Everything you need to know about Reading Festival 2026

Young people attending the three-day event are being asked to look out for each other, and residents are being reminded to plan ahead to dodge the traffic queues.

This article includes:
Festival information for festival-goers
Festival information for residents

Festival information for festival-goers

Getting to the Festival Site

Parking

Parking restrictions, including no stopping for pick-ups, will be in place around the Richfield Avenue site as usual. The area should be avoided unless absolutely necessary. Please consider alternative routes.

Festival car parking is available at Mapledurham and Kings Meadow for parking pass holders.

Kings Meadow car park provides an free, official festival boat service to transport everyone and their belongings into the festival site.

Please be wary of any illegal / unregulated boats that may be operating, which includes those offering a taxi service. There is only the one authorised boat service. Monitoring of the river is in place for the duration of the event.

Drop-offs and pick-ups

Hills Meadow Car Park is the dedicated area for drop off / pick up. From here festival-goers can either walk to the site or use the free shuttle boats provided.

Do not attempt to pick up and drop off at Richfield Avenue.

Private land cannot be used as pick-up / drop-off points without express permission from the landowner, or they may be liable to receive parking fines and / or be subject to other legal action.

Public transport and taxis

The quickest walking route from Reading Station to the festival is from the northern (Caversham) side of the station.

Festival visitors also have the option of travelling to the site by hackney carriage taxi, or a festival shuttle bus which operates from the northern (Caversham) exit of the station.

A temporary taxi rank will be operating in Tessa Road – opposite Rivermead Leisure Centre and next to the festival site.

Private hire taxis must be pre-booked. It is illegal to hail them from the roadside. All licensed vehicles must display a plate on the back, and all drivers must have an identity badge in full view.

Footpath and road closures

The Thames Path will be closed 7pm to 6am from Thursday 27 August to Monday 31 August. The closure will apply between Scours Lane to the far end of Thameside Promenade.

Richfield Avenue will be closed from 10.30pm to 1.00am on the Friday 28, Saturday 29 and Sunday 30 August. The closure is split into two parts:

• Closed between its junctions with Cardiff Road and Tessa Road
• Closed between its junctions with Tessa Road and Caversham Road

Cow Lane (northbound), between Portman Road and Cardiff Road, is likely to be opened between 7am and 3pm on the Bank Holiday Monday to help with vehicles leaving the festival.

It is strongly advised to avoid driving through these areas, in addition to the areas immediately around the site and the main event car parks, on the Bank Holiday Monday.

Personal Safety

The safety of festival-goers is paramount. Anyone attending is advised to check the personal safety section of the festival website.

This includes information on:

• what to do in an emergency
• violence against women and girls
• medical and health assistance
• wellbeing and safeguarding resources
• lost children or missing persons
• policies on drugs and alcohol
• eviction information

Assistance, Information and Response (AIR) hubs will be located across campsites and arena. Organisers will be working with local community groups and charities to run the hubs, along with the support of existing safeguarding and welfare partners.

It is recommended to save or screenshot the festival map, which includes AIR Hub locations, to keep handy. Festival-goers are also being asked to look out for each other throughout the three-day event. If you are feeling unsure, unwell or unsafe, head to an AIR hub for help.

Looking out for the planet

Festival Republic is working to minimise the impact of the event on the environment.

Festival goers can help by:

• taking tents home
• packing wisely and only bring essential items
• taking broken items and batteries to the festival recycling points

There will be a glass bottle bank for shoppers and festival-goers to use over the weekend directly outside the front entrance to the ALDI store at Vastern Court, Vastern Road.

If decanting alcohol into plastic bottles, please use the glass bottle bank to reduce glass litter along the route back to the festival site.

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Festival information for residents

Planning for traffic delays

If you are planning to travel into or around Reading town centre from Wednesday 26 August to Friday 28 August, you should:

• consider and plan your journey in advance
• leave early
• be prepared for longer travel times

Roads will be very busy again on Monday 31 August (bank holiday) as festival-goers leave the event.

Temporary traffic management and road closures will be in place at various locations. Please look out for signage and check road closures.

Rivermead Leisure Centre

Rivermead Leisure Centre and its facilities will change as follows over the festival period:

• Sports hall - closes 6am Saturday 22 August and reopens 5pm Tuesday 1 September
• Studios - closes 12noon Sunday 23 August and reopens 5pm Tuesday 1 September
• Soft play and café - closes 6am Monday 24 August and reopens 1pm Tuesday 1 September
• Gym and swimming - closes 6am Wednesday 26 August and reopens 6am Tuesday 1 September

Noise checks

The festival intends to avoid unreasonable disturbance to local residents.

Sound testing will take place on the Thursday and each day of the festival prior to the live shows. Testing will be conducted under the direct supervision of council officers.

A special hotline number has been set up for residents who wish to offer comments or to raise queries during the event:

Phone hotline

Call 020 8080 1518. The phone hotline is open:

• 9am and 5pm on Wednesday 26 August
• All hours from 9am on Thursday 27 August until 3pm on Monday 31 August

Email hotline

Email readingfestivalhotline@reading.gov.uk. Emails are checked regularly during main event hours.

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More information about Reading Festival 2026 can be found on the Reading Festival website.