Is Reading Festival for 16 year old

[CTK]

My daughter is going to Reading Festival this year and wants to camp out. It will be her first time going and I'm a bit nervous about the whole camping thing. I heard it can get pretty rowdy and a bit dangerous at night? And what's the situation with drugs and alcohol? Surely, they can't sell to underage teens (talking about alcohol) Sorry if I'm too naive but please any tips or info. I told her I'f feel more comfortable picking her up and her friends after music is over at night and they can go again the next day (we're a short 15 min)

I had friends in the 90s who went alone as younger teens but my DDs are just going for the day and I’ll pick them up when it’s over.

maybe next year they can Camp
But I want them to navigate a festival alone first (obviously older DD will then be at uni so she can do what she wants!! I’m thinking of my 15 year old DD).

Not Reading but the Northern Version.
I didn't let DD go at 16 because it was just her and 2 female friends and I didn't think they were "streetwise" enough at that age. I did say she could go for the day but she decided not to.
DS16 is going this year but as there are 6 of them and they are all male I feel a bit more comfortable with it. It shouldn't be the case but it is.
He didn't want to camp though which I am quite pleased about so DH will go and fetch him

It’s almost exclusively for 16 year olds 😂

My 17 year old is camping, I didn’t let her camp when she went last year at age 16 and neither did her friends parents. We collected her afterwards. Drugs and alcohol wise if they want to find it they will but no one is going to force it on them so it depends on your teen and what they’re like

It’s full of 16 year olds but I’d pick her up before the Sunday night

Reading Festival is almost like a rite of passage for 16 year olds finishing their GCSEs. While they won’t get served alcohol at the festival (at least when I went, you had to get an over 18 wristband) as with anything, if they want to find it they will. Alcohol can be brought into the campsite for example. Drugs will be around.

There have been iffy times when the festival is over, I remember one year people went around setting fire to people’s tents.

I found the campsite rather grim (the toilets were disgusting before the festival even started) but I guess that’s part of the festival experience. I personally refused to camp and travelled in each day as I live close, but I know lots of others who do camp.

There is nothing glamorous about Reading Festival. There will be alcohol, drugs and stupid people, as with pretty much any festival. Not to say it is dangerous, but if you want to seek the bad stuff out you definitely could.

It’s about 70% 16 and 17 year olds.

Pick her up Sunday night (it gets hairy) and she’ll have a great time.

I went with my Dad when I was 16! I'm in my fifties now so that was the early Reading years, but it was a really positive experience. It felt very organised (apparently still is) and I preferred it to Glastonbury – which he also took me to – because it seemed smaller and friendlier (back then). I felt safe, but then I was with a bunch of burly bikers! I would let my kids go and stay there at 16 because I can't see that there's much they can get up to there, that they wouldn't do on a sleepover at a friend's house, and there are a lot of responsible adults at festivals, employed and visiting, if they need help. Safety in numbers always though, I'd prefer them to be in a group?

Reading has changed massively - it used to be basically Glastonbury for rock/alternative fans - absolutely brilliant in the late 80s/early 90s. Now it's a pop festival for the post-GSCE crowd and those who prey on them.

😞

My stepdaughter went last year to Leeds festival & she lasted 2 hours before asking us to fetch her home. She found it rowdy & was scared. We tried encouraging her to stick it out but she couldn’t.
We ended up taking her back on the Sunday as we had day tickets to see Fred Again & she wanted to see her idol Lana Del Rey & she stuck to us like glue even tho her friends were there. However her older sister went to leeds festival at 16 and loved it & was fine. I think it depends on your daughter’s confidence levels, whether you trust her to not get involved with drugs even though inevitably they are there etc.

Both mine have been there and done that and survived. It is of course full of 16 and 17 year olds and older people as well. It is also full of alcohol and drugs. Mine both came back filthy dirty but otherwise unharmed. I had very sensible conversations with both of them about not swallowing any pills supplied within the event space or getting so wasted that they might get themselves into a situation they couldn't handle. Just saying "don't drink and don't do drugs" seemed a bit inadequate, so I tried to be pragmatic and sensible. I also told DD to stick with her friends and not get separated. Worried less about DS on that front.

Battery packs are a really good idea as they will run out of phone charge. There are charging points, but a few charging packs are well worth it, IMO. They shouldn't take anything new, expensive or precious. Any camping gear should be prepared to be binned when they get home, as it may not be usable again. I appreciate that this sounds dreadful and I'm not in favour of disposable culture at all, but if it rains, stuff gets absolutely trashed. Probably not a good idea to arrange for a family outing to see Granny the day afterwards either. My two slept for about 24 hours when they got home, as I don't think they got much sleep there.

There are lots of helpers and medical tents for the various teenage emergencies that occur, if that is of any reassurance.

DS went to Boardmasters last year after GCSEs. To me, this was marketed at a younger crowd than Reading. He was just 16 - one of the younger ones in his year. Make sure they have proper ID to prove their age otherwise at 16 they won’t be allowed in without an over 18.

DS is a good camper - done loads with us, Scouts, DofE etc so that part of looking after himself was easy. What wasn’t easy was keeping themselves and their belongings safe. There was a crowd surge one night and one friend got injured and needed hospital treatment. Another thought she had been ‘needled’ but there was no wound so they never got to the bottom of that one. There were groups going through other people’s tents so they quickly leant not to leave anything valuable in there. Even packing their chairs away each time they left the tent as people would just help themselves otherwise.

He says he ‘kind of’ enjoyed it. It’s a bit of a rite of passage but if you can put it off a year or two I definitely would!

I go regularly. Do not let her camp at 16. Honestly. It's very druggy. and loads of sex
I'm no prude and I love it but 16 is too young. Day tickets are fine

Loads of drugs and loads of alcohol and it can get rowdy especially on the last night. Some people burn their tents on the last night.

Our daughter was allowed to camp at 16 but she came home each night after the first night - it was too much for her. This has subsequently also happened with the children of friends attending the festival where we told them they could sleep at ours if they found camping too much (we live nearby).

Last years festival we had friends children who had weekend camping tickets and at 18, were adamant they would not need to contact us. But they did.

I wouldn't force your child not to camp but just let them know they can come home at any time if it gets too much.

DD went when she was 17 just for the day, then camped the following year at 18 (last year) she stayed in the VIP camping area, with 24 hour security and said she was grateful for this, they actually got rid of a group who were causing trouble and she said that the security officers did a really good job.

Thank you all who have shared their experiences! I have so much more clarity now and it's good to hear that I'm not alone in not wanting DD to camp out at barely 16 years old....maybe next year! ;)