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

Dd says for Leeds, skip the last night and come home early because the last night is when everyone decides it's clever to set fire to tents without checking who is inside.

Take as much bottled water as you can drag, loo roll, and a SheWee or similar.

Plastic sledges work quite well for pulling all your stuff from car to campsite.

Go everywhere in pairs or groups.

Use the drugs testing tents. Festival Angels are good if you need help.

Although her top tip was "get day tickets" 😂. We live close to Leeds and she's not a fan of festival food and toilets.

Make sure he takes a hat if its going to be hot! I've seen so many people come down with sunstroke at festivals and apart from drinking enough water, wearing a hat is the best way to avoid it.

YYURYYUCICYYUR4ME · Today 15:48

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!

That's exactly what my aunty did to my cousin, when she got home from Glastonbury, in 97 or 98. She helped her out of her outer clothes and threw them in the bin, ditto her tent and sleeping bag.

She then got the hosepipe and a dish brush and scrubbed her down! Apparently, her near waist length hair took over an hour. Only then was she allowed to go and have a bath!

My dd and her friend are both 24, first time they've been to one. They are going up market the next time they go.

By we took a mini stove both years I went to reading proper useful until the last night the 2nd time when someone was going round exploding them it was honestly like a bomb going off!

not sure if you can still do it as I’m sure it’s all changed since I went in 2005! But do not go for a wee in the hedges near the camping in the dark. Very very bad experience! Don’t forget suncream either i managed to get sunstroke.

Each to their own eh !
In 15+ years of going, i can't say I've ever seen a tent set on fire or had anything stolen (or heard of thefts on the grapevine) Drugs, obviously people manage to smuggle some through but there is really tight security with sniffer dogs. No knives (even to spread butter on your bacon sarnie in the morning) no glass of any kind.
You aren't going to walk round a corner and see someone shooting up !
We have made so many new friends who we have kept in touch with, and discovered some great bands (without taking any drugs).
Festivals are also so inclusive... Families with small babies in slings with ear defenders to 80 + year olds (we spoke to an 80 year old lady this year who had travelled to the Isle of Wight from Liverpool on a big green bus with her daughter and a ruck sack), disabled access and special areas/toilets/ viewing platforms.
Great street food. Nobody judging anyone else.
Fantastic, inclusive experience but as i said, each to their own. (from a 50+ year old festival goer with a decent car, job, and own home)

On the other hand, don't let them drive home, unless there are two among them who doesn't drink, take drugs or stay awake all night for any reason.

If they must drive, they need to have two people awake at all times, otherwise it is too easy for the driver to nod off.

I would recommend if they (or you) can stretch to staying in the VIP area it would be a lot better. My son says he’s very glad he did it as there were fairly decent showers and toilets compared to the general bit and it was (marginally) less anarchic.

It was me who took them, never again 😆

Same thing was said to my millennial generation and previous ones too. Woodstock was declared a disaster area.

If you are picking up say in advance that anyone who doesn't have their tent/airbed will not be allowed in the car. This stops them abandoning stuff

Dd is packing as I type as she's off somewhere else before heading to reading on Thursday. She recommends setting up the tent then heading into town on a booze run, rather than assuming you'll do it later. She was not too filthy last year but did pay for the refresh retreat thing so did actually shower while there.

It's a good idea to make sure they know how to assemble it and pack it away again though. My son did his silver DofE recently and we had a practice session. No different!

🤣 this might have been me!

Be prepared to go and pick DC up at 2am if it all gets too crazy on the second night.

(That would be my dad's advice from 2004!!)

This has been a thing since I was going to festivals as an older millennial 25 years ago. It's not okay, but it's not exclusively a Gen Z thing.

Please drum into them that whatever they take to the festival comes back with them (except for genuine rubbish, disposed of in the proper way onsite). Tents and other camping stuff are not for leaving behind for someone else to clear up.

And yes - that means learning how to get it back in the bag, so they can bring it back to, shock horror, reuse another time.

For all those with young people heading to Reading this week, please let them know about the Street Pastor tents.

We have one in Orange camp and one in Brown. They are open 24/7, and offer tea / coffee / hot water for pot noodles / sofas / somewhere warm to sit / and someone to talk to & help if needed.

I also live 200m from the site, and have stayed with many a young person until their parent arrives (in public) - so please do PM me if I can be of any help.

Compressed towels and bottled water are everyone's best friend.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Disposable-Compressed-Portable-Washcloth-Emergency/dp/B08K8RJ3T7/ref=sr15?crid=CSJ86Y6LSUO4&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.aopmsWpOEAXcCW2OAPIts7K7LxTrVdXMdkePtcsruBfWYwPNIX2wQPuK8H7f5TVhmfWuc77w33vbTmOTmB24xp70waeyt4qSwa1hTL4r8TVzTaIAhP1576DZY9sB9TgmgglP9UdBgSr2hMVepv4ZrQjc1Dcj4LfYQE4ivnBy8wkCv3RjOpqpD96mo9veZ-H2bvJREb7fS7pOLqXv7k-zzeXSxcXqJvlkq8V67ytdfINFEJC719M65TFSvdabArgyqOtCmr9YNIiqqHfszMg-D5a3wQbdbjneFCd5GCI.NkNGWkOp2eYIgLEgzGNcMiBiYovu0YQUqMwfXOfX3Kg&dibtag=se&keywords=compressed+towel+large&qid=1724168727&sprefix=compressed+towel%2Caps%2C93&sr=8-5

Don't leave your boots in the porch of the tent!
DS did this after his GCSEs. Live a train ride away from Reading. He brought several people home for a shower on the Saturday!

My son is 17 and camping for the weekend at Reading. I know for challenge 25 they have to provide original ID but to actually get on site, does he still need passport/driving licence etc? I'm convinced he will lose it if he takes on of them! Tried contacting customer services but they just said he may need ID, no details. He has photos of both forms of ID on his phone

Relax 😂 tents are notoriously difficult to stuff back in their wee bags, I used to take a big black bag to put mine in when I took it down!

I got a little pop up tent for my dog over the fireworks weeks, pop it up, lob a thick blanket over it, he can hide. Can I ever put it back down. Only after watching a YouTube video 16 times.

For the festival goers, try a long pole with something identifying on top. A flag, a funny wind sock, a thin towel, an old tour tshirt, a standout sock, a wind spinner an old scarf in pretty colours, anything but different to everyone else. ie dont get the first cheapest windsock off Amazon. Stick item on pole next to or near to your tent.

The atmosphere at festivals can be really lovely, I remember my first festivals as a teenager so fondly. I haven’t been to one for years and I’m always jealous of my friends who go and share pictures on Facebook- I’d love to take my kids when they’re a bit older. Personally I’ve never had anything stolen or seen tents being set on fire. Aye drugs are a thing, but they’re not mandatory!

(And of course, seeing bands/artists you like is great!)

Ha ha! Happy memories! We sneakily encouraged our festival going child to go home with a friend and stay over "to talk it all over, and prolong the fun." When he turned up at home the next day he was properly hygienic again. We still had to decontaminate the belongings, but that was done at leisure, mainly at the bottom of the garden with the hosepipe 😀