Events

First look at Reading’s Year of Culture

Published

11 years ago

January 6, 2015

admin

Reading 2016 has been designed to bring new artists and experiences to Reading throughout 2016. Showcase the wonderful range of arts, culture and heritage events and organisations in Reading and provide Reading residents and visitors with opportunities to try out a wide range of new cultural experiences.

Devised with a unique theme for every month of 2016, the programme will feature a high-quality lead event or project for each theme with associated events created by local arts and culture organisations. Throughout the year, Reading’s burgeoning cultural community will also be showcasing their talent and ideas with a large number of ‘Made in Reading’ events.

The foundation of the Year of Culture will see 12 different themes celebrated each month with 12 standout events or projects forming the centre of each month. These include Get Fit for Culture, Reading 2050, Story of Reading and Dance Reading.

Take a sneak peek at what events will be taking place in 2016 as part of Reading’s Year of Culture

January – Get Fit for Culture
A bicycle commission, choreographed gym routine, workshops and performances will run throughout the month under the title New Year, New Cultural you. People will be encouraged to take part in the cultural activities which will begin on New Year’s Day. Any groups within the town which want to take part in January’s theme is able to apply for funding from Reading Borough Council. For more info CLICK HERE before Monday, September 14.

February – Design for Reading
The man who designed the London 2012 Olympic medal and University of Reading graduate David Watkins is planned to be commissioned to work with 10 Reading art students on a design for Reading Year of Culture 2016 artwork. The final piece will be displayed across the town and printed on t-shirts, bags and more.

March – Reading 2050
March’s theme will be helped out by the team at NESTA, an innovation charity with a mission to help people bring great ideas to life. The team will help organise Reading’s FutureFest. Looking at what the future of Reading will be like. Organisations are being invited to respond to this theme and send in ideas.

April – HighTide Festival Theatre
British theatre producer and director Steven Atkinson will be asked to create four new pieces of theatre as part of the High Tide Festival Theatre commission. Atkinson, who studied at the University of Reading, has been nominated for five and won four awards for his work in theatre and has written and debuted a highly acclaimed off Broadway play.

May – Story of Reading
The history and heritage of Reading will be explored in May centering around the reopening of the Museum of English Rural Life (MERL) which has been closed due to refurbishment. Plans for a digital project surrounding the Abbey Ruins are also in discussion. Organisations, groups and businesses have been invited to send their ideas to planners.

June – Eat Reading
Continuing the hard work of Reading UK CIC’s summer Eat Reading events, the organisers of Year of Culture 2016 hope to make the event even bigger. As with this year the theme will include a Big Lunch (which sees events taking place across the country) as well as a biscuit festival to celebrate one of Reading’s famous “B’s”.

July – In the Round at the Hexagon
A special season of music, comedy and theatre will be held at The Hexagon throughout July in a bid to breath some new life into the theatre.

August – Reading Festival
Every August tens of thousands of music fans from all over the world descend onto Reading to attend one of the country’s biggest music festivals. Next year organisers plan to take full advantage of this event and hope to use the festival as a cultural platform for local artists and musicians as well as encouraging guests to see what else the town has to offer.

September – Sitelines
In September Reading’s festival of pop-up theatre organised by South Street Arts Centre will be expanded. The shows performed under the SITELINES umbrella are usually location specific and have seen productions take part in bus stops and around ice cream vans in the past.

October – Reading in Reading
Reading’s literary culture will be celebrated throughout October – taking influence from the town’s author connections including Jane Austen, Oscar Wilde and T.E. Lawrence.

November – Dance Reading
A festival of movement, space and imagination will take place across the town in November in association with Britain’s oldest dance company Rambert which commissions contemporary pieces by working with the most exciting choreographers, composers and designers around.

December – Lights Reading
More than just Christmas lights – throughout December the town will be illuminated with glowing, artistic displays.

Anything else?
As well as the main events each month, organisers are planning a specially commissioned lecture series featuring globally renowned leaders, artists and thinkers, as well as an internationally significant arts project.

For more information about Reading Year of Culture 2016 Click Here.

Related Topics:First look at Reading’s Year of Culture Reading's Year of Culture

Up Next

Reading West Still neglected by the Bike Hire Scheme

Don't Miss

Reading Festival – First headliner announced: Metallica

Events

Rockstar Energy presents Reading & Leeds – The Countdown to the UK’s Ultimate Festival Begins!

Published

7 days ago

July 29, 2025

admin

Kicking off in less than a month, Rockstar Energy presents Reading Festival 2025 is set to define the sound, energy, and spirit of the year. With Friday day tickets for Reading now sold-out, the UK’s most anticipated festival weekend (21st–24th August) continues to raise the bar, with an era-defining lineup led by headliners Chappell Roan, Hozier, Bring Me The Horizon and Travis Scott, and is packed with boundary-breaking newcomers, underground cult heroes and next-gen icons. Whether it’s your first time or your tenth, Reading & Leeds remains the future-facing, culture-shaping moment in the UK festival calendar—where memories are made, legends are born, and music history is written in real time.

The initial running order for the eagerly anticipated bank holiday weekend has been revealed, with over 150 acts set to perform across both sites. Stage times are now available within the official Reading & Leeds app on both iOS and Android devices. The app is the best place to create personalised schedules, design your own Reading & Leeds poster, check maps and info, plus stay up to date with the latest from across the weekend.

The 2025 edition of Reading & Leeds brings the most transformative evolution to festival camping the UK has ever seen. In the biggest site change in the festival’s 55-year history, every campsite has been reimagined from the ground up with vacuum toilets, more showers, bespoke ‘Get Ready With Me’ stations, enhanced décor and production, plus a wide range of new non-music activities designed to elevate the weekend experience.

At the heart of this refresh are five newly introduced campsite areas—The Fields, The Garden, The Meadow, The Glitterball Grove, and The Valley — each created to reflect the needs, interests, and energy of the diverse Reading & Leeds community. Every space, which is free to book, comes with its own unique identity and daytime programming, allowing festival-goers to choose the vibe that fits them best. Demand for the new campsites reflects just how well this revamp is landing. In Reading, The Meadow and The Garden campsites are now fully booked, whilst over 50% of Leeds Festival attendees have already reserved their spot in the new camping spaces.

Also new for 2025, Reading & Leeds introduces two brand new stages – celebrating the underground electronic communities blazing a path through modern UK culture. In Reading, the Smirnoff Stage brings together the likes of Riordan, IN PARALLEL, Lu. Re, and more. Whilst in Leeds, the Reload Stage will see DJ Semtex, Disrupta and Tommy Villiers amongst many more perform across the weekend.

Reading and Leeds has something for everyone, day and night. Whether you’re raving under the LED roof of the Chevron stage, diving into creative, non-music programming at The Aux with Brittany Broski alongside Max Balegde and Charley Marlowe, JaackMaate’s Happy Hour, or Harry Pinero and Darkest Man, or discovering the best new bands before they blow up, R&L puts you in control of your weekend.

And when the headliners wrap, the night’s just getting started—expect more late-night entertainment than ever before, with Silent Disco sessions lighting up the Festival Republic and Chevron stages after dark, plus DJ sets from Brighton’s Badger and takeovers from clubnight favourites like Swiftogeddon, Pop Never Dies and UPRAWR. Even The Aux goes nocturnal, with Silent Karaoke keeping the party going. This year’s programming goes beyond the big moments—it’s a full-spectrum celebration of where music and culture meet.

Changing the game for festivals every year, Reading and Leeds scooped Music Week’s Festival Of The Year award, after previously being awarded The Innovation Award at the UK Festival Awards 2024 in recognition for the all-new Chevron Stage. This year, more positive changes have been announced for this year’s festivals, with these new initiatives set to make a positive impact on sustainability, safety and inclusivity at music festivals across the board.

Reading and Leeds Festival takes place Thursday 21st – Sunday 24th August 2025 at Richfield Avenue in Reading and Bramham Park in Leeds.

Tickets are on sale at www.readingfestival.com/tickets and www.leedsfestival.com/tickets.

Prices for tickets range from £125 for day tickets and £325 for a weekend ticket, with flexible payment options available on all ticket types.

Festival goers can book their place in the new campsites in Reading HERE and Leeds HERE.

Events

Reading Festival 2025 Set Times are now Live!

Published

2 weeks ago

July 19, 2025

admin

They heard us loud and clear, the 2025 set times are available to view in the official festival app now!
Officially almost less than 30 days away from being back together in our favourite fields…

Build your schedule and begin planning your perfect weekend – download the app for all the latest updates, surprises, news and more…

Download The App for iOS

Download The App for Android

Secure your spot at the show of the summer

Events

The Countdown to GuilFest Is On – Don’t Miss Out!

Published

1 month ago

June 26, 2025

admin

Summer is just around the corner, and that can only mean one thing – GuilFest is nearly here! With early bird tickets flying off the shelves and last year’s event completely sold out, now is the time to secure your spot for a weekend bursting with music, fun, and feel-good summer energy.

A Line-up to Remember

This year’s musical line-up promises to be nothing short of spectacular. From legendary chart-toppers to crowd-pleasing favourites, GuilFest 2025 brings a dazzling variety of acts to the stage. Get ready to dance your socks off to music from The Jacksons, Razorlight, and Soul II Soul! Join in on the infectious vibe of the Stereo MC’s and take in the legends that brought us all the hits we love – like Leo Sayer and The Bay City Rollers, and more under wraps!

So, whether your thing is soulful grooves, catchy indie anthems, or noises from your youth, there’s something for everyone on the line up!

More Than Just Music

But GuilFest is not only about the music – it is a full weekend experience whatever your age. Families will love the variety of entertainment provided for the little ones. There are two very special guests this year – Bluey on Saturday 5th July and Peppa Pig on Sunday 6th July – meet and greets that your children will remember and you will want to get some snaps of those special moments.

Whether you’re on the stage or in the family zones, GuilFest has a delightful offering of food and drink stalls, comedy performances, wellness zones, craft market, and much, much more – ensuring that the stage is set for a sunny, fun-filled weekend of music and community.

Don’t Miss Out

If you’ve been thinking about making your summer plans, now is your chance. With tickets going fast, don’t miss out on what is expected to be the best GuilFest yet.

So, grab some mates, rally the family, do what you need to do, and get ready for a weekend to remember! Get your tickets, let the countdown to GuilFest 2025 begin!