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Teenagers

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

Original poster

Reading Festival 2023 ... hints and tips.

135 replies

sm40 · 14/08/2023 20:05

Apologies if chat already set up/this in in the wrong place.
I saw a thread like this last year and now it DS is going looking for any hints.
He's hardly camped, let alone done a festival Grin
He's 16 and we are heading down straight after GCSE results on Thursday.
Where do I drop off (not picking up so that's not my issue). What should I remind him to pack and any other stuff I should tell him. What about booze? Do they get checked on the way in. I'm trying to avoid him smuggling in vodka, and rather him take a crate of beers.
How expensive is it in there?
I've just ordered the daily phone charge pack thing for him
I've told DH he is having the chat about sex!
And any advice for me not to be stressed all weekend?
Thanks!

OP posts:
vincettenoir · 14/08/2023 20:13

No real advice but I went to Reading festival with friends when I was 17. I had a brilliant time and all was perfectly fine. It’s really kind of you to drip him off (no advice on that I got a train). I hope all goes well and he enjoys and stays in touch.

Tjlz · 15/08/2023 06:30

Advice for dropping off is to use the official drop off (website has map etc) Reading can become packed during festival times and council put loads of traffic wardens to stop people from dropping off in other locations, you’ll also not get near the actual site in a car.

bags will always be searched on entry and they’re very strict

Inowseeyourtruecolorsandredflagswhattookmesolong · 15/08/2023 06:51

I read on a thread about Boardmasters that there's a spiking trend at the moment involving vapes - so have a chat about that

Some other good advice on that thread would also apply to Reading and any other festival imo

Rollergirl11 · 15/08/2023 11:39

Hey! I’m glad someone started a thread. The one last year was really invaluable for us first time parents.

DD went down straight after collecting her GCSE’s last year. She’s going again this year too.

Drop-off/pick-up: last year we (and 100’s of other parents) used the TGI Friday/Aldi car park. I think it’s a bit closer to the site than the official drop-off point. Just to warn though it’s probs still a good 20 min walk to the main entrance. As PP said above you won’t get really close to the actual site in a car as the roads are all closed off.

Booze: they do get checked going in. They also get checked going in to the main arenas. DD managed to smuggle in 3litres of vodka; all decanted in to various receptacles. I would imagine beer might be harder to hide.

Cost: food is really expensive in there. There is a co-op on site which is handy. And I think you can get access to kettles for boiling water for pot noodles and stuff. But remember you can actually come and go from the site. DD and her group used to go in to town a fair bit during the day and eat off site which was much cheaper and nicer.

Tips: make sure you check out the route from the arenas to your tent in the day. Identify any distinctive landmarks or make your tent distinguishable in some way. It’s no fun trying to work out which tent is yours at 3am when you’re wasted and they all look the same!
Take loads of carrier bags for putting rubbish/dirty clothes in. Saves the inside of the tent from looking like landfill.
Make sure you take some kind of receptacle you can fill with water for brushing your teeth. A mug will do.
Headtorches are really handy and can double up as a light inside the tent.

What kind of a tent has DA got? Make sure he knows how to put up and take down. He should practice before. Please please please do not live your tent there! So bad for the environment.

Does he have any idea what campsite they want to go in? Some of them can get pretty hairy! 😂

Also does he know that the silent discos are in the main arena this year? You have to pay an additional £10 for the headsets for the 4 nights. You can pre-book them now as there will be limited numbers.

Lotustiger · 15/08/2023 12:08

Rollergirl11 · 15/08/2023 11:39

Hey! I’m glad someone started a thread. The one last year was really invaluable for us first time parents.

DD went down straight after collecting her GCSE’s last year. She’s going again this year too.

Drop-off/pick-up: last year we (and 100’s of other parents) used the TGI Friday/Aldi car park. I think it’s a bit closer to the site than the official drop-off point. Just to warn though it’s probs still a good 20 min walk to the main entrance. As PP said above you won’t get really close to the actual site in a car as the roads are all closed off.

Booze: they do get checked going in. They also get checked going in to the main arenas. DD managed to smuggle in 3litres of vodka; all decanted in to various receptacles. I would imagine beer might be harder to hide.

Cost: food is really expensive in there. There is a co-op on site which is handy. And I think you can get access to kettles for boiling water for pot noodles and stuff. But remember you can actually come and go from the site. DD and her group used to go in to town a fair bit during the day and eat off site which was much cheaper and nicer.

Tips: make sure you check out the route from the arenas to your tent in the day. Identify any distinctive landmarks or make your tent distinguishable in some way. It’s no fun trying to work out which tent is yours at 3am when you’re wasted and they all look the same!
Take loads of carrier bags for putting rubbish/dirty clothes in. Saves the inside of the tent from looking like landfill.
Make sure you take some kind of receptacle you can fill with water for brushing your teeth. A mug will do.
Headtorches are really handy and can double up as a light inside the tent.

What kind of a tent has DA got? Make sure he knows how to put up and take down. He should practice before. Please please please do not live your tent there! So bad for the environment.

Does he have any idea what campsite they want to go in? Some of them can get pretty hairy! 😂

Also does he know that the silent discos are in the main arena this year? You have to pay an additional £10 for the headsets for the 4 nights. You can pre-book them now as there will be limited numbers.

Really helpful. Thank you

Original poster
sm40 · 15/08/2023 15:00

Thank you.
The other thread mentioned what3wording his tent!
Good to now that they can get food out and about.
I'll mention the silent disco.
It's his friends tent so will ask if he's put it up before!
And see if they have a campsite in mind but not early admission so the good places may have gone.
He's not taken anything he doesn't mind losing. Have raided primark for shorts and T-shirts.

OP posts:
Zimunya · 15/08/2023 15:04

Just a word of warning about the TGI car park - if you are there for longer than 30 minutes you get fined (there is a sign at the entrance stating this, but sadly I missed it!). There's probaby a way to pay on an app - but if you're thinking "pick up" as I was, remember your time limits :)

Rollergirl11 · 15/08/2023 16:27

The other thread mentioned what3wording his tent!

Not sure how what3words works but bear in mind that they very well may not have any reception

Original poster
sm40 · 15/08/2023 19:11

I want to do the silent disco....
It's unclear on the site but the headphones last the whole time?? Do you get a new pair every night or keep them 😂 for the whole 4 days?
So I'm on drop off duty which seems so
Much easier than trying to find them amongst everyone coming out!

OP posts:
Rollergirl11 · 15/08/2023 19:38

@sm40 yeah it’s not that clear is it? From looking at the FAQ’s on the officialrabdl Instagram they keep them for the whole time. They can swap them if the batteries run out but they should last. This is the first time they’ve done it like this. Usually the silent discos are in the campsites and it’s just first come first served on the night.

I picked up last year and I just waited in the Aldi car park for them to come to me. I did have to wait a little while for them to get to the car. It was like a scene from The walking Dead. 😬 Didn’t get fined thankfully but it was 8am on the bank holiday Monday so maybe no restrictions in place. 🤷‍♀️

Original poster
sm40 · 15/08/2023 20:13

Mentioned the silent disco to son. We was a bit, what's the point in that!??????

He'll regret it.

OP posts:
Tjlz · 15/08/2023 20:24

I’m from reading, it’s worth them being aware of the buses they run from the site to the town as a shuttle. Worth getting a weekend ticket for them. https://www.reading-buses.co.uk/festival/

Rollergirl11 · 15/08/2023 21:23

As far as I’m aware there is nothing else going on after the last acts finish around 11.30pm other than the silent disco, which runs until 3am. And on the Thursday night there is no music or any acts performing at all so the only music will be the silent disco. Of course not everybody goes and some people are just happy hanging out in the campsites after the last acts.

LlynTegid · 15/08/2023 21:41

A hat and suncream- it may be sunny.

Gumps · 15/08/2023 22:45

Just marking my place here. I'm beside myself with worry!

Original poster
sm40 · 15/08/2023 23:32

@Gumps I'm with you! But they all seem to come home ok. What we don't know...

OP posts:
FanSpamTastic · 16/08/2023 00:41

I dropped DD and friends at a car park near Reading Bridge where there was a boat to take them up to the festival site - looks like it is running this year too here.

FanSpamTastic · 16/08/2023 00:43

Also let them know that there is a medical centre on the festival site that will deal with most issues. There is also a Co-op for food etc.

SleepPrettyDarling · 16/08/2023 00:45

I thought this was going to be about a teen reading challenge for 2023, and was going to suggest The Hunger Games trilogy.

BackT · 16/08/2023 07:07

I'll join. Another 16 yo DD going with a group of mates. They are pretty naive so im hoping they don't get themselves into trouble 😬

They have early entry (getting GCSE results by email) and I have no idea how they will survive 5 nights!

Original poster
sm40 · 16/08/2023 07:30

Hmm. Maybe I'll try and getting title changed, but on the Sunday night I hear it can get a little Hunger Games Esq.

OP posts:
BackT · 16/08/2023 12:47

I'm worried about Sunday night too. Apparently there are some people who set light to tents

BackT · 16/08/2023 13:01

Where would be a reasonable place to collect on the Sunday night? I'm guessing it'll be midnight at least by the time they've got their stuff together

Bunnyannesummers · 16/08/2023 22:33

Just to say what three words doesn’t always work in festivals, it was NO use at glasto this year.

for the tent he needs to remember the nearest footpath, where he turns off and what he’s aiming for (a point directly past his tent)

better to camp closer to a water tap but further from a toilet