To think Glasto and other festivals like it are for kids?

[expatinscotland]

and to find late 30-somethings and 40-somethings who go to them (and are not press) a bit sad?

YABVU. Glastonbury is for all ages. And its not just a music festival - there's so much other stuff going on. I haven't been since I had my kid though, last time was 2000 when Bowie ( my hero) headlined, it was amazing. But I'll be back. Of course its all a bit more Radio 1 now, but if you stay away from the main stages there is plenty of alternative stuff too.

I think there are many young people who turn up at festivals for the social experience, but don't really like music that much. When they get older they stop going.

The young people who do really like music keep on going to festivals and other live events for the whole of their lives.

Many people are passionate about music. It is a huge part of my life, and I certainly care more about it than I care about the opinions of some judgeypants curtain twitchers.

i couldn't bear the acoustics in a large open field. i still miss going to see big bands in small divey places.

have never heard a band sound good in anywhere outside or stadiums - so to me not worth the music and am talking as a big music fan

not worth the money

SEA, I think you need to find a small divey place and go! We have one in our town. Maybe there's one near you.

yes i should investigate

Dh and I spent our teens with no money, our twenties scraping every penny to buy a house and pay a mortgage, and our thirties raising small children. Damned if I'm not going to live a little now!

YABU.

Dh and I have just reached 40 and while we wouldn't go to Glastonbury or any of the other really big festivals (far too commercialised and up their own backsides for us) we do go to smaller festivals, both with and without our dcs.

This year we went to a fantastic little festival for three days and took our 16 month old dd (and yes, she does have a rather fetching pair of ear defenders and looks really cute in them). The average person attending that particular festival was mid-to-late thirties, but there were much older people and a few youngsters there as well. It was lovely, sitting in the sunshine, listening to decent music having the odd picnic and barbeque, visiting the childrens activities, wandering around the stalls area etc and we really enjoyed spending time with old friends that we rarely get chance to meet up with otherwise. In fact we had such a fantastic time that we bought our tickets for next year (including tickets for our two boys) on the day we got back.

We used to go to a lot of festivals back in the late 80s / early 90s, when it was all a lot less 'in', much more informal (and cheaper if not free). We enjoyed it then and we still do now. What's wrong with that?

Not everyone that goes to festivals is attempting to cling onto their youth. Our festival experiences have changed as we have aged and our family has grown, but we still enjoy going to them just as much.

SEA you should hear Senser play outside! They are awesome. They certainly don't suffer from accoustic problems. Their bass has to be heard/felt to be believed.

southeastastra - outdoor sound has got a lot better over the last 10 years or so.

Of course the main way to get better sound is still to get down the front....

Festivals are for the young and drug riddled, like I was, or tie dye hippies!! Many of my friends go VIP to Glastonbury, we've all done it for years but I am not the same person and so couldn't go and not get wasted.

Taking children is just bonkers.

On the other hand there are some people who looooove music and live bands, so you can't knock then really.

Why is taking children bonkers?! They have a great time - and I've been with kids of all ages (babies - teens)

oh i stand corrected then, aren't senser quite an old band?

I have been to loads of concerts but not a festival. I always wanted to go but never go around to it.

Now i have a 17 month old and i cant wait til he gets older and i can go to my first festival with my son. Im 28 now so i will be in my 30's when we go.

So please dont say its sad as i cant wait to go

Take the baby now! Just go to one of the smaller ones.

I once was at a festival with a weekold baby. Not mine but they were all having a lovely time!

I used to go to Glastonbury and Phoenix when I was younger- always all ages at both and I never turned a hair at the old 'uns (except the c. 70yo with the grizzled long hair- doing what I can only describe as rave-type dancing to Van Morrison- stark bollock naked)

Glastonbury got a bit too big for me- and a bit up itself imo

now we all go to the Big Chill with the nippers. It is a great experience for them and for us as it's a chance for them to run around without us breathing down their necks and we get to ignore them completely

Yep, Senser are quite an 'old' band, but then I'm an 'old' lady and we're both still going strong. Actually a lot of the older bands still do the festival scene and lots of us old fogies go along to see and support them.

I think whether or not you take the dcs depends on the festival. I would be stressed taking them to something as big as Glastonbury (not that I would because as SpringHeeledJack said its a bit up itself and I think its horribly over commercial as well, as are many of the other larger festivals) but we do take ours to smaller more relaxed festivals and a lot of them positively encourage families with young children and lay on great facilities just for the little ones. The last festival I was at had portaloos just for the children and adults were fined if caught using them (all for charity so no-one minded). That said, we have a vw camper and are taking our own chemiloo next year so we don't have many worries on that front anyway. Not that the loos were bad this year, in fact we only experienced portaloo nastiness once, when we got up early on Saturday morning and the bowser hadn't been round to empty them yet.

I would love to go to The Big Chill as we've heard great things from other families, but its a bit too pricey for us at the moment.

Wanttofly, definitely take the baby this year, our dd was 16 months and she was in her element - dancing on her Dad's shoulders, playing with bubbles and having picnics. All you need is a decent sling, a pair of baby ear defenders (sell them on ebay and Amazon) and you're off. (We took our 3 wheeler buggy as well as we knew the festival we were going to could easily accommodate it.)

Dd slept at her usual time in the sling while we danced at the back or just stood and watched the late-night bands, then we headed back up to the camper and she slept in her buggy while we had a bbq and a couple of drinks, it didn't phase her a bit. In fact I think she actually slept better at the festival than she does at home, probably from all the excitement and stimulation. So many things to see and do.

A friend of mine gave birth at Glasto this week - definitely one for the kids!

I feel too old for all the festival malark and I'm only 27! I did go to a festival when I was 22 and really enjoyed it but still felt a bit old even then..

i think i might have seen senser once in the early 90s in a dive club, but may be mistaken just really ring a bell

SEA

Aaaargh >

I'll try again:

Senser at Camden Underworld in 1994/5.

I saw Senser on what was then the NME stage at Glastonbury 1993. Bloody brilliant.

I've been many times but not since 2004 and have been feeling a bit wistful all weekend. Of course I'm 37 now so should be happily sat doing embroidery or something instead of dreaming about dancing in a field in one of the most beautiful festival sites ever shouldn't I? [hmmm]

OP, YABU and being a judgey pants and you know it really. You can't dictate what people should and shouldn't enjoy at any age, just because that thing might not be your particular cup of Darjeeling.

We are a bit skint at the moment but we're hoping to be able to get Beautiful Days tickets before they all sell out.

I meant but I wrote too many ms - Gah!