Shocking aerial footage has revealed hundreds of tents and piles of rubbish left abandoned at Reading Festival, two days after the event concluded. The clean-up crew, mostly volunteers, faces a mountainous challenge as the campsite resembles a wasteland.
The festival had sought to combat the trend of attendees abandoning and even burning tents by adopting the slogan 'No Music On A Dead Planet'. Despite strong communication urging people to take home their tents and avoid single-use plastic, the campsites remain strewn with discarded items.
Earlier in the week, videos emerged of tents being set on fire at the end of the weekend. Hundreds of young festival-goers, many teenagers, gathered around makeshift bonfires, throwing inflatable mattresses and tents onto the flames.
Social media users expressed scorn at the scenes, with one writing: 'MUSIC FESTIVAL LOVERS (and organisers) HATE THE ENVIRONMENT.' The festival's green initiative had been prominently featured across branding to raise awareness of climate change.
The clean-up operation continues as Reading Festival will have to try again next year to ensure a proper clean-up and prevent such environmental damage.
