Thousands of music fans have descended on Reading this Bank Holiday weekend for one of the UK's most iconic festivals, and despite the heavens opening up, the crowds are keeping their energy high. The event is being held at Richfield Avenue from August 27th to 30th, with a headline-grabbing lineup that includes Charli XCX, Dave, Fontaines D.C., Florence and the Machine, and Raye.
Gates opened earlier in the week, giving eager festival-goers the chance to claim their patch of ground, set up camp, and soak up the atmosphere before Friday's opening full day of performances got underway. But as the festival began, so too did the rain - a sharp contrast to the dry, scorching summer many parts of the country had been experiencing in the weeks prior. It comes as flood warnings have been put in place for the festival, and many revellers find their tents full of water.
Viral footwear blunder
As the downpours rolled in and the grass quickly gave way to mud beneath the feet of thousands of revellers, conditions underfoot became increasingly treacherous. And for one unsuspecting attendee, the deteriorating ground was about to expose a rather costly packing oversight.
A woman named Phoebe took to TikTok to share a video diary of her Reading Festival weekend, but it quickly took an unexpected turn when viewers noticed something rather alarming about her choice of footwear. Her footage showed the festival site's ground in a sorry state - a thick, waterlogged mess churned up by the combination of relentless rainfall and the constant footfall of festival-goers. It was, in short, no place for anything other than solid, sturdy footwear. Which made it all the more remarkable that Phoebe and her friend had shown up wearing flip-flops.
The pair could be seen picking their way gingerly through the mud, each step a careful calculation to avoid a slip or, worse, losing a shoe entirely. At one point, Phoebe could be heard exclaiming she was "losing" her footwear as one of her flip-flops was almost claimed by the mud beneath her.
Reaction and advice
It didn't take long for commenters to pile in, with many branding the footwear choice a "rookie error" that seasoned festival-goers would never dare to make. "This is going to be a BIG learning curve, girls," one viewer remarked. "Not walking around in flip-flops may help," offered another. A third simply asked: "Really random, but why would you wear flip-flops to a festival?"
Anyone who has attended Reading Festival more than once will know that unsuitable footwear is a trap that tends to end in misery - and flip-flops are arguably the worst offender, whether the ground is muddy or not. Not everyone was unsympathetic, however. A number of commenters suggested the women make a quick trip into Reading town centre via shuttle bus to pick up a pair of wellies, or at the very least a more practical pair of trainers from a nearby shop. Others noted that some traders within the festival grounds may well be selling wellies on-site - though they warned that, given the conditions, stock could already be running low.
If you are heading to Reading Festival on Saturday or Sunday, it is well worth keeping a close eye on the forecast before you leave the house. The Met Office is predicting rain throughout Saturday, with top temperatures of around 21°C. Sunday looks set to be similar in terms of warmth, though there is a slightly lower chance of showers - currently sitting at around 40% at the time of writing. Either way, after two days of wet weather already this weekend, the ground is not going to get any drier. So maybe leave the flip-flops at home and opt for something more sensible.
