Should I take my 14 year old to Reading

[KYE13]

Haven’t been to Reading for years. Thinking of going with my 14 year old daughter this year but have heard bad press about safety and the atmosphere at Reading these days.   Just want to chill watch some bands and have a dance. Any experience/thoughts?

[WFD]

16 minutes ago, KYE13 said:

Haven’t been to Reading for years. Thinking of going with my 14 year old daughter this year but have heard bad press about safety and the atmosphere at Reading these days.   Just want to chill watch some bands and have a dance. Any experience/thoughts?

Can't speak for Reading specifically but I've been taking my daughter to Leeds since she was 13 (so the last three years, and we're going again this year) and never had any problems.  For two out of those three years we had and took the option of the very quiet Brown camp, which gets you away from the night time chaos (for the middle year they didn't have Brown so we went in the slightly noisier Green) - presume Reading has equivalents.  In the first year I didn't let her out of my sight (except when we had schedule clashes and her older brother took her to a couple of bands, as he comes too), the second year I'd be ok about separating when it's a bit quieter during the day but would stick together at night.  Last year it was a case of picking a meeting spot for the walk back to the tents, this year she's got mates there so I'll probably hardly see her but she knows her way round and isn't stupid so I'll be quite relaxed.

[KYE13]

Thanks! We’d be heading for the quieter campsite if we went!  Do you find the atmosphere at Leeds quite chilled in evening or is it quite rowdy and full on? 

[WFD]

29 minutes ago, KYE13 said:

Thanks! We’d be heading for the quieter campsite if we went!  Do you find the atmosphere at Leeds quite chilled in evening or is it quite rowdy and full on? 

It's ok in the arena, fairly chilled during the day and gets less chilled as the evening goes on and more and more people come in from the campsites, but wouldn't say it was rowdy or full on as such.  Certainly not as rowdy as T in the Park for example.  There will always be a few full of drink/coke who will be pushy in crowds, you learn to spot them after a while.

Saying that, we don't go to Relentless or any of the other after hours stuff (but think you don't have that at Reading anyway). 

The campsites are lively at night and, with or without kids, I wouldn't want to camp in Blue or Red, too hectic for me.

[ivan]

The only stuff that would concern you tends to happen in the early hours. And that is what you would find in any city on a Sat night - pissed up revellers.

Bands tend to finish at the same time on an evening on the main stages and you have that lull whilst the arena and live music tents empty , but then a few hours later things start to rev up a bit in the dance areas.

But if you have any concerns just go and grab a secuity guard there are enough of them.

Not been to Reading for years , but at Leeds the naughtiness is confined to the camp sites close to the arena and the outdoor dj spots , 

Leeds has a quiet camping area called Brown which is the farthest walk away from everything but as result it is  deathly quiet in there on a night and is the haunt of the more mature festival goer or families.  

If you are camping check out the forums for the quiet spots and on the day ask an Oxfam volunteer , my friend does this every year and they give advice on where the quiet safe camping spots are.

 

[KYE13]

Think I’m looking for a Latitude vibe with a Reading line up!