Reading Festival tackled violence against women and girls with adverts explaining why consent matters so much - as a solo female concert goer, I felt safer because of them... but also more terrified, writes Yasmin Vince07:39, 31 Aug 2026Updated 07:39, 31 Aug 2026Reading Festival 2026 has garnered public reaction for a lot of things - scrapping BBC Introducing for what fans are calling a 'Nepo Baby Stage', torrential rain muddying up the grounds, Charli XCX performing her new music in the UK for the first time. But for women, particularly those of us who attended alone, the most important parts came when ads were displayed on stages in between acts explaining why consent in sexual relationships is so important.‌If you've ever been to a festival, do me a solid and cast your mind back to when the main stage was empty. What are the screens either side of the stage showing? Probably information on where the emergency responders are or reminders to stay hydrated, right? Maybe a couple words from the sponsors?‌‌This year, alongside signs reminding festival attendees that drugs can kill, Reading played ads they'd put together with women's activist Georgia Harrison. In them, she explained that women need to consent to a sexual relationship for it to not be rape and that being in a relationship does not equal automatic consent, nor does having said yes to sex on a prior occasion.The first thing I wanted to do is cheer. A lot of the time, it can feel like the constant harassment, touching and worse inflicted on women by men is just a burden we bear and no matter how often we talk about it, nothing changes. Having to out up with that kind of aggression can feel inevitable in an environment where alcohol is available at every corner and the unofficial dress code is 'skimpy'. Men always seem to see that as an invitation rather than what it is - a woman living her life.So it's pretty monumental for Reading to be tackling the issue head on and addressing men, telling them what's okay and what's not rather than policing women's bodies.‌But after my moment of celebration, I remember that I'm alone. I've come to this festival without my friends or family. I'm not camping so when I leave, I'll be walking the streets of Reading by myself. I'm the easy target, the slowest gazelle in the pack being chased by a lion.I start looking out for the security guards, counting up how many are female, because I know I'd rather speak to another woman should something happen. Even though it wasn't raining at that point, I take out my raincoat and shove my hands into it's pockets, because I remember stories of people being spiked with needles when I was a university. When I come back the next day, I've swapped my mini skirt for jeans and a belt, because they're harder to rip off.Article continues belowMaybe I'm overthinking it. I genuinely believe that most men are good people who wouldn't need an advert on consent to do the right thing. But the fact is that there are some men who are bad and who might see such an advert and completely disregard it. And they look the same as everyone else.Ultimately, with no other protective measures noticeable at the festival, as a woman on her own, I felt more scared after seeing the ad than I did before. There were things I was now hyper-aware of, like the pack of topless men who had written 'funny' statements like "I think with my d***" or "Watch out, he's a grabber" on their backs. I can't enjoy the music the way I wanted to, because I'm trying to be as inconspicuous as I can be. And a part of me wonders, if I've run out of ways to make myself safer, would ignorance have been bliss?Like this story? For more of the latest showbiz news and gossip, follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads .