AS READING Festival returns to the town once again next week with residents are reminded to plan ahead with shops, public transport and roads expected to be a lot busier than usual.
This year, around 105,000 people are expected to attend the three-day event, taking place on Richfield Avenue.
Travel
Local residents planning to travel into or around the town centre from Wednesday to Friday, August 20-22, are being asked to consider and plan their journey in advance, leave early, and be prepared for longer travel times as festival-goers arrive.
Thursday, August 21, is expected to be particularly busy, as it’s the day most festival attendees arrive.
Festival Friday (Aug 22) is also expected to be a busy day for those coming to the event only the day.
Near to normal travel levels are expected on the Saturday and Sunday of the festival (23 and 24 August), although shops and supermarkets will be busier than usual.
Roads will be extremely busy again on the Bank Holiday Monday (25 August) as attendees leave.
Parking
Residents are advised 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, and alternative routes should be considered.
Hills Meadow Car Park will be 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.
If dropping off/picking up, use the sat-nav postcode for Hills Meadow Car Park: RG4 8DH.
Pick up and drop off at Richfield Avenue is completely unavailable, as there is a road closure.
Festival car parking is available at Mapledurham and Kings Meadow for parking pass holders, and for festival visitors parking at Mapledurham, a pedestrian bridge has again been constructed direct to the site to ensure easy and safe access.
For those parking at Kings Meadow, an official festival boat service is provided free of charge to help transport everyone, including tents and belongings, into the festival site.
People are advised to be on their guard against any illegal or 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.
Traffic Management
For security and safety, the usual night-time closure of the Thames Path (from 7pm to 6am) will again be in operation from Thursday to Monday 21–25 August.
The closure will apply between Scours Lane to the far end of Thameside Promenade.
Richfield Avenue will be closed from 10.30pm-1.00am on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday of festival weekend to assist a safe exit from the festival site of the 30,000 day ticket holders.
The closure is split into two parts: Richfield Avenue will be closed to all vehicles between its junctions with Cardiff Road and Tessa Road and it will additionally be closed to all vehicles, except for authorised access, between its junctions with Tessa Road and Caversham Road.
On Bank Holiday Monday (August 25), the Napier Road / Vastern Road roundabout will be particularly busy, with temporary traffic management put in place if required.
The northbound closure of Cow Lane, between Portman Road and Cardiff Road, is also likely to be reinstated between 7am and 3pm on the Bank Holiday Monday.
This is designed to help with coach transfers and the exit of service vehicles from the festival site, depending on traffic levels in this area.
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.
There will be enforced parking and loading restrictions in place around the festival site, particularly along Richfield Avenue.
Guests should follow the boroughwide signing to the designated drop-off / pick-up area–Hills Meadow Car Park, George Street, (RG4 8DH)–or to their pre-booked car park.
Getting to the festival site
The Council has again worked with the festival organisers to produce travel information which is made available to festival-goers and the general public.
For private cars, the only pick-up and drop-off is Hills Meadow car park.
Festival-goers then have the option of walking along the towpath to the festival site via Christchurch Bridge, the Council’s pedestrian and cycle bridge over the Thames, or taking the free boat up to one of the ticket entrance gates.
To help maintain traffic flow, the Council’s parking enforcement officers will, as always, be working alongside police to crack down on people who park illegally and cause an obstruction.
The quickest walking route from Reading Station to the site is via the northern side of the station, as opposed to the town centre side.
Festival visitors also have the option of travelling to the site by hackney carriage, or a special festival shuttle bus which operate from the northern exit of the station.
Throughout the duration of the festival a temporary taxi rank will be operating in Tessa Road – opposite Rivermead Leisure Centre and next to the festival site – as a further option for travelling to and from the site.
Visitors are being reminded that they should pre-book private hire vehicles, noting 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.
Festival-goers are reminded not to use private land 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.
Safety
Reading Festival is once again advising attendees check its safety information page.
It features information on what to do in an emergency, wellbeing and safeguarding, medical and health assistance, policies on drugs and alcohol, help map and information on the festival site.
AIR Hubs will be located across campsites and arena. They will provide a 24-hour facility, over and above the existing security and stewarding teams, situated in multiple locations in and amongst the camping areas.
AIR stands for Assistance, Information & Response and organisers will be working with local community groups and charities to run the hubs, along with the support of existing safeguarding and welfare partners.
The groups involved with the AIR Hubs to date are WAVES, Reading Schools, CGL, Berkshire Women’s Aid, Safer Spaces, Sport in Mind, Oxfam, Oxford Food Hub and Soulscape.
Further information on safeguarding at Reading Festival can be found via: readingfestival.com
Other
Rivermead Leisure Centre and its facilities will be closed for normal activities from 5.30am on Wednesday 20 August to 10pm on Monday 25 August.
Check directly with the leisure centre for detailed information on activities.
Sound testing will take place on the Thursday evening and each day of the festival prior to the live shows.
These will be conducted under the direct supervision of council officers.
A special hotline number – 020 8080 1518 – has been set up for residents who wish to offer comments or to raise queries during the event.
The line will be answered between 9am and 5pm on Wednesday, August 20, and then 24 hours a day from 9am on Thursday, August 21, until 3pm on Monday, August 25.
There is also an email for residents to use: ReadingFestivalHotline@reading.gov.uk
Emails are checked regularly during main event hours.
Details of travel information are also available via: readingfestival.com/information-category/travel
