Reading Festival bans clothing which ‘promotes cultural appropriation’ – sparking disbelief from revellers who say it ‘makes no sense whatsoever’

Music fans and stall traders at Reading Festival have been left confused by a ban on clothing and items which ‘promote cultural appropriation’.

Organisers Festival Republic included the vague rule in a list of things revellers can’t bring to the event, which concluded last night with a performance by Billie Eilish.

It appears alongside other prohibited items such as ‘anything that could be considered for use as a weapon’.

Reading’s sister event, Leeds, also employs the directive, but other Festival Republic events, such as Download, does not ban such clothes.

Yet on the festival site at Little John’s Farm, there appeared to be little knowledge of the rule among both visitors and those selling merchandise on the site.

Organisers Festival Republic included the vague rule in a list of things revellers can’t bring to the event, which concluded last night with a performance by Billie Eilish

Reading Festival fans leave the site early on an overcast Bank Holiday Monday morning

Stalls outside the main arena flogged garments including Native American ponchos, yak wool Tibetan shawls and elephant-print harem pants.

One trader, Nitesh, told the Times:  ‘I don’t think it makes any sense whatsoever because in festivals you get lots of people from different ethnicities and backgrounds from all across the world. 

‘At the end of the day, having that cultural aspect to it in terms of different kinds of garments, people should be exposed to that… It kind of brings the community together so not being able to sell those clothes would be quite harmful.’

Christopher, 20, who was attending the festival, added: ‘It’s just a bit silly. I think at a festival most people wear what they want. This is a time when you wear mixed clothes and do what you want, really.’

Another fan wrote on social media: ‘I don’t understand ‘cultural appropriation’. Every aspect of a person’s appearance & dress apparel is by definition a combination of many cultural appropriations. Ideas upon ideas upon ideas on & on. What do people think inspires art & design. And music for that matter- Elvis?’

It comes as discarded tents and piles of rubbish spanned the landscape of the festival site this morning as thousands of revellers waved goodbye to Reading for another year.

Aerial shots reveal the extent of the litter left behind by music fans following the culmination of the three-day festival last night.

Reading Festival fans enjoy one last sit down before setting off for home after the long weekend

Discarded tents and piles of rubbish spanned the landscape of Little John’s Farm this morning as thousands of revellers waved goodbye to Reading Festival for another year

Billie Eilish closed proceedings on the main stage, with the Bank Holiday weekend extravaganza also starring performances from the likes of Sam Fender, The Killers, Imagine Dragons and The 1975.

The festival attracts more than 100,000 visitors every year – many of whom being teenagers who have recently collected their GCSE and A-Level results.

Today, a mass clean-up of the site began as campers packed up their bags and set off for the home comforts of a warm shower and a proper toilet.

Festival Republic has been approached for comment on why the rule was introduced and only at selected events.