It’s the must-attend event for thousands of teenagers for a post-GCSE all-out celebration – with potentially deadly consequences.
Reading Festival and its sister event in Leeds attract 200,000 music fans every year, including thousands of 16 and 17-year-olds who can attend without adult supervision.
But with a record of deaths, drugs, sexual violence and straight up debauchery, parents are resorting to increasingly desperate measures to keep their children safe, with some even paying their offspring not to go.
Reading and Leeds have both earned unsavoury reputations in recent years following a spate of deaths, spiking incidents and rioting. The final night at Reading has even been nicknamed ‘The Purge’, in reference to the US film, with violence often breaking out among attendees.
As teenagers across the UK head to pick up their GCSE results this week, parents will be bracing themselves for a weekend of worry while their children pack their bags and head off to the unknown.
It comes as police release new warnings to festival attendees, telling them to be wary of thieves and pickpockets with tips to stay safe – as many teenagers enjoy a taste of unsupervised freedom for the first time.
Reading Festival, and its sister event in Leeds, attract 200,000 music fans every year, including thousands of under 18s
Large fires and violence at Reading and Leeds in 2022 led many music fans to flee the festivals early
David Celino, 16, from Worsley in Greater Manchester, died at Leeds Festival in 2022 after taking ecstasy, or MDMA
In 2022, thousands left early after tents were looted and torched, fights broke out and missiles thrown at rival music fans.
Armed police had to be called to the scene on the Sunday night amid widespread unrest.
Around 50 attendees were forcibly evicted by police officers, who also arrested a man in connection with a needle spiking incident – with witnesses reporting medical tents filled with teenagers who suspected they had been spiked.
Two 17-year-old girls were taken to hospital after being spiked by injection, with one of the victims suffering from severe seizures on her way home.
On August 27, the first victim felt a sharp, throbbing pain in her thigh while in the packed crowd waiting for an act.
She says she turned to see a man withdraw a syringe and disappear into the masses of people.
Soon after, the woman began to feel dizzy and she was taken to the medical tent by her friends. She claims she was told to ‘sleep it off’ so called her mum to pick her up.
But on the way home, she started having a seizure and her mother took her to hospital.
Anya Buckley, 17, died at Leeds in 2019 and was found to have a cocktail of drugs in her system
In total between 2017 and 2023, it is thought 32 people died at festivals in drug-related incidents (Pictured: Fans at Leeds Festival 2023)
Thousands of young people attend the popular events as a post-GCSE rite every year
Previous years have seen as many as 200,000 festivalgoers across the two events
Parents of youngsters on their way to Reading and Leeds have said they will not sleep for worry
Meanwhile at sister festival Leeds 16-year-old David Celino died after taking an MDMA pill.
The teenager suffered a bad reaction after taking the drug with friends. The group were so worried about getting into trouble for taking the illegal drug, that by the time they sought medical attention it was too late, an inquest heard.
But the coroner ruled that banning under 18s from festivals would be disproportionate after experts argued it would cause a rise in illegal events, which are more unsafe due to a lack of medical or security staff.
Last year enhanced bag checks were in place after the 2022 chaos, which saw festivalgoers waiting in line for hours before they could access the sites.
Police also reported a large rise in the number of arrests for drug-related offences, with 56 detained at Leeds, a rise from 29 in 2022.
David’s death followed that of 17-year-old Anya Buckley at Leeds in 2019, with an inquest hearing she had a cocktail of drugs in her system.
Anya suffered a cardiac arrest at Barnham Park and was found to have MDMA, ketamine and cocaine in her body.
In total between 2017 and 2023, it is thought 32 people died at festivals in drug-related incidents, a study for the University of Liverpool found.
It added 18 of those deaths had been confirmed to be drug related, including three cases involving children under 18.
Fans arrive early in the sunshine for early bird camping at Reading prior to the start of the festival on Friday
Groups of music fans headed to Reading as police issued new safety warnings to ravers
Leeds and Reading have earned reputations with worried parents in recent years due to drugs and debauchery
Deaths of young people aged 20 or under linked to drugs have also been reported at festivals including FOMO, Creamfields and Mutiny since 2018.
Professor Fiona Measham, chair in criminology at the University of Liverpool and co-author of the study, found that while just a third of young people have tried illegal drugs, among festivalgoers the figure is 87 percent.
When her research was published last year, Professor Measham said: ‘People are more likely to take drugs at festivals than elsewhere and drug markets are especially unpredictable at the moment, with risk of overdose or poisoning from synthetics.’
She added: ‘Our research has shown that there is a small but significant number of drug-related deaths at UK music festivals each year.
‘It is clear that more needs to be done to reduce drug-related harm, to ensure that everyone can enjoy festivals safely and to prevent any other parents hearing the heart-breaking news that their child won’t be coming home.
‘While our research has shed light on the issue, currently we’re in a situation where we don’t know the definite number of drug-related deaths at festivals.
‘This makes it extremely difficult for everyone to understand whether the situation is getting better or worse and whether festival health initiatives such as drug checking services, amnesty bins and medical services are effective.’
Parents have described how they will be up all night worrying about their children attending the festivals this year amid safety concerns for young people.
One mother, Caroline Cole, said: ‘When did he get old enough to be off to Leeds Festival? I’ll not sleep until Monday.’
Another parent, Sarah Davies, added: ‘That’s this one packed and on his way to Reading festival, hope you have the best time and please stay safe.
‘Your mother on the other hand is a bag of nerves.’
What started out as small campfires in 2022 soon became infernos, with reports of tents being set alight while people were sleeping inside
Reading 2022: Many said they left the campsite after feeling the atmosphere turn sour as things became more dangerous
Much of the campsite was set on fire on the festival’s final day, with some still burning on Monday morning
And one parent told the Times this week they even resorted to paying their son not to go to the festival, instead of spending the same money on a ticket.
It comes as new figures revealed festivalgoers who have reported serious sexual assaults and rape at Leeds and Reading have seen abysmal charge rates.
Figures unveiled last weekend in The Observer show just four out of 100 reported offences at Leeds and Reading since 2018 have resulted in a prosecution.
Sixteen women reported being raped at Leeds, but not a single one has resulted in prosecution.
Of the four crimes to see a charge brought, three were at Reading and just one at Leeds.
And young people also face the threat of other forms of violence. Just last month, 16-year-old Lee Paton was left in a coma after attending his first festival, TRNSMT, with his girlfriend.
His family said the pair were at the festival when Lee was suddenly attacked by two men in a brutal assault which saw his head stamped on, leaving him with serious injuries including a fractured eye socket.
Police arrested a total of more than 40 people for offences including sexual assault, drug possession and breach of the peace at the festival.
Just weeks later at Boardmasters festival in Cornwall on August 10, a crowd surge resulted in scenes of carnage as terrified teenagers desperately tried to escape during DJ Sammy Virij’s set.
Seven people had to be taken to hospital with some suffering broken bones. Several young people were seen desperately trying to rescue their unconscious friend from the crush, while another young woman was pictured covered in blood.
Earlier this summer a set at Boardmasters (pictured) had to be cancelled after a crowd crush
Crowds were seen surging at the Boardmaster music festival in Newquay and seven people were rushed to hospital
A violent brawl broke out at Parklife festival in Manchester this year to the shock of music fans
One man appeared to duck between two other men in the left of the frame to dodge punches and then fell to the ground
This week alone police have appealed for information in two cases after a teenager was sexually assaulted at Y Not Festival and another woman was violently assaulted at a Plymouth music festival earlier this month.
The victim had a drink thrown in her face, chunks of her hair ripped out, and was punched in the jaw by another woman, police said.
And earlier this year a huge brawl broke out at Parklife in Manchester as 52 people were arrested, including for possessing drugs and weapons.
Police forces in West Yorkshire and the Thames Valley are now bracing for a busy bank holiday weekend as Leeds and Reading are set to get underway.
West Yorkshire Police has issued new warnings to attendees, telling them not to take drugs and to keep their belongings safe.
The force said in a statement: ‘Drug taking of any kind will not be tolerated at the festival.
‘Security checks on your way into the site will be stringent and staff are adept at finding drug stashes. The law at Leeds Festival has to be enforced, just as it would be any other part of the country.
‘No drugs are safe to use; often drugs are sold as one type of drug but are in fact another. You cannot guarantee what you are buying.’
Other advice tells ravers to limit valuables, split up cards and cash and avoid carrying backpacks.
Police also advise not to bury valuables or leave them in a tent, and to store them at the bottom of sleeping bags while sleeping.
Parents will be hoping the enhanced bag checks from 2023 will mean a largely safe trip for their offspring this weekend – but police will be taking no chances.