Reading Festival Information

The Basics:

Type - Open-air

How many stages? 5 

Music Direction - Mainly Rock/Indie/Alternative and Dance

Attendance per day - 60,500

Year Established - 1970


The Location/ Venue: Richfield Avenue

Maximum capacity: 60,500

Address: Richfield Avenue, Reading, Berkshire, RG1 8EQ

Nearest Rail Station: Reading Station

Nearest Airport: Heathrow


Contacts:

Reading Tourist Info. Centre: +44 (0)118 9566226

National Rail Enquiries - 08457484950
National Express - 08705 808 080


General Information:

Opening and Closing times: The gates will open on Thursday 25 August at 8am and remain open until noon on Monday 29 August.

First Act on: 11.30am
Last Act off: Approx 11.30pm

Age Restrictions: Under 18s must be accompanied by an adult. All children aged 12 and under are admitted free with a ticket holding adult.

Pass Outs: You need your wristband to come in and out of the site.

Animals & Pets? No

Food & Drink: Numerous amounts of food and drink stalls on site at varied prices or you can bring your own. Food for personal consumption may be taken into the arena but alcohol, drinks bottles, cans and glass bottles and can not.

Facilities:

Lost & Found: There is a left luggage point on site.

Cash Points: Several ATM machines are available including an ATM machine at the garage on Richfield Avenue as well as the town centre.

Phone charging points: There will be a phone charging tent on site catering for
all major phone brands.

Kids Area: There is no designated kids area.

Pharmacy: First aid and paramedics will be of assistance in emergencies and a welfare tent for all other issues, which is open 24-hours from noon on Thursday.

Toilets: Portaloos on site and in the arena.

Getting There:

Directions by car:

Traffic from the East using the M4, please exit at Junction 11 and follow Festival signs.
Traffic from the West using the M4, please exit at Junction 12 and follow Festival signs.
On leaving the site M4 traffic should take A33 to junction 11 of M4

Car Park:

Weekend parking is separate to camp site in adjacent or nearby fields.
Day parking is available in nearby fields and/or roads.

Coaches:

Coach journeys can be booked at www.nationalexpress.com, or by calling 08705 80 80 80 (£1 booking fee). Drop off and pick up point is at Rivermead Leisure Centre.

Trains:
 
Reading Station is the nearest railway station and a 15 minute walk to the festival site. Trains leave from London Paddington on a regular basis taking 40 minutes.

Accommodation:

Camping: Yes
Separate ticket required for camping? No
Campsite open times: 8am on Thursday 25 August
Campsite closed times: 12pm on Monday 29 August
Glass bottles allowed? - No
Camp fires allowed? Yes
Camper Vans info: Anyone wanting to bring their campervan to the Festival must email their request to campervans@meanfiddler.co.uk prior to the event or write to them at Festival Office, Mean Fiddler, 16 Harlesden High Street, London NW10 4LX.

Special Needs Info:

Disabled access to the event: Lima Gate, which is situated at the guest list entry is an access route for disabled people & their assistants enabling entry to the arena without going through the main Arena Entrance. You'll need a Disabled Access Wristband to use this gate. Occasionally this gate may be temporarily closed by security, to prevent crowd movement through it.

Viewing platforms: If agreed in advance, disabled customers will receive access for themselves and one PA to the viewing platforms on each stage.

Parking: There is disabled car park located opposite the guest area.

Toilets: There is at least one adapted toilet at each toilet block in the arena, one at each viewing platform and several in the disabled campsite.

Special camping facilities: There is a separate disabled campsite.

Wheelchair charging points: There is an electrical hook up point for electric wheelchairs near the disabled toilets / showers.