Your guide to this year’s incredible event including opening times

• Reading Festival continues to be the festival of choice for long-time festivalgoers.
• The event is once again set to take place across August Bank Holiday weekend at Richfield Avenue.
• Ahead of this year’s event, here’s your guide to the festival including travel, opening times and what the weather might be like this year.

So for those who are opting to head south rather than north to see this year’s stunning array of acts, including Chappell Roan and Travis Scott, we’ve pulled together a guide to this year’s Reading Festival, including how to get there, what time you should arrive and the all important banned items to avoid blushes at the festival gates.

All the information is correct as of writing, but in the case of public transport (or the weather), we still advise checking the most up-to-date information on travel ahead of setting off before August Bank Holiday weekend.

So, without further ado – here’s your (almost) ultimate guide to this year’s Reading Festival!

Reading Festival is once again being held at Little John’s Farm Richfield Avenue, Reading.

Reading Festival 2025 will once again take place over August Bank Holiday weekend, from August 21 to August 24 2025.

Those of you aged 16 or under must attend the festival with a responsible parent, guardian or adult over 18 years of age with a ticket and must remain on site with the younger festivalgoer throughout Reading Festival weekend.

Those who have children aged 13 or younger are admitted free-of-charge so long as they are with a paid 18 year old adult.

The festival strongly advises using public transport due to the proximity of the train station and shuttle bus services (£1.50 single). If driving, follow AA signage and car pass directions, not Sat Nav – be aware that some car parks are on grass fields.

White and Green car park passes are valid for weekend ticket holders (and early entry), while physical car park passes are required; printed confirmations are not accepted.

Day car parks open at 8 am for day ticket holders and passes can be purchased on-site, subject to availability, and may sell out in advance. Green car park is for day ticket holders and again, physical passes are required.

Designated drop-off/pick-up points are located at Cremyll Road (private hire), Tessa Road (black cabs), Kings Meadow (minibuses), and Hills Meadow (parents/friends). Thames side promenade will also be used on the Monday morning for Hackney carriages.

Please avoid drop-offs/pick-ups near Richfield Avenue or the White/Green car parks. Peak exit times are set to be from 8am GMT to 1pm GMT on August 25 2025 so plan your departure and ensure a sober driver.

Guest and disabled access parking information will be provided closer to the event.

• White Car Park: Mapledurham, for weekend vehicles from the north or west.
• Green Car Park: Kings Meadow, for weekend vehicles from the east or south, and for all day ticket holders.

Reading train station is located approximately 15-20 minutes walking distance from the Reading Festival site. The station provides various national rail connections, including direct services from London Paddington.

Train services departing Reading station during late Friday and Saturday hours are expected to experience high passenger volumes and may not operate extended hours. Festival attendees are advised to plan travel accordingly, allowing sufficient time for boarding.

Upon departure from the festival, a minimum of one hour should be allocated for the walk from the festival exit gate to the train station.

For train timetable information and service provider details, refer to the National Rail website.

Single tickets are priced at £1.50, and a weekend pass offering unlimited travel on routes 97 and 98 is available exclusively through the app for £6.50. Cash payments will not be accepted. Card payments can be made via handheld devices carried by Reading Buses staff or by tapping on the on-bus ticket machines. Timetables for routes 97 and 98 are accessible through the Reading Buses app.

The Big Green Coach are also returning once again to transport festival goers to the festival site, with the added bonus of arriving there before the music starts. For more information and pick up locations, visit The Big Green Coach website.

Weekend and Early Entry ticket holders will be able to enter the camp grounds at Reading Festival on August 20 2025 from 6pm GMT. Weekend ticket holders can access the campgrounds on August 21 2025 from 8am GMT. The campsite closes at 12pm GMT on August 25 2025.

The main arena throughout the duration of Reading Festival will open at 11am GMT.

Those with camping tickets can leave the arena and return to their campsite throughout Reading Festival, however those who have day tickets will not be able to leave the main arena.

There’s plenty of options for those who don’t want to bring a tent, or have just reached an age where sleeping on the ground isn’t an option. From hotels in the area to luxury camping villages, you can check out the range of options at the Reading Festival 2025 website.

Very much the usual suspects when it comes to what you can and cannot bring to Reading Festival 2025; to avoid blushes or sniffed at by dogs on site (there will be sniffer dogs), the following items are outright banned:

• Aerosols over 250ml
• Air Horns / Megaphones
• Animals (other than registered hearing dogs or guide dogs)
• Any goods for unauthorised trading with unauthorised Reading/Leeds Festival logos
• Anything that could reasonably be considered for use as a weapon including oversized lighters or any item which may cause danger, offence or disruption to any other person.
• Balloons
• Blow torches
• Catapults
• Chinese / Sky lanterns / Paper Lanterns
• Clothing/Garments/Items which promote Cultural Appropriation
• Disposable BBQs
• Non-Disposable BBQs
• Dogs (other than registered hearing dogs or guide dogs)
• Disposable vapes
• Drinks of any size (sealed or unsealed) in plastic and metal reusable bottles (No glass). *Only sealed soft drinks under 500ml are permitted into the arena. No drinks will be permitted into the campsites after 6pm on Sunday night.
• Drones and other flying devices
• Excessive amounts of food (i.e. more than for personal consumption)
• Fireworks/Pyrotechnics, Flares/Distress Flares
• Fitted Gas Canisters/Cylinders in Campervans
• Flags
• Flat based cooking stoves: meth stoves including fuel, trangia stoves, solid fuel stove / hexi stoves, gel stoves, green base camp cooker, firelighter stoves. (Please note – fuel limited to maximum of 1L per stove and only gas canisters of 250mls or less.). For a detailed list of stove and fuel guidelines, head here
• Gas canisters for cooking stoves (250ml or less), Fuel is limited to maximum of 1L per stove.
• Generators (unless in campervan)
• Glass bottles, jars, containers over 100ml. Items under this measurement, such as small perfume bottles, nail varnish, and small mirrors will be permitted.
• Illegal Substances (drugs) and legal highs, herbal highs, new psychoactive substances and unidentifiable substances – including Nitrous Oxide
• Nitrous Oxide and any items associated with the taking of NPS and NOS (including but not limited to balloons, whipped cream dispensers, water crackers / CO2 dispensers)
• Penknife
• Perfume and make up (over 100ml)
• Petrol Burner
• Portable laser equipment and pens
• Selfie Sticks
• Skateboards and rollerblades, hover-boards, scooters, bicycles, and other personal motorized and non-motorized vehicles
• Sound systems
• Spray Cans
• Umbrellas – (inc. Golf Umbrellas)
• Unauthorised professional film or video equipment, radios or walkie talkies
• Unauthorised solicitation or marketing materials (e.g., handbills, flyers, stickers)
• Unofficial tabards and reflective jackets

The following items however are allowed on the campsite but not the main arena:

• Alcohol for personal consumption 18+ (only before 6pm on Sunday evening)
• Audio Recorders
• Bags larger than A4 size
• Cameras, film or video equipment. Lenses must be less than 6 inches. *Please note, professional cameras and video / audio equipment are strictly prohibited.
• Camping Equipment including cutlery, tin openers (weekend ticket holders only) Leatherman style multi tools are not permitted
• Cans
• Chairs / Stools / Inflatable Loungers
• Cigarettes for personal use. Excessive amounts of cigarettes (ie. more than for personal consumption) will be confiscated
• Cool Bags/Boxes (if for personal use)
• Empty Reusable Plastic & Metal Bottles / Coffee Cups must be empty)
• Gazebos
• Medication (if accompanied by doctors note / prescription or if it is recognisable)

We keep chancing the weather forecast in our previous festival guides, so don’t take our word as gospel. But…

According to Accuweather though, the historical averages of temperatures around Reading for the time of year the festival takes place is a high of 22°c and a low of 11°c.

There are indeed tickets left to attend the Reading Festival – all your options are currently available now through Ticketmaster UK.