READING Festival is back again, bringing with it a weekend jam-packed with internationally-renowned performers, street food, cinema, and comedy over three days in the heart of Reading.
Sam Fender, Billie Eilish, The Killers, Loyle Carner, Imagine Dragons, and The 1975 are set to take to the stage during the bank holiday as tens of thousands of people flock to the town.
This year will see travel disruption as train strikes are due to take place on Saturday, August 26, with only reduced services to Reading Station between 7am and 7pm.
The station will be closed entirely before 7am and after 7pm, with final trains leaving at around 6.30pm and the expectation of busier-than-usual services.
Those with Great Western Railway tickets for Saturday, August 26, will be able to use those tickets to travel the day before and up until Tuesday, August 29.
For those travelling by car, Hills Meadow Car Park is the dedicated area for pick-up and drop-off from the festival, from which attendees can travel to the site by foot or via the free shuttle boats.
Festival parking is available at Mapledurham and Kings Meadow for those with parking passes.
Those parked at Kings Meadow are also able to use a free boat service to travel to and from the festival site.
Disposable vapes and campfires are among some of the notable things banned from the festival in 2023.
As part of its continued commitments to minimising climate impact and keeping attendees safe, disposable vapes will not be permitted, though refillable or rechargable vapes and e-cigarettes are still permitted.
Campfires and disposable barbecues are not allowed anywhere on site, including in the campsites, though small flat-based cooking stoves are permitted in campsites, as well as gas canisters smaller than 250ml, at a maximum of 1L per stove.
Only bags smaller than A4 size are permitted in the Arena.
New AIR (assistance, information, and response) Hubs have been added to the event, which will see points in the campsites providing extra security and stewarding teams.
The hubs will see support from WAVES, Street Pastors, the Salvation Army, Mind, CGL, Royal Berks Fire and Rescue, SoulScape, and Oxfam, who will be on hand to offer support constantly between Wednesday–Monday, August 23-28.
Reading Festival also operates a number of first aid and support tents across the whole of the site, as well as running the Safe Gigs For Women and Ask For Angela schemes.
Drink spiking testing kits are also available from the on-site pharmacy and medical tents.
Further safeguarding information is available via: readingfestival.com/news/safeguarding-at-our-festival/
This year will see the return of the Cinema Tent, presented by Film Oxford and set up in the BBC 1Xtra tent.
Thursday will see three short films, including Craig Bingham’s Ironstone, screening from 9pm followed by Avatar: The Way of Water at 9.20pm.
From Friday night, short films will be screened from midnight followed by a feature-length film: Bullet Train is screening from 12.25am on Saturday, Everything Everywhere All At Once from 12.25am on Sunday, and Cocaine Bear from 12.25am on Monday.
The Silent Disco has also seen a revamp, moving to the main arena this year, with events running until late every night of the festival.
Sigma is set to hold a simultaneous silent disco with special guests on Sunday night, streamed to both Reading and Leeds.
Attendees can keep up to date with important safety information and announcements during the weekend by visiting readingfestival.com/news/ or by downloading the official Reading and Leeds Festival app.
