Leeds Festival for a 17 year old

[Throwmoneyatit]

Good evening everyone!

I need advice! Talk to me about Leeds Festival please!

I just want to start by saying that when I was 17, I was horse obsessed and didn't like to go too far from my horses so I've led quite a few sheltered teen years!

My son has asked for a ticket to Leeds Festival for his birthday. He will turn 17 a month before.

The thing is, I'm 3 hours away from the site and I'm working that weekend. Obviously if there were any problems, I'd leave work or pay for a taxi home (ideally neither of these things but this is where we are on emergencies).

There is return coach travel available to the Festival from a city about an hour away from me so it would be train and then coach. He knows how to catch trains, buses, read timetables etc.

I've taken him to Highest Point every year (and I think this is where he got the festival bug), went to Kendal Calling last year with his girlfriend and some friends. There was a parent at this festival and I'm less than an hour away, in the event of an emergency.

He has saved up and bought a ticket for Kendal Calling again this year, saved his spending money, bought a tent etc. He's an apprenticeship and works really hard. He will continue working during the holidays and has booked the weekend of Leeds Festival off.

He is kind, considerate, well mannered, reliable and sensible. I'm biased but I am so incredibly lucky to have a son like him. We are close and he tells me a lot. Dh thinks because of how he is as a person, he will be absolutely fine but this is our first child and I don't know if it's a sensible idea due to my teenage years.

He will be attending the events with his lovely girlfriend and their friends (mainly couples) who have a similar mentality to my son and I've met them all. They're all fabulous 17 and 18 year old.

I would book the train, coach, festival ticket and the powerbank swap scheme.

I know I can't have absolute certainty, and I don't know if I'm thinking too much as I suffer with diagnosed anxiety, but is Leeds Fest OK for a 17 year old?

Thank you so much! I will add these to the advice list I'm compiling 😁

Thank you so much, I'm incredibly proud of him. I will let him take the credit for it though 🥰
So, it gets easier?! Thank god. Although I still have the other two to get to this stage 🥴
I'm really glad your children had a good experience there! Thank you! 😁

Wow! That sounds like an adventure! Thank you 😁

I went to Reading twice and loved it. Such happy memories.

He’ll be grand. My DD went post GCSEs at 16 and at 17. She did get a bin bag full of shit thrown on her head one year but hey, that’s festivals for you. She moved on to Boomtown at 18.

Recommend booking into the eco camp at Leeds fest for a slightly more sensible camping experience. Both my DSs went post GCSE and had a great time. Despite me worrying all the time 😂one of the group one year dislocated their thumb and got excellent help on site from the medical team.

I’ve been to many festivals and I was at Leeds during the riots. It was fine and my car wasn’t one of the very few that was set on fire

it absolutely wouldn’t stop me going again apart from the fact I’m too old

all I would say is stick together with his girlfriend and friends. On the very very unlikely chance something happened they could all sort something out between them

It’s mostly 17 and 18 year olds. I will say though that the year my YP went, some idiots were setting fire to tents and so they had to sleep in their car (they’d driven there).

Parents were also picking up their kids due to this.

Sorry to jump on your thread OP but everyone here seems really knowledgeable… I’ve never been to a festival so I may be worrying unnecessarily.
DDs friends have weekend camping tickets to Leeds. She’s had a sudden change of heart (FOMO) and decided to go after all but camping is sold out. Without telling us she’s bought a day ticket. The only issue for me is the travel. She could get herself from our home town to Manchester and then a train to Leeds and then figure out getting to the park in the morning but I’m really worried about the return journey. Me and her dad have a prior commitment so can’t pick her up and the thought of her getting across the venue to some sort of transport, then to Leeds, to Manchester to home on her own is dangerous. I’m seriously considering telling her she can’t go. Sticking together is always key and with this scenario she’ll be doing a lot of wandering around alone.
I hope your son has a fantastic time.

I’m all for everything but this is a nope from me

as you say sticking together at any festival is key, I’ve sorted all sorts out in a group

what trains are even travelling at this time? I assume all local accommodation is booked up

Yes this always happens on the Sunday night with the tents so mine were picked up on the Sunday at 11pm.

There are shuttle busses from Leeds train station to the site. I assume that’s for day trippers as well as the full weekend but definitely worth checking. Depending on her age I would be wary of her being on her own. The last act finishes at just before 11pm so it’s late to be getting home alone.

Keep an eye on resale sites, tickets often come up last minute.

Can’t she just share a tent with someone though not sure if they check wristbands ?

Going with friends. What an adventure. Let him go. No taxi. That's not cool. Worry in secret

Our nieces (raised in Jersey so rather more sheltered than some teens in the UK, and no real experience of train or coach travel) both went to Reading at 17, were absolutely fine and had a blast.

Fairly sure they check.

or there would be 1/4 of the tickets sold and everyone would bunk in with the one mate who’s paid for the whole weekend.

I didn't even tell my parents when I went to reading festival when I was 17. They probably thought I was at scout camp. The funny thing was, I bumped into my 15 year old sister at it - we didn't know either of us were going 😂. No idea what she told them. We both turned out okay.

The days before mobile phones were good times!

Update!

He went! I have picked him up safe and sound, just a day early after homesick messages were sent last night. I rearranged work so I've gained a day off tomorrow too!
He has enjoyed himself but wouldn't go again.

For anybody else on collection duty; it was well signposted, no queues and the drop off/pick up fields weren't muddy 😁

Thanks for all your help x

Yes! I remember my teenage years fondly 😁

Boomtown is apparently next year! My son thought he was too old for Leeds 🤣

What a shame for your daughter, but glad it didn't put her off! I've read that the Sunday night antics have started so I'm glad he's home!

It is such a worry! And I may have shed a few tears when we dropped him off 😆
He did enjoy it, thank you but said he won't be going to it again.
I've heard the medical team and welfare tent are fantastic!

Ah, that's always a bonus 😆
I loved festivals but also know what we got upto which I think concerned me 😂
I asked my son if I would have been too old, the answer was most definitely yes!
He's made loads of new friends too which is great who they could go to different stages with!

I've read the Sunday night traditions have started 😳

He did and we ended up managing to rearrange work so me and dh have had two lovely long drives together which a Maccies bonus halfway there 😂
I'm glad we took him and picked him up as he wanted to come home early, which he wouldn't have been able to if he'd have got the coach.
I hope your daughter loved it and travel worked out well!