“I Think I’ve Found My People”: Group of Guys Take Lonely Man With Autism Under Their Wing at Festival, Give Him the Best Weekend of His Life

September 2, 2026

A 24-year-old man with autism went to his first-ever music festival alone, but instead of spending the weekend by himself, a group of strangers took him under their wing, welcomed him into their group and gave him a weekend he’ll never forget in a life-changing act of kindness.

Adam with dad Andy and friend Ciaran Herniman

Adam James, an aspiring DJ, is autistic and has ADHD. He had worked hard and saved all year to attend Boomtown Fair in Hampshire, but his family worried the five-day festival might become overwhelming.

"I've always put it off because I've never had anyone to go with," Adam said.

His dad, Andy, was so concerned that he even had a plan to drive to Hampshire and bring Adam home if he needed to leave.

But instead of needing a rescue, Adam found something he never expected: his people.

When Adam arrived at the festival, he began setting up his tent near a group of guys from Bristol. One of them asked if he could borrow Adam’s tent mallet.

It was a simple interaction, but it quickly turned into something much more meaningful.

The guys noticed Adam was there by himself and invited him to camp with them for the week.

"I couldn't live with myself letting him be on his own so we took him in," Ciaran Herniman said.

They didn’t know him. They didn’t have to invite him. They could have simply gone on with their own festival plans.

Instead, they took him under their wing.

For Adam, their kindness meant everything.

At one point, he sent his dad a message that Andy says he will never forget:

“I think I’ve found my people.”

Adam had even broken his usual rule and told the group about his autism, something he normally doesn’t do. But around these guys, he felt comfortable enough to be himself.

"He just opened up to me in the tent and said 'I've got high levels of autism just to let you know'," Ciaran recalled. "I said we're all different in our own way, none of us would even think about judging you for that."

He wasn’t standing alone at a massive festival anymore. He had friends to spend the week with, people who welcomed him into their group and made sure he felt included.

When the festival came to an end, Adam was in tears as he said goodbye.

"I actually cried when I left," Adam told Good Morning Britain.

His dad later took to Facebook to thank the “guys from Bristol” who had befriended his son.

Credit: Facebook

“I'd like to thank these guys from Bristol who befriended my son,” Andy wrote. “You made Adam’s weekend.”

The post spread across the internet, reaching millions of people.

Andy later shared, "I wrote this post just to say thank you to the Mums and Dads. Their parents probably don't know that their kids have done something absolutely amazing."

What these strangers gave Adam was far more valuable than a place to camp.

They gave him friendship, confidence and a feeling that he belonged.

And then came an unexpected bonus.

Adam is a lifelong music fan and aspiring drum and bass DJ who performs under the name Adzo. After his story went viral, he began receiving invitations from DJs and clubs to perform. He was booked for several gigs and even invited to join a DJing course through the Pete Tong Academy.

Then Boomtown Fair got involved.

The festival’s co-founder, Luke Mitchell, said the story had spread through the Boomtown office “with absolute joy.”

Now, Adam has been invited to perform a DJ set at Boomtown in 2027.

But that’s not what makes this story special.

It all started because a group of strangers saw someone on his own and decided to make room for him.

They didn’t know their kindness would reach millions of people. They certainly didn’t know it might eventually lead to Adam performing on the festival stage.

They simply saw someone who could use some friends.

And they chose to be those friends.

For Adam, that decision changed his life.