Venue
Richfield Avenue, Reading, Berkshire, United Kingdom
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Reading and Leeds Festivals guide
Britain's twin festival on the August bank holiday.
In short
Reading and Leeds share one line-up across two sites over the late August bank holiday weekend, with 2027 set for 26 to 29 August. Reading has hosted the festival since 1971; Leeds joined in 1999 and moved to Bramham Park in 2003. The crowd is young, the camping is part of the deal, and headliners are still to be announced.
Reading and Leeds are twin festivals held on the same August bank holiday weekend, one at Little John's Farm beside the Thames in Reading and the other in the grounds of Bramham Park, near Wetherby in West Yorkshire. The two sites share a single line-up: acts play Reading on one day and Leeds on another, so both crowds see the same bill over the weekend.
Reading is one of the oldest music festivals in Britain. It grew out of the National Jazz Festival of the early 1960s and has been held in the town since 1971, moving from jazz and blues to rock, punk, indie and, in recent years, rap and pop. Leeds was added in 1999, first at Temple Newsam and from 2003 at Bramham Park.
The crowd is young. For many British teenagers the weekend after exam results is their first camping festival, and the atmosphere on the campsites reflects that. Both festivals are run by Festival Republic and sell weekend camping tickets alongside day tickets.
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Key Facts & Stats:
Ends: Sunday, 29 August 2027
Where: United Kingdom
Venue: Little John's Farm
Held: Every year
Type of event: Live Events, Musical Events
Currency: Pound sterling (GBP, £)
Time zone: Greenwich Mean Time, UTC+0 (UTC+1 in summer)
Language: English
Map
Getting around
Hotels near the venue fill up around the event dates.
Camping tips for the bank holiday weekend
Weekend tickets include camping, and the campsites open before the music starts. A few habits make the weekend easier:
- pitch near a landmark you can find after dark
- take a padlock for your tent and leave valuables at home
- carry only plastic or cans; glass is confiscated
- take your tent home with you
Late August in England can bring a heatwave or a washout in the same week, so pack for both.
Collecting wristbands and entry rules
Tickets are exchanged for wristbands at the box office on arrival, and the wristband is your ticket for the whole weekend. Keep it on and do not let it be loosened.
- bring the photo ID named in the festival's age policy
- arrive early on the first day if you want a good pitch
- expect long queues at the gates on Thursday afternoon
What happens on the day
- Thursday
Campsites open
Early arrivals collect wristbands and pitch tents; the busiest queues of the weekend.
- Friday
Main stages begin
The first full day of music, with half the bill at each site.
- Saturday
Mid-weekend
Acts that played the other site on Friday appear here.
- Sunday
Final headliners
The last full day before the campsites empty on bank holiday Monday.
Choosing between Reading and Leeds
Decide on your site first. Reading suits anyone from London and the South, with the town centre and its station a walk from the gates. Leeds sits in parkland outside the city, so most people arrive by festival coach or shuttle and stay on site all weekend.
Weekend camping tickets are the standard choice; day tickets exist but give you a single day of the split line-up. Buy before the headliners are named if you are going for the whole experience, as the popular weekends sell out.
For the rest of a trip around Britain, see our United Kingdom guide.
From the 1961 National Jazz Festival to Reading
The festival began as the National Jazz Festival, launched in Richmond in 1961 and moved around the London area before settling in Reading in 1971. Through the 1970s it turned to rock and later punk and heavy metal, and in the 1990s it became a centre of the indie and grunge scene. Nirvana's 1992 set is still the performance most often cited in its history.
In 1999 a second site opened in Leeds so that the bill could play twice. The northern festival used Temple Newsam at first and moved to Bramham Park in 2003. Since then the twin format has held, and the line-up has shifted towards rap, pop and dance to follow its young audience.
Getting there
Reading by train
Reading station has fast services from London Paddington; the site is about a 20-minute walk.
Leeds by coach and shuttle
Festival coaches and shuttle buses run from Leeds city centre to Bramham Park.
Driving
Both sites offer paid parking that must normally be booked in advance; roads around Bramham Park are heavily congested on arrival day.
Where to stay during the festival
Most visitors camp on site, which is included in the weekend ticket.
If you prefer a bed, Reading's town centre is close to the festival, while for Leeds a city-centre hotel means relying on shuttle buses each day.
Edinburgh
The Balmoral, a Rocco Forte Hotel5-star hotel
No reviews yet
from$500.00/ night
- Internet – Wifi
- Swimming pool
- Parking
4 Rooms available
Book Now
Manchester
The Midland4-star hotel
No reviews yet
from$180.00/ night
- Free WiFi
- Swimming pool
- Fitness center
3 Rooms available
Book Now
Bath
The Royal Crescent Hotel & Spa5-star hotel
No reviews yet
from$560.00/ night
- Free WiFi
- Swimming pool
- Parking
5 Rooms available
Book Now
York
The Grand, York5-star hotel
No reviews yet
from$250.00/ night
- Free WiFi
- Swimming pool
- Parking
5 Rooms available
Book Now
Weather and what to pack
Late August in southern and northern England is mild. Reading averages a high of about 22°C and Leeds about 20°C in August, with lows near 12 to 13°C (1991-2020 normals).
Rain is common in any week, and the nights in a tent feel cold.
Worth packing
- Waterproof jacket and wellies
- Sunscreen
- Warm layer for the night
- Padlock for the tent
Car hire in United Kingdom
Airport transfer to Reading and Leeds Festivals
Met at arrivals at London Heathrow Airport (LHR) and driven door to door to Little John's Farm.
- London Heathrow Airport (LHR) → Little John's Farm
- 47 km · 40 min
Restaurants and food in United Kingdom
Places to eat in United Kingdom before or after the celebrations.
Magpie Café
14 Pier Road, Whitby YO21 3PU, United Kingdom
Cuisine:SeafoodFish and chips
- Dine-in
- Takeaway
Ubiquitous Chip
12 Ashton Lane, Glasgow G12 8SJ, United Kingdom
Cuisine:ScottishModern British
- Dine-in
- Bar
The Kitchin
78 Commercial Quay, Leith, Edinburgh EH6 6LX, United Kingdom
Cuisine:Modern ScottishSeasonal
- Dine-in
Dishoom Covent Garden
12 Upper St Martin's Lane, London WC2H 9FB, United Kingdom
Cuisine:IndianBombay café
- Dine-in
- Bar
- Outdoor seating
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Need help?
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Timing & weather
Thursday 26 to Sunday 29 August 2027, the late summer bank holiday weekend. The bank holiday Monday, 30 August, is the usual day for packing up and travelling home.
General
Nobody has been announced yet. As of October 2026 only the dates were confirmed, and the first names usually appear in the autumn or winter before the festival.
Yes. The bill is shared, with acts swapping between the two sites over the weekend. The day a band plays Reading is normally different from the day it plays Leeds, so check the stage times for your site.
Reading is the older event and usually the larger of the two. Leeds draws heavily from the North of England and Scotland, Reading from London and the South.
Tickets are sold separately for each site. Because the line-up is split across different days, a few fans do buy day tickets at both, but most people pick one site and camp there for the weekend.
The festival falls a week or two after A-level and GCSE results, and it has long been the traditional celebration for school leavers. Expect plenty of 16 to 19 year olds, especially on the campsites.
Festival Republic, the promoter that also runs Latitude and Download. Its managing director, Melvin Benn, has been closely associated with Reading and Leeds for decades.
Not into the arenas. Drinks for the campsite are allowed within set limits, and glass is banned on site. The rules change from year to year, so check the official list of permitted items before you pack.
Booking
Yes. The festivals publish an age policy each year, with rules on younger children and on under-16s attending with an adult. Read the current terms before buying a ticket for a teenager.
An early-access sale for email subscribers and app users opened on 4 September 2026, with the general sale on 11 September 2026 through the official website.