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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

16 year old and Reading festival

94 replies

Iamsotiredandfedup · 17/02/2026 10:46

Interested to hear other people’s opinions as daughter is adamant I’m in a minority here

she wants to go to Reading festival, she would have just turned 16. For context she’s a pretty sensible kid, no huge dramas other than the usual teenage stuff but she’s also had quite a sheltered life compared to me at that age

my concerns are fights, drugs, sexual assault and just generally being out of her depth. I know she wouldn’t start a fight or do drugs but I don’t love the idea of her around all that. I’ve been to many festivals and seen what a shit show it can be. I just feel in 2 years time she can do all of this and enjoy that freedom, right now feels too early

her argument is loads of friends are going (a classic) and she’d be with a group of sensible kids. She has said she’d take an AirTag although I’m not convinced that keeps her safe 😂

YABU let her go and have fun

YANBU I wouldn’t let my child go either

OP posts:
Haggisfish3 · 17/02/2026 10:47

They have so many people around to help now. I went with my dd last year and it was so safe compared to my experiences twenty five years ago!

Fodencat · 17/02/2026 10:50

My son went at the end of the August that he turned 17. The kids absolutely love it. He came home shattered and smelling of campfires but he was buzzing. It’s very well organised. Let her go. She’ll have the time of her life xx

Bluebuddha10 · 17/02/2026 10:53

Its a rite of passage at that age. Both my girls went at 16, after taking their GCSEs. Have a talk about being careful/sensible, staying with the friendship group etc., and let her go. She will be fine and it's usually a good experience for them.

ILikeDrivingInMyCarWhenItWorks · 17/02/2026 10:54

My 17yo is going with friends but not staying over. We live fairly close by, so she'll be coming home at night.
Happy to collect any others who might find themselves in a pickle!

MidnightPatrol · 17/02/2026 10:54

Reading festival is a festival for 16 year olds.

What are the friends like?

DeluluTaylor · 17/02/2026 10:55

Hmmm I’m on the fence. I went to Donnington (now Download) and Reading at 15. I think I was ok but lots of weird stuff happened which could have turned out not to be ok. My friend who was 15 had some weird old guy latch onto her and he would not leave her alone. Luckily when she bounded up to is, excited she was going back to his tent to watch him do some ‘kick-boxing’ moves, an older friend told him to jog on and that she would not be going. All of us similarly young teens didnt have a clue how dangerous it could have been. Similarly I got so, so, so drunk. I could have been assaulted or died and there was no one really checking the campsite. Reading had lots of people setting tents on fire.

OriginalUsername2 · 17/02/2026 10:57

I’d let her go. I went to festivals at 16. If you see trouble, you naturally move away from it.

CharlotteSometimeslikesanafternoonnap · 17/02/2026 10:57

I was you 3 years ago. I did let DD go, she had a blast but I was on high alert especially for the Sunday night (night of the fuckwittish behaviour mostly). As pps said, it's well organised and they have a great time.

DinoLil · 17/02/2026 10:57

Mine went at 16. Made his own way with his mates and came back in one piece.

Olderandwiserpossibly · 17/02/2026 10:58

I wouldn't be happy a just turned 16 year old going -even if you think she and her friends are normally sensible you can guarantee an awful lot of the other people there aren't.

Funny isn't it on another current thread there is an 18 year old adult unable to do her own hair and needs to have her DM do it for her. But here we have 16 year old children going off to a Festival .

Ohcrap082024 · 17/02/2026 10:59

It all depends on who she is going with, how sensible they all are and if they are likely to stick together.

winterwarmer8274 · 17/02/2026 11:03

Let her go - from my experience, once you've said no to something like this, the next time something comes up she thinks you might say no to, she will simply lie to you.

Then you have no idea where she is or what she's doing, which is FAR more dangerous.

Original poster
Iamsotiredandfedup · 17/02/2026 11:04

Thanks for all the replies, I appreciate all the different perspectives

her friends are pretty sensible, not the fighting on a Friday night type. I’m sure they’d stick together as that’s something I’ve always drummed into her, I once lost friends at a festival and even at 24 it was awful. It would only be for the day

OP posts:
Original poster
Iamsotiredandfedup · 17/02/2026 11:06

DeluluTaylor · 17/02/2026 10:55

Hmmm I’m on the fence. I went to Donnington (now Download) and Reading at 15. I think I was ok but lots of weird stuff happened which could have turned out not to be ok. My friend who was 15 had some weird old guy latch onto her and he would not leave her alone. Luckily when she bounded up to is, excited she was going back to his tent to watch him do some ‘kick-boxing’ moves, an older friend told him to jog on and that she would not be going. All of us similarly young teens didnt have a clue how dangerous it could have been. Similarly I got so, so, so drunk. I could have been assaulted or died and there was no one really checking the campsite. Reading had lots of people setting tents on fire.

This is exactly my worry, situations like this are difficult as an 18 year old but at 16 😬

OP posts:
Snorlaxo · 17/02/2026 11:07

I assume that she’s in year 11 and very young for her year. Would you have said yes if she was an autumn born and nearly 17 this summer? I think it’s not fair to treat her differently than if she was born at the start of the school year.

You know your dd and her friends best but do you really think she will be much more streetwise next summer or the year after?

Echobelly · 17/02/2026 11:09

YABU - I went at 16. I had to deal one night with some slightly annoying drunk people who were risking damaging my tent and they sloped off. Honestly, it's generally 'nice middle class kids' letting their hair down, no one's going to do anything that wild and crazy.

There will be a lack of sleep and some new experiences. They will probably see people on drugs - who will be sitting on standing around giggling and being silly. If DD and friends haven't camped before, make sure they know to be careful not to let tent get went inside (we learned that the hard way!); festivals are actually a good way of learning to cope with managed risk and new situations and there are staff on hand to help with problems.

SalmonOnFinnCrisp · 17/02/2026 11:13

I went at 15/16 and 16/17 approx 20 yrs or so ago.

Reading was a lot "calmer" than Leeds.
First year was cool but the vomit everywhere etc was a bit of a shock... 😅

The second year was the first year a woman got raped and I remember feeling really shocked and sad about that because "indie kids werent like that".
I also ended up being given a spliff that had ketamine in (why???) And being violently unwell. I remember it was quite scary feeling so out of control.

Is she going with a big group?
I think if she keen to go she needs you need to help her think about about staying safe and being prepared to keep booze / drugs to a minimum so she doesnt get into any sticky situations she cant handle

arethereanyleftatall · 17/02/2026 11:14

Reading is all 16years olds now. It’s what the kids do when they finish their GCSE’s. In fact, my friends kid is 18 this year and won’t go to Reading this year as he’s ’too old for Reading’

TheBitterBoy · 17/02/2026 11:14

I live in Reading, the festival is full of 16 year olds, DS went the year he got his GCSE results, loads of his friends did too, there were no issues. If it's just for the day, no camping I'd be even less worried, especially if as you say, they are a sensible group.

Theonlywayicanloveyou · 17/02/2026 11:16

I went at 16. It’s fine. She’ll be spending time with her existing friends, not off taking drugs with randoms. She won’t have a personality transplant because she’s at a festival. If she’s into music she’ll be busy packing in everyone she wants to see over the few days she’s there.

Get her battery pack to charge her phone in her tent, and let her live!

gototogo · 17/02/2026 11:19

Mine went at 18 with half her school year (it seems the other half went to Leeds) and she told me it was full of “little kids” after taking their GCSE’s. She was fine as sensible, anti drugs and a large group of friends but not sure I’d have bought her a ticket any younger

Theonlywayicanloveyou · 17/02/2026 11:20

DeluluTaylor · 17/02/2026 10:55

Hmmm I’m on the fence. I went to Donnington (now Download) and Reading at 15. I think I was ok but lots of weird stuff happened which could have turned out not to be ok. My friend who was 15 had some weird old guy latch onto her and he would not leave her alone. Luckily when she bounded up to is, excited she was going back to his tent to watch him do some ‘kick-boxing’ moves, an older friend told him to jog on and that she would not be going. All of us similarly young teens didnt have a clue how dangerous it could have been. Similarly I got so, so, so drunk. I could have been assaulted or died and there was no one really checking the campsite. Reading had lots of people setting tents on fire.

Sorry but you can’t compare Donnington (especially old Donnington, not Download) to Reading.

Reading is THE teen festival. I went back at 24 and it felt horrifically childish. It’s only kids.

Donnington is a proper grown up metal festival with an audience that tilts male. Not the same.

BetterOffNow · 17/02/2026 11:21

It's a 16 year old post GCSE rite of passage, it's a very young festival so there is some silliness but as long as she's sensible she'll be fine.
Give her a cheap phone and portable charger, and get her to camp on one of the quieter sites, make sure she stays with her friends and if possible pack up Sunday morning and leave Sunday night as that's when the tents tend to get trashed.

SomersetBrie · 17/02/2026 11:22

I mean, I wouldn't want to let a 16 year old go to Reading but if friends were going and they really wanted to, then I would.
Luckily, neither of mine could afford the ticket so it was a non option.
A friend's son has his drink spiked at Reading and was very ill, they suspect it was someone he was with (one of his "friends"). He was fine, but it caused a lot of drama at the time.
The traditional advice is leave Sunday evening before they set the place on fire.

magpie234 · 17/02/2026 11:23

Reading Festival… I have the best memories of it as a teenager! Let her go and make some for herself. If she is as sensible as it sounds like she is then I think is only fair to trust her with some independence personally. I just hope she gets good weather as we had a total wash-out one year… although even that was all part of the fun!