ONE of Hampshire’s biggest music festivals has angered teenagers by saying they they have to be accompanied by an adult over 30.

Teenagers aged between 15 and 17 who want to attend Southampton’s Common People event this year (May 27-28) will now have to go with their parent, legal guardian or nominated guardian who is aged at least 30.

The festival is one of Southampton’s biggest annual events, it attracts tens of thousands of people to Southampton Common.

The headline act for last year was Southampton superstar Craig David, with other acts including Duran Duran and American hip hop band Public Enemy featuring.

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Common People is managed by the same organisers as Dorset-held Bestival, which also has the same ticketing rules for its 2017 event.

The change in regulations has left teenagers annoyed, confused and outraged.

Jamie Marshall, 17 from Romsey said: “I have no idea why they’ve decided to introduce this, it’s so annoying.

“Me and my friends were all so surprised and confused, now we’re just trying to figure out how we’re going to go.

"Other than my parents and their friends, I don’t know anyone over 30. It’s such a big age gap.

“We’re all outraged. Surely they’re going to be losing customers now with people of that age wanting to go to their first festival, and now they’re being told they can’t.”

The regulations also state this year that anyone aged 11-14 must be accompanied by someone over 26, with those buying tickets aged under 10 to be looked after by an adult over 21.

All the accommodating adults must be the parent, legal guardian or the nominated guardian of the young person.

A statement from Common People said: “This change is being made to bring it in line with Bestival’s terms and conditions as it’s a tried and tested way of keeping it family friendly.”

Despite attempting to make the festival family-friendly, Bassett teenager Glen Freeman believes the organisers may end up doing exactly the opposite.

Glen, 16, said: “I was really looking forward to going, but now I don’t know how that’s going to happen. I was going to go with my brother who is 19 as my parents don’t want to go.

“How is this making it more family friendly if because of this, you can’t go with your family if they’re not old enough?

"I know a lot of younger people as well who now are upset because they don’t know anyone over 30. Not many people at our age do besides their parents and their friends.”

The headline acts for the festival this year have yet to be announced, but an adult weekend ticket is priced at £45.50, with a teen weekend costing £33.50.