Making the most of the rare slither of British sunshine (and subsequent heavy storming), festival-goers took to Reading & Leeds Festival over the long weekend, leaving with a trail of newly formed memories… and leaving behind all of their rubbish.
Drone shots of the Richfield Avenue location show the once-green fields littered with tents, swags, and miscellaneous waste left behind by campers, raising concerns about what constitutes good festival pack-down etiquette.
More than 90,000 people visited Reading & Leeds festival over the weekend, keen to see big names such as Liam Gallagher, Skrillex, Catfish And The Bottlemen, and Beabadoobee. Unfortunately, Storm Lillian, the major weather event that shook the weekend, closed stages such as the BBC Radio 1 Tent and the Aux Stage for safety reasons, with many punters instead taking refuge from the rain in their tents.
While the severe weather event damaged line-up scheduling and punters’ property, Reading has dealt with leftover waste several times over. A 2022 article by The Independent details similar footage of rubbish at the event, hinting that the problem may be caused by a “mistaken belief among festival goers that if they leave their tents, they will be donated to charity.”
Many people online have suggested the idea of a ‘leave no trace’ policy, where taking tents and belongings is enforced. Many festivals across Australia are now utilising a reusable cup initiative to reduce waste, giving festival-goers a cup ‘bond’ back after they bring as many cups as they can back to collection tents.
With festival littler being an eyesore of a problem worldwide, it is urged that festival organisers find creative ways to reduce the environmental impact.
