16 year old and Reading festival

[Iamsotiredandfedup]

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

My younger friend (30) loves her music, has attended numerous festivals on a regular basis, including Reading. After last year she's said no more, full of kids and she said they were really going mad behaviour wise and she'd never seen so many drugs. For info, she works in the youth sector, so not much phases her.

I’d let her go, but on the condition that she is collected on the last night, so doesn’t stay over that last night. That’s when it kicks off, and could be a bit scary even if she is ok. Alternatively if you live nearby she doesn’t need to camp at all.

There is a lovely welfare team in the main arena and plenty of grownups here and there if she needs help. It is full of 16 yo and very few older punters. Let her go, she will be absolutely fine, as long as she is sensible x

My younger daughter went at just-turned-16 last year, she went for two days and didn’t stay overnight - she loved it and if it’s just for the day you really have no issues. Even overnight with sensible friends is fine I think (my daughter didn’t want to stay overnight as there was nowhere to plug her hair straighteners in lol !!)

My older daughter did camp over for three nights and didn’t particularly enjoy it - her friendship group was a bit ‘livelier’ shall we say. Her tent got slashed on the first night - she was exhausted when she came home but I think it all depends on the friends they are with, if they are broadly sensible they will look out for each other and have fun.

It’s a good point that she’ll have friends that would’ve been 16 for months, I hadn’t thought of it like that

My thinking was at 18 she would’ve had a few nights out near home under her belt and be a bit more used to some of the shitty situations that can arise

I had no idea that reading was an after GCSE’s 16 year old festival, she did say this but they’ll say anything when they want something 😂

Do you know if this was a particular day or just in general?

I just looked up the headliners this year...
Its Charlie XCX and raye 😅😅😅

When I went it was slipknot/incubus/SOAD/chili peppers etc....
Also the ill-fated daphne and celeste performance (retrospectively i can see much like Courtney love they were wronged)

I reckon a bit of common sense, stick with friends and it'll be fine

I think who your DD was to go with would have a bearing.

Hi OP. I live in Reading, and also volunteer at the festival with the Reading Street Pastors. If your daughter is sensible, then she will have a blast.

Before she goes, make sure you both know where the Street Pastor tents are (usually one in Orange and one in Brown). They are open 24/7, serve tea and coffees, and are a safe place for anyone to go to if they need help or just a chat.

There are campsites which are quieter than others, and although they are a little further away, I would recommend she stays in one of those.

It's the usual things of being aware of their surroundings, not taking any drugs, and always have a meeting place agreed between friends in case anyone gets separated accidentally. Sometimes phone signal can be sketchy too.

Feel free to DM me if you have any questions :)

This made me laugh 😂 I don’t there’ll be many mosh pits for Raye

My dd went at 16 but didn't stay over. Did 2 days.
We were near enough to pick up her and her friends.
Think dd would have been happy with 1 day tbh. It was v hot the year she went.

My two didn't go, but my DD had a ticket to go in 2020 when she would have just turned 16 (canx due to Covid). The following year, she didn't want to go because 'Reading is like a creche for 16 year olds.' Instead she went to a different festival. I think your daughter is right. Reading/Leeds are the post GCSE festivals and are full of this age group. Just tell her to avoid anyone over 16 as they are clearly wrong'uns going to a kids' festival.

Thing is, kids are resilient and can cope with some discomfort - tent gets nicked on last night or something? Spend all night awake! Squash up with your mates in the other tent! Find a friendly female group and squeeze into their tent! Sleep out in the open!

Or call mum and ask what to do - we didn't have that option and we survived.

You can do that stuff when you're 16 and be none the worse for wear. 😃 It might be a bit stressful at the time, but then it becomes a mad story about what happened at Reading.

I went when I was 17. I was fine.

DD went for the day when she had just turned 16 (summer baby) and last year went for the whole time, jjust turned 17.

I think it does depend on the child - DD is very sensible, was a Scout so good with camping (her friend who has never camped went home after 1 night as couldnt cope with it!), she went with a good group of friends who all stuck together whereas another friend of hers went with friends from another school and they kept ditching her for boys.

You can opt to camp in different fields - do not go for the general camping - this is where the chaos happens! DD opted for the quiet field. They have to have a special wristband to access the different fields so felt a bit safer as only people booked in her field could get in. She said their field was really clean and tidy when they packed up whereas she was appalled at the state of the general field as they walked through.

The idea of my 15 year old going to a festival in the summer (she's a summer born year 11) fills me with absolute dread 🙈 as it happens she would hate it so it won't be an issue. But yeah I can see why you don't want to let her.

for the day. Yes absolutely.

Agreed- Sunday night is the dodgy night.

For my kids going at 16 was the norm and none of them would have wanted to go at 18- it’s very much a post gcse thing.

Very much a post GCSE thing! DS and his friends left on the Sunday night after whatever act was on. One parent had been to collect all their camping stuff earlier that day so they just had little backpacks so could exit really easily. Yet another parent picked them up. Went with a small mixed group but met up with others they knew. All pretty sensible! Only complaint was about the price of the food!

Agree with everyone else, it's a post-GCSE rite of passage! but come back on Sunday evening. DS and his friends had a fantastic time - definitely let her go if she's keen.

I thought 16 was pretty normal for Reading

Fine. No air tag. Thats too much.

The fact you’ve updated to say it’s only for a day makes me wonder what the actual issue is. Of dropping overnight I’d understand the worry, but presumably they’ll be dropped off and collected.

I’d say let her go and enjoy herself with her friends. Give her advice on what to do if certain situations arise if you’re worried.

My DD went last year when she was 16 and I had exactly the same worries as you OP. She agreed to text regularly, only drink from her own bottle/glass, never leave her drink unattended and always stay with her group.
She had a fantastic time and is planning on going back this year.