sunday night campsite riots

[FestivalFriend]

last year i was at reading, and i walked back alone on sunday night and it was absolute carnage, tents on fire, burning sleeping bags flying through the air and tents getting jumped on. and now i hear this year theres extra security and a drinking ban past 6pm on the campsite to try and stop this.

then i was speaking to my mate who i'm going to leeds with this year and he says the riots at leeds are miles worse (he has been to both) but how come theres no drink ban/extra police like at reading if they are worse??

[tomdsjames]

I've never been to Reading so can't comment on it but I've never experienced any riots at Leeds. I tend to camp in Green which has a quieter atmosphere (maybe I'm showing my age) being next to the family campsite but as it's a bit closer to the arena you can still have a laugh.

[rexclark]

Leeds has been pretty bad but is quite tame now, Reading from what i've heard is alot worse now.

[eyelovefests]

Leeds was bad until they gave us something to do after the bands. Thats not possible at Reading though because of its location.

[scottt]

Its hardly a drinks ban anyway. Who brigns alcohol in past 6pm anyway? People are just gonna stock up the day before.

[Dan R]

Last year at Leeds wasn't too bad imo

There were two big fires in red, one of which was organised and the other was by the crowd but it was quite calm and organised anyway as we couldn't actually tell it wasn't the organised one

Plus like someone said, the late-night entertainment provides people else to do other than rioting

[swede]

I didnt go to Leeds last year after the 2008 riots in our camp, got woke up at 4 o'clock in the morning with a massive fire behind my tent, not the most pleasant thing when your on a comedown. Id done from 2003-2008 and the rioting just seemed to get worse every year.

As we left it just looked like the whole of yellow bubble was ablaze, not my idea of a fitting end to a festival.

Done Glasto the last two years and have loved the change in atmosphere, I know you dont get as many metal/punk/rock bands ect but at least theres no riots.

What was it like at Leeds last year because if it calms down I would def go back one year as I love being infront of that main stage all day getting wrecked.

[rexclark]

What was it like at Leeds last year because if it calms down I would def go back one year as I love being infront of that main stage all day getting wrecked.

[paulomas]

from looking at the alternative stage line up that was announced today, Festival Republic have got Smash N Grab and Swap-a-Rama on after the last acts. I just got back from Latitude (run by FR aswell) and these things (both club nights in london) went on till 3am each night and were very popular. so maybe these things, aswell as 2 silent discos this year will take some pressure off the campsites.

but saying that, Latitude is set in a park in the middle of no where. theres still the issue of space, noise and residential areas at Reading which means the arena closing earlier than any other festival (from what i can gather) leading to the only option of 85,000 people heading back to the campsite to keep themselves occupied.

i say, big superfence around the whole site, glastonbury ticket system and complete new design of the layout. camp around stages, and more use of the fields where the white campsite is

[rexclark]

i say, big superfence around the whole site, glastonbury ticket system and complete new design of the layout. camp around stages, and more use of the fields where the white campsite is

[fantomas]

but saying that, Latitude is set in a park in the middle of no where. theres still the issue of space, noise and residential areas at Reading which means the arena closing earlier than any other festival (from what i can gather) leading to the only option of 85,000 people heading back to the campsite to keep themselves occupied.

[hatethisandillloveyou]

I think a lot of it is to do with the perople that attend the festivals.

By no means all, but a lot of the crowd seem to be the "im away from my parents for the first time ever, im going to get really drunk and take pills and destroy and set fire to things" type.

[swede]

I think a lot of it is to do with the perople that attend the festivals.

By no means all, but a lot of the crowd seem to be the "im away from my parents for the first time ever, im going to get really drunk and take pills and destroy and set fire to things" type.

[hatethisandillloveyou]

I think its def the first timers, but I think they get wound up by older groups of people on the last night as it always seems to be older people who instigate the fires by the main stage and it goes from there. By the way, as a former "pill head" (got kids now so knocked that stuff on the head) the last thing id ever want to do after a few disco biscuits was go on a rampage, me and my mates would either want to go for a dance somewhere, go for a walk or go back to the tents for a few joints, id say this is the same for most as well.

[ap3311]

I still don't really understand the restrictions on noise and early finishing times. There are various balls/garden parties/summer events every weekend of the summer term at uni (right in the middle of a city centre) and they all seem to be able to get 3-4am noise licenses no problem. Surely the local community could tolerate it for 3 nights in a year...

[thesecretingredientiscrime]

I still don't really understand the restrictions on noise and early finishing times. There are various balls/garden parties/summer events every weekend of the summer term at uni (right in the middle of a city centre) and they all seem to be able to get 3-4am noise licenses no problem. Surely the local community could tolerate it for 3 nights in a year...

[Bradders]

I've been going to Leeds since 2003 and the 'riots' get more tame every year to the point where last year it was just a few fires and a nerdy kid who looked like Harry Potter climbing a signpost. It definitely peaked in 2002, before it moved. From what I hear, Reading gets worse every year but I couldn't say for sure.

[stephen07]

Last years Leeds seemed alot calmer, we were camped in Blue and it was fine, but I really don't know about ythe other camps.

[Megahurtz400]

Last year in Orange I saw no riots, the only thing i saw was a few batteries exploding on Monday morning after someone set their own tent on fire. And that was one tent in the whole of Orange!

I think people only see the worse of them in Yellow when they camp right next to the path opposite the entrance to the Arena, but tbh, if your camping there, your asking for trouble!

[j-j-j-j-joe!]

Last year in Orange I saw no riots, the only thing i saw was a few batteries exploding on Monday morning after someone set their own tent on fire. And that was one tent in the whole of Orange!

I think people only see the worse of them in Yellow when they camp right next to the path opposite the entrance to the Arena, but tbh, if your camping there, your asking for trouble!

[Megahurtz400]

Were you at reading or leeds though?

[Cooter]

Hardly an exact science that, from what I've seen at Reading on the Sunday night it can happen anywhere at anytime. And to be honest I've see more going on deep within the camps rather than along the path edges.

[silencio]

We drove home on sunday night last year at Leeds to try and avoid them (my mate fell asleep at the wheel/crashed the car... Not the best idea).

Camped on a hill in blue, so red camp was just at the top of the hill. First thing sunday morning, twats in red started chucking open tins of baked beans and all their possessions down the hill, not so nice when you're trying to pack your tent and stuff up.

Learnt my lesson, don't camp on a hill... And possibly don't camp in red.