Reading Festival / 16yr olds.

houselikeashed · 2021-08-18T21:39:39+00:00

Would you let your 16yr DD go to Reading Festival? IMO DD is not very 'aware' of what's happening around her. DH says she can go, I'm saying she can't. Just wondering what others think?

HadEnoughOfBears · 18/08/2021 22:41

Mine (nearer to 17) is going to Leeds.

KittyMcKitty · 18/08/2021 22:43

My 16 year olds is going - her brother, now 18 went when he was 16. It’s the standard thing for year 11’s at their school.

mstroutpout · 18/08/2021 22:56

Yeah it's pretty standard for year 11s to go to either reading or Leeds at the end of school. There will be tons of them there.

FedNlanders · 18/08/2021 23:00

I don't know. I probably wouldn't allow my DD.

Ragwort · 18/08/2021 23:00

I'm just very grateful my DS (now 20) never wanted to go a festival, there was some half hearted talk about going to one a couple of years ago but it fizzled into nothing. I would find it a very difficult decision to make, so many horror stories .... and on a separate note I once passed the 'aftermath' of the festival on a train ... absolutely shocking volume of abandoned tents and rubbish ... fields and fields of it ... I know charities go in to sort much of it to recycle but the waste is truly shocking & I assume that's the same for all festivals.

EmmaGrundyForPM · 18/08/2021 23:03

DS went at the end of Yr11. There were a big group of them, I think about 15, girls and boys. They had a great time.

thingymaboob · 18/08/2021 23:08

I went when I was 16 at end of my GCSEs. I had a great time!

LocalHobo · 18/08/2021 23:08

It is a daunting prospect for parents, but remember it is only two years and they may be backpacking alone on the other side of the world. Festival's are not that far from home if you are needed- not that you will be in my experience-and 16 is the standard age for your first.

Blossomtoes · 18/08/2021 23:10

I thought Reading or Leeds was a tradition for 16 year olds. I bet his friends are all going.

PrentonPark · 18/08/2021 23:11

Mine went at that age, it was fine, they loved it.

tinselvestsparklepants · 18/08/2021 23:12

It depends. Festivals are all so different. Some are beery and leery, some are druggy, some are very naice. What is she like and is she going with friends who'll look after each other?

ShaunaTheSheep · 18/08/2021 23:13

Does she have a ticket? Surely you are not just discussing this a week before it starts?

Reading is full of yr 11,12,13.
It's a good one because of the location they can easily leave the site to buy food, or visit the town centre if it gets too much.

JudyGemstone · 18/08/2021 23:20

My 17 year old is going. I’m slightly apprehensive but the fact that there’s a huge group of them going including girls is reassuring! I went to my first festival at 15 and it was great, he’s a lot more sensible than I was at that age too!

Original poster

houselikeashed · 18/08/2021 23:24

A friend has a spare ticket and she has just offered it to DD.
I just worry. DD and her friends are all quite 'young' 16yr olds if you know what I mean.

I am really surprised she wants to go!

OP posts:

superram · 18/08/2021 23:26

It is pretty standard after gcse results. I’d let my daughter go but I live near enough to collect of it all goes tits up.

Harlechh · 18/08/2021 23:27

I wouldn’t allow mine to go.

Bagamoyo1 · 18/08/2021 23:28

DS1 has just finished year 11 but he’s young - not 16 till next week - and there’s no way I’d let him go to a festival. None of his friends are going to one, so it’s not the “year 11 tradition” some posters are implying.

HappyGoPlucky · 18/08/2021 23:29

I went when I was 17. Had an amazing time! A bunch of girls & one token boy in 3 tents - was really good fun. We all went in a coach and it was miles from the North East. We were fine. We all looked after each other - no one was allowed to go off without another friend to chaperone! It was 1994! Glad my mum & dad let me go. It's a really happy memory and one of the friends I went with died last year so I do treasure it. I remember her Nana telling us to be careful and not to watch out for dirty needles when we were camping!

LawnFever · 18/08/2021 23:29

I went when I was 16, it’s pretty standard at that age to go to Reading or Leeds and has been for years.

Let her go, are you far from the site? How are they planning to get there?

Blossomtoes · 18/08/2021 23:31

@Bagamoyo1

DS1 has just finished year 11 but he’s young - not 16 till next week - and there’s no way I’d let him go to a festival. None of his friends are going to one, so it’s not the “year 11 tradition” some posters are implying.

I think you’ll find it is a tradition, regardless of whether your son’s going or not. Reading has the youngest demographic of just about any festival.

PrentonPark · 18/08/2021 23:33

@Bagamoyo1

DS1 has just finished year 11 but he’s young - not 16 till next week - and there’s no way I’d let him go to a festival. None of his friends are going to one, so it’s not the “year 11 tradition” some posters are implying.

Just because a small group don't go doesn't mean lots of year 11s don't.

Original poster

houselikeashed · 18/08/2021 23:35

Do you think you need to be pretty streetwise to be safe?

OP posts:

blahblahblah321 · 18/08/2021 23:53

DS is going to Reading, he's year 13 and coming up 18 - most of his friends have just turned 17. I was relieved it was cancelled last year, gave him another year to grow up!
We are close enough to get there quickly if we needed to.

ChazsBrilliantAttitude · 19/08/2021 00:05

DS1 went at the end of GCSEs. He wasn’t yet 16 (late birthday). He was ok. It’s mainly post GCSE kids these days.

Livefortherain · 19/08/2021 00:12

I went with my sister and our friend when I was 17. (I actually moved out with my now DH a month after my 17th birthday). But we stayed in a hotel near the site! It was a bit of a walk each day but it felt a lot safer than camping, although our friend was male so we felt safer.