Reading Festival traffic changes begin two days early
Reading Festival 2026 returns to Richfield Avenue, Reading, from Friday 28 to Sunday 30 August. The three-day music festival is open to ticket-holders, including campers and day visitors, with tickets required for entry.
The council notice does not list ticket prices, gate times, performers or accessibility arrangements. Attendees should consult the official festival information for those details before travelling.
Reading’s busiest journeys begin before the festival
Festival traffic will start building two days before the music begins. Reading Borough Council is asking residents travelling into or around the town centre between Wednesday 26 and Friday 28 August to leave more time and consider alternative routes.
- Thursday 27 August is expected to be the busiest arrival day.
- Friday 28 August will bring additional traffic from day-ticket holders.
- Travel should be closer to normal on Saturday and Sunday, although local shops and supermarkets are expected to be busier.
- Bank Holiday Monday, 31 August, will bring another surge as festival-goers leave Reading.
The Thames Path will close nightly from 7pm to 6am between Scours Lane and the far end of Thameside Promenade. The restriction runs from Thursday 27 August until Monday 31 August.
Richfield Avenue will close between 10.30pm and 1am on Friday, Saturday and Sunday to help approximately 30,000 day-ticket holders leave safely. All vehicles will be excluded between Cardiff Road and Tessa Road, while only authorised access will be permitted between Tessa Road and Caversham Road.
Napier Road and Vastern Road roundabout are expected to be particularly busy on Monday. A northbound closure of Cow Lane between Portman Road and Cardiff Road may also operate from 7am to 3pm, depending on traffic levels.
Hills Meadow is the only private-car drop-off point
Drivers collecting or dropping off festival-goers must use Hills Meadow Car Park on George Street, postcode RG4 8DH. Pick-ups and drop-offs are prohibited around the Richfield Avenue site, where parking, loading and stopping restrictions will be enforced.
From Hills Meadow, attendees can walk to the festival through Christchurch Bridge or use the free shuttle boat to a ticket entrance. Festival parking at Mapledurham and Kings Meadow is reserved for parking-pass holders. Mapledurham has a pedestrian bridge into the site, while Kings Meadow is served by the authorised free festival boat.
Anyone arriving at Reading Station will find the quickest walking route on the northern side of the station. A festival shuttle bus also runs from the northern exit, while a temporary taxi rank will operate on Tessa Road opposite Rivermead Leisure Centre. Private-hire vehicles must be booked in advance and cannot legally be hailed from the roadside.
Festival Republic and the council warn passengers against illegal or unregulated boats offering transport. Only one authorised festival boat service will operate, with monitoring planned on the river throughout the event.
Live music, camping and round-the-clock AIR Hubs
Reading Festival combines live music with camping at the Richfield Avenue site. The supplied council information does not identify individual performers, so visitors will need the official festival app for set times, announcements and maps.
AIR Hubs—short for Assistance, Information and Response—will operate around the clock across the campsites and arena. Supported by community groups, charities and existing welfare partners, the hubs offer places to seek help when someone feels unsafe, unwell or uncertain.
Festival-goers are encouraged to save or screenshot the site map showing AIR Hub locations and to look out for one another. The festival’s safety information also covers emergencies, medical support, safeguarding, missing people, drugs and alcohol policies, and eviction procedures.
Rivermead closures start on 22 August
Rivermead Leisure Centre facilities will close in stages before the festival and reopen after the Bank Holiday weekend.
| Facility | Closure period |
|---|---|
| Sports Hall | 6am, 22 August to 5pm, 1 September |
| Studios | Noon, 23 August to 5pm, 1 September |
| Soft Play and Café | 6am, 24 August to 1pm, 1 September |
| Gym and Swimming | 6am, 26 August to 6am, 1 September |
Council-supervised sound testing will take place on Thursday and before the live shows on each festival day. Residents can raise concerns through the dedicated hotline on 020 8080 1518 or by emailing ReadingFestivalHotline@reading.gov.uk.
The phone line will operate from 9am to 5pm on Wednesday 26 August, then continuously from 9am on Thursday 27 August until 3pm on Monday 31 August. Emails will be checked regularly during the festival’s main operating hours.
Source: Reading Borough Council News
Context & actions About this article
Source check How this guide was checked
The event dates, location, transport restrictions and resident contact details were matched against Reading Borough Council’s festival notice.
- Confirmed the festival dates as 28–30 August 2026.
- Confirmed Richfield Avenue as the festival site and Hills Meadow as the designated private...
- Checked the published Thames Path and Richfield Avenue closure periods.
- Checked the resident hotline number, email address and operating hours.
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- Reading Borough Council News
- Scope
- Reading
- Updated
- 2026-08-19 13:29
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