Reading Festival 2022

[Frostytiger87]

Hi , my dd will be 16 next year and a group of her mates are booking Reading Festival they see it as after GCSE celebrations. A few are camping and the other half staying in a local hotel apparently.
Personally I’m not keen on my dd going , please don’t judge as I feel a bit bad but I feel 16 is too young for these sort of festivals , there’s also a few other concerns alcohol, drugs , & also covid using which will probably be filthy toilets etc .
Would you allow your dd at this age ?

Mine was due to go after GCSEs but that was 2020 so it wasn’t on, it’s very common for 16yr olds to go.

DD16 has a day ticket for Leeds next year. She's not staying over though and I'd be a bit worried to let her camp just yet. Some of her wider circle of friends are however going for the full weekend.

My dd has just booked to go to Leeds for the weekend with three friends. They will all be 16. They have booked Pink Moon camping which is a separate area with pre-pitched tents, extra staff and little luxuries like showers and hair straighteners. I feel ok about it because of the camping they have picked, which sounds more secure and less likely to have large groups of boys etc but I am still nervous generally….

16/17 is the norm at Reading. My 19 year old went at 17 but would say it was too young now, and would choose a "cooler" festival for Summer 2022.

So in answer to your question, no, 16is the perfect age for it. Yes, there will be drugs, alcohol and Covid, but you can't protect them forever.

Rage will be there this year. If I wasn't having babies then I'd be there! (Only for the day though, this old bird won't camp at a festy now).

Is she going in a decent sized group of friends that she trusts? I'd advise coming home Sunday eve and not camping the last night

My eldest Went in 2019 aged 16 after GCSEs and my youngest did the same this year also at 16 (they’ve also bought a ticket for next year).

A significant portion of year 11 from their school go each year. They were considering Boardmasters instead of Reading but the Reading lineup is looking good so went for that.

Yes there are drugs but they are not pushed heavily- just say no. There is drinking - they all smuggle alcohol in.

Reading is a young festival there will be a huge number of 16 year olds there post GCSEs - it’s very much a rite of passage.

My DD went to Reading last year following GCSEs. They had a mix of day tickets (my DD) and a few camped. She was very pleased she just did the day. It’s pretty rough. The teens who stayed didn’t stay the last night as that’s apparently notorious. Stories of very drunk/drugged kids, campfires, and people dragging tents into fires etc, letting off fireworks. Whilst there is security it’s pretty ineffectual as they’re very young adults and no doubt not paid or trained anywhere near enough to deal with drink/drugged teens. Some camping areas are better than others apparently.
My DD has said none of them would ever go again and has said I shouldn’t allow her younger sister to either; which will be an interesting bridge to cross.
If she’s insistent then only agree to a day ticket.

I just got 16 year old DD a ticket (she will be 3 weeks off 17 by then).
A group of them are going - and she has a weekend ticket.
She wanted to go this year- I said no automatically then I read on Mumsnet about Reading being popular for 16 year olds but by the time I changed my mind the tickets had sold out.
She was mortified that I actually knew (and used to like) Rage against the Machine back in the day!

Yep DD (15 nearly 16) has just had her Reading ticket bought for her as a Xmas present. There are about 30 of them from her school going , , a mixture of boys and girls, and all camping. I have read about the Sunday night riots though and have said I don’t want her camping that night.

I know there will be drugs and alcohol but I hope DD will be sensible. DD is beyond excited now that Arctic Monkeys have been confirmed!

My DD is going but just day tickets as it’s notorious for tents being set in fire and other awful behaviour. Her friend last year had all her belongings stolen and one of their party had their drink spiked. However, they need to learn smarts at some point and if you trust her and she is in a large supportive group that will look after each other they should be ok. Her and her mates are doing board masters instead for the full thing.

I went to Glastonbury aged 16 a v long time ago and that was pre mobile phones ! Parents just had to say see you in 3 days

My daughter and her friends camped at Latitude this Summer as an end of Year 11/GCSEs that never were celebration. All went well apart from the fact they all caught Covid!! But had great time, came back with all their possessions, no horror stories. Planning Boardmasters in Cornwall for next Summer for end of Year 12

My DD went last year aged 16. I was worried but it was all fine and she's going again this year.
We're all different in terms of what we allow at different ages. I do ask myself when new things come up whether I'm thinking about what's best for her or what suits me best but as long as I can answer that I am thinking about her, it's fine to say no to some things.

Dd1 went this year for the day within a group of 8 friends they were all 16 and loved it they got a mini bus there and me and another mum
Collected them (2.5 hour round trip but was for our sanity) she was 16 (almost 17) next year 41 of them have the weekend tickets and camping and as she will be 18 early September its the start of her 18th burthday celebrations not so keen she's camping weds to monday but they all are and she works part time and bought her own ticket I can't say too much. The
Friends shes going with are all friends she has had for last 5/6 years and a good group of kids so hoping theyll all look after each other