Boardmasters or Reading festivals for post GCSE next summer?

[Kentmumof4]

My Yr11 daughter and friends want to go to either Boardmasters or Reading next summer (2026).

I need advice please from those whose daughters went to either or both this year.

Which is safer in your opinion? What problems did they encounter? Any tips?

Thanks.

I’m in SE and it’s Reading all the way post GCSE. Every school. In our local towns anyway. Obvs I don’t know about the whole of the SE!!

DDs friend went to boardmaster last year and ending up with a broken ankle as the crowd went a bit crazy.

DD went to Reading. However she is both a seasoned camper and has gone to a lot of gigs / festivals for the day. She went with some sensible friends - they booked camping in the quiet field and had no problems. Another friend of hers went with a group of friends from another school and they kept ditching her for boys so it really does depend on who they go with.

Which ever they decide to go to be aware that you can’t go into the festival without a ticket in the event that something goes wrong. Many people I know have formed parent groups and 1 parent volunteers to be ticket holder and available to go in if needed.

DS loved Boardmasters, the music, the setting - everything.

I several ‘street smart’ teens from different families who left Reading festival because they were or felt unsafe.
one son’s girlfriend was jabbed with a needle with something - they realised it had happened and took her straight medical tent and the puncture would was still visible and she was off her head for a few hours. After that the whole grp of friends left together because that was the final straw apparently mixed sex grp and it had got to the point where the boys felt they were just going to get into fights and the girls didn’t even want to go to the loo on their own.
And these kids have been to Glastonbury & other festivals over the years.
DC don’t seem to be too interested at the moment, thank god… they’ve been put off by the stories they’ve heard from friends older siblings

But yeah - in the SE Reading is THE festival… however loads of children don’t go! It’s not like every kid in the country does - 100k tickets available and obvs way more teens doing exams that that!
There are also the teens that do summer jobs, go on holiday, do family holidays etc…