Having been to three different UK festivals, I think it would be fairly easy to compare them. All festivals are different – different music, different arenas, different food (maybe), alcohol and camping areas. Even atmosphere is different, wherever you go; but atmosphere means different things to different people.

So what do I mean about atmosphere and what does it mean to me?

To me, it means kind, lovely people. A great place to camp, and, most importantly, is the feeling of being safe. So let me compare my three different festival experiences:

The Roar Of The Reading Main Stage

Reading Festival

Reading was my first ever festival. This meant that I had no idea what to expect. I didn’t know the layout, had no idea about which camps were best to set up in, and didn’t know the surrounding areas at all. I was a festival virgin. Luckily, I camped with people I knew. People who’d been plenty of times before. Know it alls. We camped in orange. This was a short walk to the arena but not really close to the “toilets” – but it was fairly quiet.

Reading is the only festival I’ve been to where we’ve been allowed a camp fire. Seems ridiculous but there seems to be a perfectly good reason for no fires at other festivals – no throwing tents/chairs/belongings into a fire. Something that clearly Reading festival hadn’t thought about.

Having camp fires has its advantages however – no getting cold in the evenings, and it seems to create a more friendly attitude among fellow campers. But of course, it also has its disadvantages. It can encourage violence, dirty smoke in your eyes, smelling of smoke the entire weekend and it leaves a mess in the middle of your camp.

Okay so fires can’t change an atmosphere of a festival can it? On the Sunday night at Reading, angry mobs would storm through our campsite, pushing people out of the way, destroying various objects that confronted them, even throwing tents in a big bonfire. So to answer my previous question – it’s probably the biggest vandalism weapon at any festival.

Fortunately, Reading have come up with a new way to potentially rectify this issue – fires allowed everyday until Sunday evening. They would have more police and security on patrol as well as people on standby to put out any reported fires.

So did this solution make me feel safer? Yes it did, but it could be down to the fact that last year I camped in Family Camping.

Overall atmosphere: Fans seem only mildly enthusiastic to be there although I can’t help but feel so many people are there purely to get drunk, as opposed to the music that they should be there for. Why would you pay £200 to camp in the middle of a field? The first year at Reading: terrified of my belongings being thrown in the fire. Last year at Reading: almost 100% safe. Big difference eh?

There For Music: Download Fans Show Their Support For Headliners Kiss

Download Festival

My first Download festival was in 2010, but I attended this year also. All I knew about Download was the big walk from the campsite to the arena and the entertainment before music starts. Hardly tells me anything about the atmosphere. Unlike Reading, campfires are banned – which makes for very cold nights!

By having no experience of the festival, I could go with an open mind. Festivalgoers were already leaving a big impression on me, seeming friendly, helpful and eager. Where we were camped, there seemed to be little noise and little trouble. The only issues I have with the whole festival is the distance from the arena and the noise of the very nearby airport runway.

Overall atmosphere: Brilliant. No faults at all. Felt safe at all times. No camp fires is a good move.

Pose For The Camera: Frank Carter Captures The Soni Faithfully Mid Set

Sonisphere Festival

Being a fairly new festival, you’d expect the organisers to be amateurs – well perhaps. Again, Sonisphere has banned camp fires making the nights cold. This year was my first year so again, I went in open minded – almost. I expected the atmosphere to feel more like Download, but I was wrong.

On Saturday night, I experienced trouble. The portaloos that were within 30 seconds of where we were camped were pushed over by idiot drunks (or idiot idiots) who thought it might be funny to cause damage.

Not only were they pushing over the portaloos, they were threatening to push them over with girls in there. Not only is that imbecilic, it’s danergous. I was so worried about it happening when I went, that I had to take someone else with me to keep an eye on everything. Either that, or I walked an extra 10 minutes to avoid those portaloos.

Overall atmosphere: That was the only trouble I’ve ever encountered at a festival so it was quite nerve wrecking but overall, I felt fairly safe. I saw police walk past every 10 minutes and judging by the strong line up, there weren’t many sitting around in their camp. Everyone wanted to be there.

Reading Festival Campsite: Place of Peace or Room for Riot?

Final Thoughts: I wonder how different the atmosphere is at a smaller festival such as Latitude or The Big Chill. Surely it couldn’t be any worse than Reading’s has been in the past? You’d expect it to be a lot more relaxed – hence the name of the festival I suppose.

But what’s the biggest factor that causes trouble and violence? Fires are easily banned although it doesn’t stop people from occasionally starting a fire to keep warm. It’s only a normal thing. The only other obvious factor is alcohol. If festivals banned alcohol, they would be extremely unpopular. In fact, I’d even go as far to say that 90% of usual festival goers would stop going if their favourite drink was banned. But let’s face it – that won’t stop anyone!

It seems an unusual thing to compare, and atmosphere will mean something different things to different people, but to me it’s feeling safe. The feeling that everyone that’s there isn’t just there for a bit of fun or drinking – but also for the atmosphere and music.

Also, don’t be put off by this article of various encounters and incidents at different festivals. Everyone’s experience is different and like I said before, atmosphere means different things to different people. Just be safe and have fun! Oh, and don’t be an idiot!