WATERFEST, now in its 36th year, returned to Reading’s river banks last week, bringing live music, activities, and events to the heart of the town.
Three stages of music and performance saw the likes of Selina and the Howlin’ Dogs, Daughter of the Water, Readiophonics, Thomas Heppell, and Damien A Passmore, as well as Zorya and Balamuty.
Waterfest explores not only Reading’s history, largely defined by its geographical relation to its major rivers, but also its relationship with the natural environment more broadly and its role in tackling climate change.
The mayor of Reading, Cllr Alice Mpofu-Coles, was among the attendees, and said: “Last year I attended Water Fest as the Deputy Mayor, and it’s a real family day; it’s a place where everyone is catered for.
“It’s a real celebration of our history here, and we see that it is growing every year.
With the festival having been held for three and a half decades, she explained: “I used to bring my daughter here when she was small, and now she’s grown up and living in London.
“One of the things we don’t do enough is celebrate our history and make sure that so much of our amazing history is understood.”
“So many people love to come to Reading and see that: we have the Abbey Ruins, one of the boarding schools attended by Jane Austen, much of the Huntley and Palmers legacy.
“We need to show the world what we have here.”
David Crawford, from North, said: “We’ve been working with the council for many years now, providing support for a lot of the council network, as well as for CCTV across the country.
“The heart of that is keeping communities safe, and working with local authorities– so events like this are fantastic.
“It’s a beautiful day, so it’s been really great to be a part of it all.”
