To say if your child is going to a Festival for the first time, do not, under any circumstances

[Eeepsh]

Allow them to open the fucking tent in the living room to. "See what it's like"

It's a fucking tent and regardless of how many times you watch the fucking video, Part A might fold into Part B eventually but it certainly wont then fit in the fucking bag. Believe me.

Any other helpful (ha) tips for Festival Virgins?!!

Please, pretty please

Do.expect them to come back reeking of bonfire and not be able yo get rid of the smell for a good few weeks.

I wouldn't recommend putting the tent up in the living room, but it is very sensible to practice setting it up and packing down again somewhere OP. Not least because I have had faulty brand new tents in the past, but older lent tents can also be missing parts/damaged. Then there is the hell of figuring out a new tent for the first time in the pissing rain. A friend had a new tent that was damaged (it was clearly a faulty return that had been resold as new on closer inspection), but hadn't had a practice run and only found out at the campsite, many miles from home with 2 small DCs in tow...

Please don't let them be one of the lazy wank stains who leave their tent and rubbish at the site.

Normal to who? I guess the lazy don't give a shit about the planet festival goers?

It's absolutely disgusting the mess left behind at festivals. To just leave your tent where it is along with sleeping bags, chairs, tables and all sorts of other crap is awful and I would be ashamed if my son or daughter did this.

I'm a "senior" festival goer so not young and quite so carefree, but some of this might be relevant...
Decent power bank to charge phone over the whole weekend. First aid kit - blister plasters, paracetamol, Imodium, rehydration sachets. Refillable water bottle, sun screen. Hand sanitizer. Spare toilet roll. Black bin bag for wet/dusty/smelly stuff.
It's ALWAYS freezing in a tent in the middle of the night, no matter what the daytime temperature is. I also take a sleep mask as a full face of sun at 5am isn't great after 3 hours of sleep.
Solar lights or flag pole to find the tent.
Waterproofs - if you take them you won't need them, but It's pretty miserable getting soaked and not being able to dry anything if it does rain.
Don't take anything you don't want to lose - to be fair, theft seems pretty unusual at festivals but a small ruck sack/bum bag with phone and bank card kept with you at all times. (most if not all festivals are cashless now - and expensive £7 a pint and £10 - £15 per "meal")
The point someone made about watching the alcohol consumption the night before driving home is a VERY good one. We have seen the police stopping drivers at 9am on a Monday morning outside the festival gates before now.
Really unusual to see any trouble at a festival though.
They won't melt if they don't have a shower for a few days.
Look out for each other and have the best time ever ! You can sleep/wash when you get home.

Hang all clothes outside for a couple of days before washing them. Or bin them.

Do not under any circumstances pitch the tent at the bottom of a hill if there is any chance of rain.

My youngest son is a seasoned festival goer now but how he laughed when 10 years ago I suggested he take a fold-up camping chair to Reading. Fast forward to the day he arrived home and told me how they all had to take turns in the one chair between them that someone else more savvy had taken x

great tips here - ds off to Reading tommorow and is a complete novice.

What clothes should he take? change of pants? will it literally all go missing from his tent if he's not wearing it?

Thanks for your reply. I did not say it was great behaviour but quite normal yes. I have expressed concerns where my DC have done this but lazy and ashamed is far too strong. Perhaps you need to get out a little but more and take some calming exercise?

@AIstolemylunch Deffo tracksuit bottoms for sleeping in. The sleeping bag may not be warm enough. Chargeable mobile phone charger thingy.

My DD has just returned from a festival. I made sure she could put up the tent and take it down before she went through forced garden tent practice. I think it is horrendous the way some kids just walking away and leaving their camping stuff behind. Such a waste and such a terrible attitude towards our planet.

i believe they distribute the tents to the homeless or at least recycle them someway

Battery packs
Bin bags
Immodium (dodgy tummy at a festival is the worst!)
Wet wipes
Bottled water
Paracetamol
Torch
Sturdy trainers/wellies/walking boots if rain is forecast

If you're picking them up from the station put bin bags down on the seats/floor beforehand so your car doesn't get covered in mud.

My DS loves festivals and likes to be comfortable. He's got a battery pack and camping chair. He usually stays in the family or campervan areas where it's quieter and apparently the facilities are cleaner.

He's never knowingly missed a meal so he always eats well but food and drink is expensive. And he's filthy coming back.

I dropped him off to his first festival and I was surprised how easy it was.

I'm sure she'll have a fabulous time!

I would also put some condoms in their bag, without making a song and dance about it. Better safe than sorry.

Why on earth would the be mocked for a wheelie case... they are standard.

They do get stuck in mud or on stones but you won't be mocked. I have used them for 2/3rds of the 20 years I have been going to festivals.

It's far better than being exhausted and in pain after after carrying everything, I STILL have shoulder damage from my teens before getting the wheelie ones.

I am confused as to why anyone would go to something like this. We have schools, where any adult must be badged up and accompanied to enter. And then we let teens go to shit fests like this where tents are set on fire, stuff is stolen, drugs are taken - it’s dirty and so incredibly unpleasant. Why do they go? I have a 16yo and 18yo who don’t understand either!

Take a can of spray paint to customise the tent with symbols, initials or similar so it's easy to spot in the crowd.

All festivals are having a massive focus on people taking tents home and recycling disposable cups. Most of them have "love your tent" or "leave nothing but memories" campaigns and constantly show videos on the big screens in between acts as to why you need to take everything home. It does seem to be working.
Nearly 99% of tents taken home at Kendal Calling - Access All Areas (accessaa.co.uk)

I took a selection of things - t shirts, a jumper, shorts, waterproof jacket, etc

It was brilliant sunshine when I went. But my friend said the previous year it rained the whole time they were there

Having worked in Reading, we called it the Festival of the Great Unwashed! Have a hose at the ready for wash down on return home! Seriously, take nothing valuable, carry important items on your person and have great shoes, so you can run when the idiots kick off and you sprint well away from where the trouble is!

Amazing list.
Also, go for warmest sleeping bag you can buy.
"Summer" ones do not really cut it when you are hungry, tired, wet, with wind and rain shivering.

Are your teens not allowed to go anywhere where the adults aren't all DBS checked then? Must be a bit limiting!

If your kids aren't interested that's fine, but if you're passionate about live music then being able to see many, many different bands/artists in one location over the course of a weekend, whilst dancing and having a good time with your friends can be a great experience. It's not for everyone, but clearly a lot of people do enjoy it. Also, I've been to many festivals over the years and my tent has never been robbed, vandalised or set on fire. Some festivals are cleaner than others, for sure but they're not all cess-pits and a bit of mud never hurt anyone. There are ways to keep clean at a festival if you're bothered.

As for drugs, of course they're taken at festivals but they're also taken in schools, at house parties, in pubs and clubs and in parks. You don't have to partake if you don't want to, and plenty of people manage to enjoy festivals without drugs.

My daughter has been to several festivals and always brings her tent home. She takes clothing for all weathers, sturdy shoes, battery packs, an old phone, breakfast bars and blister plasters.

Insect repellant and bite cream - depending on festival, but if there's a river there will be mozzies