glasto at 17. Loved it.

Hoppinggreen · 25/02/2021 18:17

My 16 year old has just asked if she can go
I’m really not sure

VioletCharlotte · 25/02/2021 18:18

My son is 19, he went in 2018 and 2019 and had a brilliant time! Reading and Leeds is 'rite of passage' and has always been popular with the post GCSE and A level crowd. I went when I was 17 in 1994!

Scbchl · 25/02/2021 18:24

As someones who has gone to festivals until up till a couple of years ago and is a super laid back parent. There is not a chance my 16 or 17 year olds would be camping at a festival. The amount of drugs and young kids completely off their faces was horrendous in most recent years. The welfare tents were all queued out the doors with young ones. They were collapsing in the crowds and being stretchered away. Girl have been raped in the campsite after being separated from friends. There is kids walking round crying in the arena, kids have died from drugs, trying to walk home. Its for over 18s for a reason and I think it should be put up to 21 actually as the young ones are too vulnerable.

Day tickets I am happy with.

KindergartenKop · 25/02/2021 18:27

17 isn't a younger teen! She'll have a great time. Just give her lots of snacks to pack in her bag!

SeasonFinale · 25/02/2021 18:28

Yes, usually first Reading attendance is just after gcses so she will be fine.

SeasonFinale · 25/02/2021 18:29

@Scbchl

As someones who has gone to festivals until up till a couple of years ago and is a super laid back parent. There is not a chance my 16 or 17 year olds would be camping at a festival. The amount of drugs and young kids completely off their faces was horrendous in most recent years. The welfare tents were all queued out the doors with young ones. They were collapsing in the crowds and being stretchered away. Girl have been raped in the campsite after being separated from friends. There is kids walking round crying in the arena, kids have died from drugs, trying to walk home. Its for over 18s for a reason and I think it should be put up to 21 actually as the young ones are too vulnerable.

Day tickets I am happy with.

Except the age limit is not 18 , it is 16 and under 15s accompanied by an 18 year old.
RevolutionRadio · 25/02/2021 18:34

@MrsDThomas

Anyone know if theres a travelodge near Leeds Festival?

DD is asking😂

There are shuttle buses back into the city after bands, loads of hotels there!!
askmeagainin5 · 25/02/2021 18:34

@Scbchl

As someones who has gone to festivals until up till a couple of years ago and is a super laid back parent. There is not a chance my 16 or 17 year olds would be camping at a festival. The amount of drugs and young kids completely off their faces was horrendous in most recent years. The welfare tents were all queued out the doors with young ones. They were collapsing in the crowds and being stretchered away. Girl have been raped in the campsite after being separated from friends. There is kids walking round crying in the arena, kids have died from drugs, trying to walk home. Its for over 18s for a reason and I think it should be put up to 21 actually as the young ones are too vulnerable.

Day tickets I am happy with.

What about when your 18 year old goes to uni and is exposed to a whole world of drugs, drinking, doing whatever they want to do? Do you suggest we raise the starting age for uni to 21 too?
MoiraNotRuby · 25/02/2021 18:36

My 16 year old wants to go to Reading. I am scared to say yes but then again at his age I did lots of risky things and survived... tbh I can't imagine it will be able to go ahead anyway.

JayAlfredPrufrock · 25/02/2021 18:38

@Scbchl

Were drugs around when you went to festivals?

Evenstar · 25/02/2021 18:44

I am not sure if Leeds is exactly the same as Reading, but DS went to Reading aged 20 and the last night was horrendous. People were setting fire to tents regardless of whether anyone was in them, police arrived and there was a pitched battle with missiles being thrown. DS is a big guy, 6 foot 4 and strong. He and his mates surrounded one of their tents to protect the girls and all their belongings. I know a lot of local parents will get them day tickets and collect them late for the younger teens.

notacooldad · 25/02/2021 18:48

I remember staying at my nans for two weeks one summer when I was 16.and she let me go to Reading festival ( when it was a rock festival) I went on the back of my boyfriends motor bike.
My mum had a fit when she found it!!😂
All this festival talk is bringing back memories!! ( it is 40 years since I first went to reading!!)

CockneyCutie · 25/02/2021 18:51

My (then) 18 yr old ds was desperate to go to Download festival. I had reservations cos he loves home comforts etc, but I didn’t say anything. He went - and said he’d never go to anything like it again... he didn’t like having to ‘poo in a hedge’😳
Apparently the toilets ‘exploded’ and were out of use, leaving the hedge as the only option.
It has never been spoken of since...