The end of this weekend’s Reading music festival was marred by violence and the burning of tents, prompting complaints to police and organisers about lax security.
A number of videos were shared online showing several tents being set on fire on Sunday evening, the final night of the three-day festival. Festivalgoers also complained of objects being thrown as fights broke out.
Chole Rocke, who posted a video of the disorder, said: “People were throwing bottles of urine and creating tall bonfires. The fire I filmed was a couple of paces from our tent, and everyone was adding more and more stuff to it. When the wardens came around to get everyone away, everyone booed them and called them names.
“Security told people to just stay awake just in case there were more fires and didn’t really seem to be doing anything. We didn’t feel safe and left the festival at 2am.”
anyone at reading fest rn b careful, stabbing and fires, people being told not to sleep because it’s not safe. stay in big groups and watch out, this was literallt a couple paces from our tent pic.twitter.com/TfLSUyOvYg
— chlo ❤️🔥 (@d3fyyoust4rs) August 29, 2022
In another video, people could be heard asking, “Where’s security?” while an official tried to douse the flames with water from a backpack.
This is next to my tent. Another 3 or 4 within 50 metres pic.twitter.com/AU9N1NXtPa
— Noah (@NoahWFC) August 29, 2022
Another post complained that security was “thin on the ground” as a tent burned.
She's moving to the arena but security are thin on the ground. This is orange camp off Little John's Lane pic.twitter.com/1VmP25xfLw
— Alison (@999bradders) August 28, 2022
In a video posted on TikTok, festivalgoers could be heard chanting, “Let’s go fucking mental” as a tent burned.
Another TikTok video showed bottles, mugs and chairs being thrown in an apparent fight between two sides of a campsite.
The festival has become popular with 16-year-olds as it falls on the weekend after they receive their GSCE results.
Anxious parents were among those complaining to police. Rebecca Banwell-Moore from Swindon said both her teenage children left early because they feared for their safety. “This was their first festival and they saved their own money to pay for the ticket and then didn’t even get to see a lot of the bands because they just decided that was just too unsafe,” she said.
“My daughter said people were passed out everywhere. Both of them said there was a lack of security. The Reading festival organisers and Thames Valley police need to make sure that these festivals are safe for our young people to go to.”
Festivalgoers complained of a frightening atmosphere. One woman was hit by something as she recorded a video message.
Better mood, but literally missiles hitting them as they leave. Grim.
— ❓🦎 (@curiousiguana) August 28, 2022
This isn't a safe festival @OfficialRandL @thamesvp pic.twitter.com/ggu6OSlfuq
Responding to a message from organisers urging people to take their tents home, a Twitter user called Emma said: “So much abuse and it was honestly scary in those camps tonight, sort your security team out and your rules, it’s a joke.”
Another, called Rhianna, said she had witnessed two tents burning and mallets and a tent pole being thrown.
2 tents got set on fire in the space of ten mins where i was, mallets were being thrown and a tent pole got thrown with such force it pierced through my friends tent which could have been awful had she been in it. it’s not just lads “messing around”
— rhi ♡ (@Rhianna_Jayyy) August 29, 2022
After midnight, Thames Valley police said fires at the site had been extinguished.
In a statement on Monday, the force said: “There were some fires in the campsite on Sunday, but festival security had water pumps and extinguished these within minutes.”
Police also said about 50 people had been expelled from the site after disorder on Sunday afternoon.
The statement said: “There was some disorder in the campsite at about 4.30pm on Sunday, but this was dealt with within minutes by festival security and about 50 people were ejected from the site.
“Those ejected were safeguarded by the festival organisers, Thames Valley police, and British Transport police to ensure they could get home safely.”
When contacted, the organisers of the festival referred to the statement given by police.
This year’s festival, which was broadcast on the BBC, was headlined by Arctic Monkeys, Megan Thee Stallion and the 1975.
There were also reports of tents being burned and violence at Leeds festival, which is run by the same organisation. In one video posted from the festival, a small explosion could be heard as a tent burned.
Loved the scenes at leeds tonight #Leedsfestival2022 #orange #nomusicondeadplanet #leedsfest #leeds pic.twitter.com/gS9ohzXGib
— olly (@olly14605012) August 29, 2022
Aaron Bates, a Leeds festivalgoer, tweeted that one of the camps was “a literal war zone”.
Orange camp at Leeds was a literal war zone never seen anything like it in my life #Leedsfestival2022
— Aaron Bates (@Bates100Aaron) August 29, 2022
A 16-year-old-boy, David Celino, died in a suspected drug-related incident at Leeds festival on Saturday. His family paid tribute to “a beautiful, fiercely independent and warm character”.
West Yorkshire police said reports of disorder at the Leeds festival had been exaggerated.
A spokesperson said: “While some reports of antisocial behaviour were received, no reports were made to West Yorkshire police regarding any serious disorder at the festival during the final night. We are aware of sporadic tent fires, which were dealt with by fire marshals on site, with persons then ejected. Police assistance was not required.”
