Since my teenage years, I’ve harbored a deep desire to partake in the vibrant experience of attending a music festival. However, as someone on the autism spectrum, the idea of being immersed in a raucous, crowded environment with thousands of people has always evoked fear within me. Consequently, I shied away from these events and resorted to observing my friends’ festival adventures through the lens of social media.
However, after enduring a challenging breakup in January and adopting a mindset of embracing new experiences, I made the decision to step out of my comfort zone and accompany my friend to this year’s Reading festival. To my relief, a quick Google search revealed that Reading festival offers a range of disabled access services, thus assuaging my concerns.
After embarking on a three-hour journey from Neath, south Wales to Reading, my friend and I arrived at the festival last Thursday afternoon, only to encounter an enormous check-in queue. Fortunately, we were able to bypass the queue and enter through a smaller, quieter entrance designated for disabled guests. Once we presented our tickets and accessibility information, a kind volunteer directed us to the disabled car park.
I’ll admit, the trek from the car park to the disabled campsite felt like a marathon. Although a golf cart was available for transportation, it seemed perpetually crowded. As a result, we made multiple trips on foot, lugging our belongings from the car to the campsite. Exhausted and breathless, a sympathetic volunteer noticed my struggle and graciously offered to carry my bags for the remainder of the challenging journey.
Having completed what felt like the workout of the century, we faced the daunting task of setting up our tent. My mother, an avid Amazon shopper, had procured a pop-up tent designed to simplify the process for me. However, due to my lack of coordination, I found myself grappling with this seemingly foolproof contraption. The end result resembled a car crash rather than suitable lodging for multiple nights. Thankfully, my friend came to the rescue and provided much-needed assistance, preventing me from spending three nights in the portable toilets.
Once the tent was erected, my friend and I ventured into the disabled campsite. I was taken aback by the scarcity of accessible toilets. Moreover, since my tent was situated at the far end of the site, the journey to the toilets proved time-consuming. Utilizing the regular, closer toilets was not a viable option for me due to my arthritis and the coordination challenges posed by my autism. Additionally, the long grass along the path posed a trip hazard.
While there could have been a greater number of accessible showers, sharing a shower with strangers wasn’t particularly appealing to me due to my OCD. Fortunately, I was able to circumvent this potential nightmare by using “shampoo caps” – convenient alternatives to conventional showers that contain chemicals to cleanse hair without water. These caps are commonly utilized by hospital patients. Additionally, full-body wipes became an essential part of my hygiene routine.
Sleeping in a tent proved to be a less-than-optimal experience, especially given my struggles with insomnia. The sounds of fireworks, boisterous voices, and blaring music in the wee hours of the morning overwhelmed my senses, leaving me with little to no sleep. However, a few sips of gin and a Mariah Carey playlist offered some relaxation within the claustrophobic confines of the tent.
Despite a challenging first night, I eagerly anticipated exploring the festival arenas and attending my first live sets the following day. A separate entrance into the arenas was designated for disabled guests. While lengthy, it was devoid of overwhelming crowds, allowing me to navigate the space without feeling bombarded. Additionally, I utilized the golf cart on several occasions to prevent exacerbating my knee arthritis, ensuring that my first day at the festival remained enjoyable.
Inside the arena, my friend and I adeptly navigated our new surroundings before heading to the bar for a much-needed alcoholic beverage. The bar featured a separate access point for disabled guests, sparing me from enduring a lengthy queue filled with intoxicated festival-goers. Although I felt somewhat overlooked by the bar staff, who seemed to primarily serve individuals in the regular queue, I eventually managed to catch the attention of a staff member and ordered a refreshing cider.
When it came to attending performances by various artists at the different arenas, I had the luxury of watching from a disabled viewing stand. Most of the volunteers accommodated my needs, but the stands tended to reach full capacity during the more popular sets. As a result, I missed out on Becky Hill’s performance due to the disabled area being crowded. Being engulfed in a large crowd proved overwhelming for me, leading to an autistic meltdown that necessitated a period of calm in my car.
Due to my negative experience during Becky Hill’s set, I almost missed Billie Eilish’s highly anticipated performance. However, once I regained a sense of calm, I returned to the arena just in time to secure a spot in the disabled area for Billie’s set. Although most seats were occupied, I thoroughly enjoyed the performance. The atmosphere was electric, with fellow disabled guests, family members, and carers enthusiastically singing and dancing to Billie’s hit songs. However, I did opt to leave before her encore to evade the crowd exodus. If the viewing stand had been located closer to the disabled exit, I would have stayed until the very end.
On the whole, my first music festival experience was enjoyable. While far from perfect, the accessibility services provided by Reading festival made it possible for me to participate. I hold profound respect for the countless volunteers who generously dedicate their time to ensuring that disabled individuals can revel in the vibrancy of busy festivals.
Although I may not attend another festival in the near future, minor adjustments such as an increased number of accessible toilets and showers strategically placed throughout the disabled campsite, trimmed grass to eliminate trip hazards for individuals with coordination or mobility issues, and larger viewing stands, might change my perspective.
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