From revolutionary independent female musicians brought together by In Place of War, to Cirque Bijou’s mesmerising outdoor performances, the return of Reading Between The Lines for the next installment of Reading’s medieval history, a conversational meal, a midnight run/walk, classical music from the renowned London Mozart Players, film, history walks, photography exhibitions, promenade theatre from SITELINES and much more.

The Reading Thames Festival takes its inspiration from Reading’s majestic waterways and sets out to create a vibrant, broad appeal arts and cultural festival programme set in venues and unusual outdoor spaces across Reading. Between 6-16 September, Festival-audiences can expect to encounter exhilarating performances and unexpected encounters.
The Reading Thames Festival is back for its second year, bringing together a rich tapestry of artists and performers, venues and unusual outdoor sites across Reading to create exhilarating audience experiences and unexpected encounters. The Festival aims to be a catalyst for collaboration and partnership across Reading’s creative and cultural sector.

The festival aims to be a catalyst for a new spirit of collaboration and partnership across Reading’s creative and cultural sector. The festival brings together the rich tapestry of venues and unusual outdoor sites across Reading to create exhilarating audience experiences and unexpected encounters, illuminating Reading as a place of parks and rivers, culture and diversity.

From revolutionary independent female musicians brought together by In Place of War, to Cirque Bijou’s mesmerising outdoor performances, the return of Reading Between The Lines for the next installment of Reading’s medieval history, a conversational meal, a midnight run/walk, classical music from the renowned London Mozart Players, film, history walks, photography exhibitions, promenade theatre from SITELINES and much more.

The programme includes nationally-renowned performers and the finest Reading-based arts groups working in collaboration to create a unique experience for audiences. Highlights include In Place of War’s GRRRL featuring Charlotte Adigéry – a live music concert with performances from revolutionary independent female artists from Brazil, Zimbabwe, Ghana, Venezuela, Bangladesh and the UK, fusing music from ghetto base to electronica; fresh from their involvement in Lumière London, Cirque Bijou** will be bringing A Circus Soiree, an immersive evening of the most contemporary of circus, to the banks of the Thames at Caversham Court Gardens; renowned philosopher Theodore Zeldin will be hosting a conversational meal, Theodore Zeldin’s Feast of Strangers, on the top floor of Thames Tower; there will be a night-time arts-filled walk through Reading, The Reading Midnight Run; high-quality classical music from the London Mozart Players in the High Sheriff of Berkshire’s Concert; a film trail; film showings and photography.

Reading Between The Lines will be returning for the next theatrical instalment of Reading’s medieval history (dates tbc); there will be heritage walks linked to VOTE 100 and Reading’s Abbey heritage; a new contribution from the SITELINES theatre programme from Laura Mugridge along the Thames and the Flamingods live in the Abbey Ruins, complete with light installation.

Reading Thames Festival is a Reading UK production with support from the Great Place scheme funded by Arts Council England, Heritage Lottery Fund and Historic England. The Festival has also received generous funding from Two Forbury Place, The Oracle shopping centre, Graham and Joanna Barker, Savills, PRS Foundation and support from Reading Buses, Landid, VOTE 100 and Reading Borough Council.

Anna Doyle, Festival Director, said: “The festival this year is welcoming new artists from across the UK to respond to Reading’s communities, its locale and is a celebration of the area’s home-grown, world-class local cultural talent. We are proud to connect to Vote 100 nationwide celebrations in which 2018 marks 100 years since Parliament passed a law which allowed the first women, and all men, to vote for the first time. The festival programme is conceived to be developed across the next years with the local community, and this year there are plenty of ways for people living and working in Reading to get involved with shaping the festival. To find out more please visit the website.”

Nigel Horton-Baker, Executive Director, Reading UK said: “After the success of the first Festival last year, we are really excited by the programme for 2018 which mixes many of our finest cultural groups with performers of international repute. Over 10 days in September, the Reading Thames Festival will showcase Reading, its vibrant cultural community and its growing stature as a cultural destination.”

The Reading Thames Festival was conceived by Reading UK as a legacy event from Reading’s Year of Culture in 2016. It aims to be a catalyst for collaboration and partnership across Reading’s creative and cultural sector, illuminating Reading as a place of culture, diversity, rivers and parks.

Tickets will be on sale for each individual event. Many of the events are free and where ticket prices apply, they have been set to make the Festival as accessible as possible.

Future Vision The festival, as a part of Reading Place of Culture Great Place, has funding secured for the next three years. The vision for the festival across the forthcoming years is to go beyond the traditional festival model to demonstrate its commitment to supporting the cultural and local economy. Through working in partnership, the festival will not only act as an advocate but as an instigator for new talent and cultural development.

The Festival is organised by Reading UK, but we couldn’t do it without the support of a great many other organisations, particularly the Reading Great Place scheme, funded by Arts Council England, Heritage Lottery Fund and Historic England.

Click here for all the events