AIBU to refuse my 15-year-old a late-night concert trip?

[Bubblehubbles]

DD is 15, was at a concert at an outdoor venue, escorted by a friends parents.

Friends parents are very relaxed and allowed them to have a drink or alcohol before the concert. I’m pretty relaxed about alcohol when they hit 16 and I am aware that they may well drink at 15 but I wouldn’t give it to them and I certainly wouldn’t give it to someone else’s child. This is to give some context as to the friends parents boundaries. Friend is a lovely kid and I am generally fond of the parents, but less fond of them doing this.

Apparently last night it was decided that they (2 friends) would go to this venue on wednesday and sit outside the concert and listen to the music with other people who don’t have tickets. This is a train ride away (30 mins or so) and they wouldn’t be home until Midnight.

This seems a bit much for me, somewhere locally I could live with, but a train ride that time of night, with lots of drunk people when you are only 15 seems risky.

Apparently I am absolutely unreasonable, what do others think?

Interesting that it’s almost 50/50.

I don’t think I’m a strict parent and I really like the kids to have fun but I am a bit aware of dangers that can be out there.

Maybe the cool parents can get out of bed and go pick them up afterwards if they are so in favour...

I'd probably say yes, but without knowing the park, it's difficult.
It's not Hyde Park is it?

I wish OP would give us a steer as the reason I asked in the first place was so locals could say whether they're going to get moved on by security anyway.

I remember being stranded in Docklands when I was 15 with a friend after a Blur gig in the 90s. Train terminated and we were miles from anywhere.

Glastonbury at 16. Pitched our tent far too close to the Pyramid stage, it was nearly crushed, found a stranger over dosed in our tent the first night and had to get medical help. On the Saturday came back to find our tent stolen and had to work out how to get home.

Travelled alone to Dublin later that year to play some gigs and stay on the friend of a friend of a friend’s floor.

All experiences that, while difficult, helped make me independent and able to cope. And some fun stories and great memories.

My nearly 20 year younger half sibling was wrapped in cotton wool and still, now aged 25, lives at home and her father collects her by car from the tube so she doesn’t have to cope with the dangers of the 7 minute walk.

Different times perhaps, but certainly I think 15 is the time to start exploring that independence and such. If they’re together and you can trust them to an extent and are on hand to be ready to collect them in an emergency (keep their phones charged!), I’d say let them do it! It’s the sort of memory that will stay.

I might be very straightforward saying this, but why didn't you say no why are you putting the onus on the friends parents you are "allowed " to parent your 15 year old and say no and should have brought her home.

@Bubblehubbles
Just say no to this one. You aren’t comfortable with it, and that’s that.
Aside from the fact that you say she’s just been to another concert, so it isn’t that you never let her do things, it’s perfectly fine to make decisions for your not yet adult children regarding their safety.