Litter pickers begin the great Reading Festival clear-up
Dirty underwear, used condoms and broken false teeth: Litter pickers begin the great Reading Festival clear-up after revellers leave thousands of tents and their contents behind
Partied-out music lovers looked worse for wear as they left Reading Festival this morning after the weekendThe event, held alongside Leeds Festival, kicked off on Friday and saw Stormzy and Post Malone performFestivalgoers waited to be picked up and made their way to the train station on Monday morning
Reading Festival is over and revellers have left behind acres of garbage, from used condoms to abandoned tents.
Festival-goers finished off the weekend watching Post Malone on the main stage.
But it was left to the staff the next morning to tidy up the mess, with security having to grab bin bags to work as the ‘litter-picking staff were nowhere to be found’, according to Berkshire Live.
A security staff member said: ‘You don’t even want to know what I’ve seen.
Tents and all manner of camping equipment are left after the Reading Festival today. The event finished last night on the 30th August 2021
It was left to the staff the next morning to tidy up the mess, with security having to grab bin bags to work as the ‘litter-picking staff were nowhere to be found’,
Other things reported to have been found include: false teeth, a ball gag, soiled underwear, used tampons, used condoms, nitrous oxide canisters, bags of drugs, iPhones, a passport and an inflatable penis
Festival goers walk past tents at the Reading Festival at Richfield Avenue. Partied-out music lovers draped themselves in duvets and slung sleeping bags over their shoulders as they left Reading Festival this morning following a weekend of fun
‘We’ve had soiled underwear – always women’s underwear weirdly, never men’s – and condoms, used and unused.’
Other things reported to have been found include: false teeth, a ball gag, soiled underwear, used tampons, used condoms, nitrous oxide canisters, bags of drugs, iPhones, a passport and an inflatable penis.
Partied-out music lovers draped themselves in duvets and slung sleeping bags over their shoulders as they left Reading Festival this morning following a weekend of fun.
Revellers looked a little worse for wear as they trudged out of the Berkshire venue after watching acts like Stormzy and Post Malone at the three-day event. Alongside sister event Leeds Festival, it was the first large-scale gig since Covid restrictions on mass gatherings eased earlier this year.
Some festivalgoers were fortunate enough to be collected by family members this morning, with patient parents helping to load stacks of muddy camping equipment into cars. Others started on the walk to the train station.
Long journey home: Partied-out music lovers draped themselves in duvets and slung sleeping bags over their shoulders as they left Reading Festival this morning following a weekend of fun. The event kicked off on Friday and ended last night
Waiting for a ride: Groups of friends waited on the wall of a petrol station forecourt as they made their way home
Heading back: A woman covered her head while another wore her blanket as they left the campsite in Berkshire this morning
Bright lights: Several festivalgoers wore sunglasses as they made their way home from the event this morning
Home time! After three nights of partying, it is of little surprise some of the music lovers looked a little tired
Mass departure: The festivalgoers carried their camping equipment and clothes along the banks of the Thames
Glamorous festival looks were replaced with practical hoodies, hats and shorts. Several sported sunglasses despite the clouds, suggesting there might be one or two sore heads this morning.
Reading and Leeds Festivals run from Friday-Sunday of the August Bank Holiday weekend. Reading culminated in Stromzy’s headline performance last night and also saw Mabel and AJ Tracey take to the stage.
Revellers were urged to test for Covid before they flock to the festivals and when they return, and not to visit older or more vulnerable loved ones in the days after the events amid another surge of the virus.
There have been concerns about summer music festivals contributing to a spike after thousands of cases were suspected to be linked to the Boardmasters festival in Cornwall and hundreds to Latitude Festival in Suffolk.
Yesterday festival organisers confirmed a 20-year-old woman had died after being taken ill at Reading. She died on Friday evening at Royal Berkshire Hospital.
Snuggled up: One reveller wore sunglasses, a hoodie and a sleep pillow to maximise their comfort on the journey
Comfort over style: Leggings, trainers and jumpers were the order of the day for the journey home on Monday morning
Heavy lifting: Festivalgoers laden with their weekend’s worth of supplies left the venue in Berkshire on Monday morning
Stopping for a bite to eat: Some couldn’t go any further without a snack and camped out next to Subway for a sandwich
Still smiling! This music lover had a novel idea on how to transport his supplies and carried them in a shopping trolley
Pick me up please! Some people were fortunate enough to be collected by kind friends and family members
Get us home! A pair of friends carried their sleeping bag and tent (left). Right, a man flashed a smile as he left the campsite
Travelling by boat! The riverside venue meant that some opted to travel along the Thames by boat
It has been reported that the woman had a pre-existing condition and was with family members when she passed away.
Organisers said: ‘It is with deep sadness that Festival Republic confirms there has been a death at Royal Berkshire Hospital.
‘A 20-year-old festival-goer with a pre-existing condition tragically passed away on Friday evening.
‘Her family was with her when she died. We are in touch with her family and extend our sincerest sympathy to them and her friends.’
Rolling along: These prepared friends brought their own trailer to help make getting their stuff home a little easier
Waiting for the way back: Young revellers napped and played on their phones as they waited to make their way home
Compact: One woman came up with a clever way to carry all of her camping supplies and clothing on a single trolley
Last year’s incarnation of the three-day festival was cancelled due to the pandemic.
On Saturday, Festival Republic managing director Melvin Benn praised both Reading and Leeds festivals and said it had given young people a place where ‘they did not have to think about Covid’ and could ‘live freely’.
To attend the event, festival-goers either had to show proof of full vaccination, a negative lateral flow test or immunity with a PCR test. Volunteers at the site offered revellers the chance to get their jab.
Still joking! A group of high spirited friends shared a joke, while others looked desperate to get home
Mass exodus: Festivalgoers leaving the Reading campsite this morning after three days of non-stop fun
