festivals are meant to be fun

Festivals are meant to be fun ... but they’re not if you return home missing an eye.

This happened to one poor sod at Leeds Festival last year, and someone at Reading suffered a serious groin injury (there were other injuries too).

These injuries – or worse – can be the consequences for anyone involved in some of the dangerous acts that have been happening on the last night of some festivals.

Around the country, the police are working hard to try to ensure you and me aren’t the victim of an explosion: at some rock festivals, there’s people making their own explosions and blowing themselves – or YOU! - up! Did they leave their brains at home?

Vandalism on the final night of the festivals, including the burning of tents, exploding of gas canisters and attacks on stalls and toilets blocks, has caused disruption to the enjoyment of thousands attending festivals - causing injuries to festival goers - and some people don’t return to an event they otherwise love as a result.

After seeing acts of disruption for themselves, friends Zena Gardner and Amy Last decided to take a stand against the actions they believe are ruining the festival experience. The pair enlisted the help of like-minded festival goers from the eFestivals Forums to start their ‘Love Not Riots’ campaign.

After contacting Carling Weekend: Reading and Leeds Festivals organizer Mean Fiddler, the campaign received the backing of managing director Melvin Benn, who supports any moves to bring this disruption to a halt, so that festivals remain safe and fun for everyone attending.

The Love Not Riots campaign will be giving away campaign badges and selling T-shirts and vest tops bearing the Love Not Riots logo at both the Reading and Leeds festival sites throughout the weekend of this year’s festivals, with the aim of enlisting the support of the majority of festival goers, to get these dangerous and destructive acts to stop.

"I realized some sort of campaign could work, with the right organization, backing and promotion, said Zena, 27."

"We are not trying to be the fun police, or take anything away from the festival atmosphere, we just want people to have their fun without risking the safety, well-being and enjoyment of those around them."

For the sake of everyone attending these festivals over the August Bank Holiday weekend, please visit the Love Not Riots stall, and give the campaign your active support by discouraging these dangerous and destructive acts by other festival goers.

Zena says: "If we make one person listen then the campaign will have worked."

Very true – but things will be much better for everyone if these stupid acts stop entirely.

Remember, festivals are meant to be fun!

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