Reading Festival 2026. Lots of Rubbish Left behind
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Thousands of tents. Clothes. Airbeds. Rubbish. Just abandoned.
A lot of the same crowd will lecture everyone else about the planet, waste, and “doing better.”
Then they walk off and leave a field looking like a tip
This isn't a one off either as it's common practice at festivals.
Yes, unfortunately the sites of such festivals are a right dump afterwards. I know Decathlon had a scheme with the tents so people didn’t just leave them after they’ve been used, but other than that, there doesn’t seem like much has been done by the organisers to sort it out
hspexy some charities used to collect tents to donate to homeless or places where there's been natural disasters
It's always the way after festivals. They need to do incentives as they leave or ways of giving out fines.
I suppose at least the festivals do take some responsibility and get people in to pick up the rubbish but the attendees really should pick up after themselves and dispose of their rubbish and tents themselves. I went to a festival last year and there was a trade in scheme where on the last day if you took a bag of rubbish you would get £20 which I thought was a good idea. Not many people seemed to do it though.
jms19 ,you would think the people would take part if they had an incentive but they were probably too knackered after partying & just wanted to get back home & rest up..
jms19 no most are tired often hung over and just want a shower. They also have trains to get
Jerseydrew The thing is, if you just keep your rubbish in a pile or in a rubbish bag in the first place, then it's not as if you have to go around picking it up then. It's not that hard to take a few black bags and keep them in your tent so that you can put the rubbish in there and then take it to the bin. It's just people don't care or think they shouldn't have to do it which is pretty horrible to think about.
People leave mess. It gets cleaned up and stuff is given to charity. Life moves on. Its not like the rubbish just sits there. It will literally be gone in a day or two. Be grateful we have these amazing live music events around the country instead of focusing on the negatives.
EssexLady oh i am grateful. I've been to many a festival and actually always cleared up after myself and I have to get a flight to get there abd back. I always took my clothes and tent home and rubbish went into the bin
EssexLady "It gets cleaned up"
That sounds like it magically gets cleaned up, but no, it's cleaned up by volunteers or paid employees. People should be more respectful and not leave their rubbish behind.
I’m hoping it’s the organisers responsibility to clear it up and not the council. After all they charge such ridiculous event ticket prices.
I wish I lived locally to help clean up and I would taking some of those tents home with me. I've seen expensive brands of wellies, sleeping bags, tents, booze, all sorts left behind on tiktok. I want to go get me a nice tent and some new wellies 
Saw it on morning TV where they were saying same, young folk aren't as green as we may like to think. If they can carry it all in then they can carry it all out, there is no excuse. Personally I would take a £100 deposit which is only returned (then or later online) as they leave with all their rubbish with them.
Yes, this is a really common thing with festivals. But people litter all over the place. I just wonder when they litter where do they think it’s going to go. So many people leave used coffee cups on walls instead of finding a bin or taking them home. We have recently had a new bus put in the village but they forgot to replace the bin so it’s only been a few days and already the floor is full of empty bottles.
Urgh I hate seeing rubbish on streets even when there’s a damn bin just there!! Ffs 
and these festivals as well no surprise people don’t take responsibility for their own trash! In Japan 
after every football game they take everything with them and even help tidy up the stadium as well. This practice should be done worldwide at every concert and event
Some buy thing's with the intention of leaving them behind. My daughter teacher in college lived near cream fields and got some nice things that was abandoned. I couldn't leave thing's like that
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