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Reading Festival

The town's world-famous rock and pop festival on the August bank holiday — 105,000 fans a day at Richfield Avenue since 1971.

Where
Reading Town Centre
Time needed
Full day
Tickets
£315 weekend
Main stage crowd at Reading Festival, Richfield Avenue Main stage crowd at Reading Festival, Richfield Avenue

What to expect at Reading Festival

Reading Festival has been held on the Richfield Avenue meadows beside the Thames every August bank holiday since 1971 (with an earlier history under different names going back to 1961). It is the world's oldest continuously running rock festival, now paired with Leeds and pulling headliners of the scale of Foo Fighters, Arctic Monkeys, Post Malone, Billie Eilish and Blink-182. Six stages, 105,000 daily attendance, three days of music and five days of camping — for a certain generation of British teenagers this is a rite of passage.

The site occupies a large flat meadow between the Thames and the A329, with the Main Stage East and West at the north end and a fan of dance, alternative and BBC introducing stages spreading south. Camping wraps around the arena in colour-coded zones; a separate 'boutique' Camping Plus area has real beds and hot showers for around £600 extra. Food and bar prices are festival-standard (£12 burger, £7 pint). The site is fully cashless, and mobile coverage regularly buckles on Saturday night.

If you’re going: weekend tickets around £315, day tickets £115, released the previous autumn and often sold out by Christmas. Hotels within walking distance (Novotel, Malmaison, Ibis, Crowne Plaza) sell out first — book the moment lineup rumours start. If you’re not going: the whole town changes for the week, with pop-up bars, extra police presence and near-impossibility of getting a taxi. If you want to visit Reading in a normal state, avoid the late August bank holiday. The site itself is a public meadow the rest of the year, walkable from the Thames Path.

Plan your visit Tickets£315 weekend Time neededFull day WhereReading Town Centre Opening hours Fri-Sun late Aug, gates 11:00 Music 12:00-23:00 daily Camping from Wed afternoon Hotels near Reading Festival

Questions about Reading Festival

Ticket price?

Around £315 weekend with camping, £115 day. Boutique camping upgrades from £600. Prices rise each year.

Free entry?

No. Ticketed festival. Site is a free public meadow the other 51 weeks of the year.

How long is the festival?

Music: Fri-Sun. Camping: Wed afternoon to Mon morning.

Closed days?

The site becomes a festival for one week in late August only; a public meadow otherwise.

Booking?

Essential — sells out most years. Buy through the official Festival Republic site to avoid resale markups.

Getting to the site?

20-min walk from Reading Station along Caversham Road, or free shuttle buses during the festival.

Where to stay

Hotels near Reading Festival

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