r/readingfestival

The one you actually witnessed. The one where you were standing in that crowd and understood in real time that something special was happening. What was it and what made it feel different to everything around it.

My favourite Reading Festival memory is honestly the reason I’m married now. Back in 2022 I randomly got chatting to a guy while wandering between sets because we were both completely lost trying to find our friends. We ended up spending basically the whole weekend together after that. It started as one of those festival conversations you assume will end once everyone goes home, but somehow it never did. Fast forward a bit and we got married in 2024, and today is actually our second wedding anniversary. I’m also currently expecting our first child, which still feels surreal to say out loud sometimes. Genuinely, the best thing that’s ever happened to me came from getting lost at Reading Festival. We still go every year now and I don’t think either of us could ever miss it after that. Is there a special memory stuck with you aswell?

My phone camera is completely useless but I want as much to remember from it as I can, are digicams allowed and is it worth bringing one into camping? Not sure how great the quality would turn out but still.

No matter how much I mentally prepare beforehand, eventually I end up paying festival prices for chips and just accepting defeat. Always tell myself I’ll budget properly next time and never do. Is it the same for you?

I just checked Ticketmaster and realised that Saturday day tickets have jumped to £190. I noticed that back in 2023, you could get a weekend for not much more than that. I’m not sure if I can justify nearly £200 just to see Florence and Fontaines D.C., especially when I factor in the £12 Festival Burger and the train back to London. Is anyone else pivoting to the resale market in July, or is the FOMO of missing Florence’s headline set too strong to risk a sell-out?

Hi all. Me and 2 friends are volunteering with HotBox this year so will be camping for 6 nights, but I’m stuck on what size tent to buy/borrow from family, as I’d prefer to have a bigger one we could potentially stand up in just to get a bit more space/comfort, especially if the weather is hot.

From my research I’m under the impression that we’ll be in a staff section of the white camp(?), and since we will be arriving on Tuesday I reckon there’ll be plenty of choice of area/space. We’re driving down in my car so lugging a bigger tent on public transport isn’t an issue, but I don’t want to be the knob with the big 6-8 man tent in a sea of 2-3 mans.

From others experience, do a lot of people bring larger tents? Or is it very campsite dependent, probably with the quiet campsites having more larger tents while the sites aimed at the younger crowd having mostly 2-3 man?

It’s not a real problem if we have to stick to a smaller tent/two 2 man tents as I’ve slept in them many times before, but ideally I’d like a bit more luxury!

If there’s any other advice anyone has, I’m all for it!

As I approach my 50's I am still going to festivals and lasting the whole weekend. What is wrong with you younger people, it's a weekend of having more fun that at any other time of year (with the exception of attending multiple festivals) seeing loads of music and meeting some of the most eclectic groups of people you ever will. Okay I don't camp in general anymore because of my disability so it's a little easier, but I still camp from Thursday to Monday then go home and crash for a couple of days. I have been known to have naps in the middle of a the arena or at the back of a marquee. You all need to remember why you are going in the first place, give yourself to the experience and just party hard!!!

There are loads of DJs/electronic music artists on the lineup this year- on the warehouse stage- and tbh Ive never really listened to that sort of music before, its not really my style. When they perform, do they usually do their own songs that theyve written, or do they play/mix other popular/famous songs created by artists? or do they do both? sorry if this post wasnt phrased very well, im just curious of what to expect and what i ought to go and see

Is anyone heading to Reading on their own? I’m Irish in Liverpool and there’s a few good Irish artists I want to see, but none of my friends are really up for it! I’m 30 & very easy going- is there anywhere to meet people going alone? TIA 🤗

I've never been to a festival before, but I'm going to Leeds this year with my friend. We don't know how good premium camping is and if it's worth it for an extra 80 quid each. It says there's security, and premium showers and toilets, and a pamper area, but how good are these compared to normal camping. It also says there is phone charging at extra cost but roughly how much would this be?

I don't know how much everything's changed from previous years, but any help based on experience would be appreciated :)