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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Entertainment

Ageism has no place at music festivals such as Coachella and Reading

Iggy Pop performs during the first weekend of Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival on Sunday, April 12, 2026, in Indio, Calif.
Iggy Pop at Coachella on 12 April; he turned 79 on 21 April 2026. Photograph: Amy Harris/Invision/AP

While I appreciate that Emma Brockes’ article was slightly tongue-in-cheek, I do reject the premise that there are aspects of modern culture that should be “off-limits” as you get older (Justin Trudeau at Coachella? That’s just wrong: at a certain age, things must change, 16 April).

I am 57, absolutely love dancing and clubs (although I rarely go), and I think this raises the question of whether it’s OK to maintain what is, essentially, a product of societal expectations and mores which are moving on. I went with my wife and 16-year-old daughter to the Reading festival last year. We left our daughter to enjoy the festival with friends as she wanted independence – we were on hand “just in case”, and it meant she had a safe tent to return to at whatever time of night she chose.

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