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Teenagers

Parenting teenagers has its ups and downs. Get advice from Mumsnetters here.

Original poster

Reading Festival

41 replies

runner2 · 06/08/2021 08:13

17 year old DS and a group of friends going - from Weds to Bank Hol Monday ( have early bird tickets). First festival experience for all. I am a little anxious - if anyone can offer any advice/tips for either me or DS I’d be v grateful 😊

OP posts:
Blueskythinking123 · 06/08/2021 09:08

Take clothes they are not too bothered about. They come back filthy and stinky.

The cost of refreshments is really high. Take as much with him as possible. The spending costs soon add up.

Small padlock for tent.

Drink plenty of water.

Take and use sun cream if weather is good.

Blueskythinking123 · 06/08/2021 09:10

Take plenty of portable phone chargers.

Take sturdy trainers. They get jumped on in mosh pits. Also take trainers they are not bothered about destroying.

Do not take anything of value.

Keep valuables - phone / money on you at all times.

mamaduckbone · 06/08/2021 19:04

Don't take anything they or you care about (clothes/trainers/camping stuff)

Festivals are really expensive so take as much food and drink as they can and a refillable water bottle if it's not too geeky!

Hand sanitiser and loo roll

A powerbank to charge phones

I went to festivals as a teenager but have also been as a 40+ year old so it's hard to separate what I would have done at 18 from what I would do now!

RandomMess · 06/08/2021 19:07

Keep valuables on them, sleep with valuables in bottom of their sleeping bags.

People can/have just slashed through tents.

Straightomyhead · 06/08/2021 19:14

@Blueskythinking123

Take clothes they are not too bothered about. They come back filthy and stinky.

The cost of refreshments is really high. Take as much with him as possible. The spending costs soon add up.

Small padlock for tent.

Drink plenty of water.

Take and use sun cream if weather is good.

Please don't advise him to padlock his tent. If anything this just advertises that they is something worth taking in there.

Just keep the tent a mess (harder for any potential their to take stuff), keep all valuables on him and sleep with valuables in sleeping bag.

Straightomyhead · 06/08/2021 19:16

Also I have a feeling Reading is cashless this year so this should reduce needing cash and means there's less stuff to look after.

I have been to 4ish festivals a year since I was 18 and now work at a few so know the do and dont and ways to stay safe and have the best time.

trumpisagit · 06/08/2021 19:38

Many years ago my friend had his whole tent and contents taken at Reading. Not leaving anything of value in the tent is really good advice.
Waterproof coat, and sunscreen.

BrilliantBetty · 06/08/2021 19:42

Be ready to go and collect at any time. I was 15 or 16 and my poor dad had to drive a couple of hours in the middle of the night to fetch me. It was all too much.

EmmaGrundyForPM · 06/08/2021 19:43

My DS went after GCSEs so he had just turned 16. There were about 20 of them and they had a rota of 2 people on tent duty at all times.

Cards not cash, water bottles, and accept that he will come home filthy but hopefully having had a great time

RandomMess · 06/08/2021 19:44

They have lockers but the queues to use them were hours long so no point in the end!!

DD worked as security don't bother risking taking in contraban.

thesplashing · 06/08/2021 19:59

There is a big Tesco up the road and you are allowed to leave and return to the site multiple times to buy food/refreshments - big queues but can save lots of money on food and drinks.

catfunk · 06/08/2021 20:07

Tell them to drink lots of water and if they do try any drugs and feel unwell (apart from the usual nausea coming up) to seek medical help immediately.

LagganBubble · 06/08/2021 20:13

I volunteer in the lost property tent at Leeds Festival, so my tips are based upon what I've seen....

Make sure your DCs have key contact numbers written down rather than just on their phones- you would be amazed how many don't know their parents numbers, or even house phone number, and they may need this if they lose their phone.

A good tip is to change your lock screen for the duration of the festival to a photo showing 'this phone belongs to...', a contact number for a friend at the festival and contact email. We have chargers in Lost Property so can charge up phones and call these numbers to reunite phone with owner.

If you are taking meds, label them with your contact number - scary how many inhalers and other meds are handed in, with no way of reuniting them with their owners!

If your DC has a top of the range iPhone and you happen to have an older model that they can use for the weekend - do it. Tents do get broken in to, and showers seem to be a target for thieves regrettably.

At Leeds there's a pretty well stocked Co-op on site. It's not cheap, but food looks ok.

Hope your DC has an amazing time! It's been such a rough year, especially for young people.

LagganBubble · 06/08/2021 20:17

Don't know if it's the same at Reading but at Leeds there's a Festival Angels café where you can buy a refillable mug for £5 and get really cheap tea & coffee all weekend - it's open 24 hours as well, and is somewhere you can sit down somewhere dry & warm(ish)

Oblomov21 · 06/08/2021 20:19

I have a ticket for Ds1 from 2 years ago, renewed, that he now can't go to, that I can't sell. Gutted.

HalfShrunkMoreToGo · 06/08/2021 20:21

Take plenty of snacks that can be eaten straight from the packet. The filled pancakes/croissants/waffles that are individually wrapped, fruit, soreen individual malt loaves, dried fruit, nuts, chocolate, beef jerky, cereal, crisps. It will be a weekend of junk but it will save them spending hundreds on crap take away and queuing for hours. We went with grand plans of boiling water over the fire, cooking proper breakfasts and so on. We ended up trying to make up pot noodles with cold water and eating cold beans straight from the tin 😂 then spending all our money on shitty burgers and very expensive corn on the cob.

blahblahblah321 · 06/08/2021 20:23

I'm in the same boat @runner2 , 17 year old DS going with a group of friends. They'll have an amazing time, whilst I'm home worrying Grin. Fortunately I've arranged for some friends to come and stay so they'll keep me busy!

I'm really keen for what to take/what not to take?

DS is travelling on the train - not far as we live in a nearby town. Used to lugging stuff around (Scouting, DofE, camping etc) so he's not phased by that, but would rather travel as light as poss

ItsReallyOnlyMe · 06/08/2021 20:31

At Reading there is quite a long walk from the drop off point to the campsite, so bear this in mind when packing.

Booking a locker is good for valuables (they may be sold out) - there is a charging point for phones here.

Portoloos are in a better condition outside of the campsite I.e. nearer the stages. Remember to take loo paper in - friend of DDs didn't and found herself having to use a fiver 😬 (that was an expensive poo).

Imgoingbackto505 · 06/08/2021 20:35

If they're wanting to stay clean (have a shower) go to the field furthest away from the stage. A good walk to the stage but camping less crowded and showers/toilets in reasonable state.

Don't buy new wellies like my DS did, they rubbed his feet to shreds. A comfy pair of walking boots is more practical.

derekthe1adyhamster · 06/08/2021 20:36

Tell them not to do anything for the first time
And yes. I've heard of many teens whose parents had to go in the middle of the night to collect them (I work in a secondary school)

pinatastick · 06/08/2021 20:40

I went a few times in my late teens, honestly had the time of my life! Such a great experience.

I can't remember much as sadly it was a long time ago. I know I took toilet paper, and a thin scarf to wrap around my face because the smell of the toilets by the second day is absolutely foul (along the same lines, don't camp near the toilets thinking it'll be handy for night time trips- not worth the stench!) Take baby wipes for washing, plus antibacterial gel. The second year we took one of those collapsible plastic water containers, and used it to have cold hair washes rather than join the huge queue for a proper shower (boys possibly care less about greasy hair?! I know some of the lads I went with didn't change their clothes at all so potentially didn't wash either!) I agree with those who say to keep valuables on you at all times. Definitely take sun cream and a decent waterproof coat. We went to the nearby supermarket once we had set the tent up to get bottled water, snacks etc. If I remember rightly we were allowed to take water in to the main arena as long as it was a sealed bottle- security checked every bag on the way in.

craigsgirlfriend · 06/08/2021 20:41

Don't assume they'll be full phone signal or people will hear phones in crowds/loud music. Pre-arrange a meeting point at a certain time if you get split up.

Ear plugs. Eye mask.

Gaffer tape can be a life saver if a tent pole breaks, tent gets ripped etc.

Headache tablets. Lots of.

turdy · 24/08/2021 17:44

My daughter is 16 and is going to reading for one day. We have just realised we don’t have any ID (in the process of applying for a new passport). Will she really need it to get in?

Northernsoullover · 24/08/2021 17:50

Its been many years decades since I went but the joy of Reading over Glastonbury was being able to walk into town. We used to go to Littlewoods cafe for breakfast. Although Littlewoods is long gone it will be much cheaper for them to leave the site for food.

Tjlz · 24/08/2021 19:47

If they need somewhere to escape to a local church does food, drink and snacks as well as phone charging.

www.cavershambaptistchurch.org.uk/

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