Reading and Leeds Festival 2026

Reading and Leeds Festival 2026 is one of the UK’s biggest paired music festivals, held over the same weekend at two different sites: Richfield Avenue in Reading and Bramham Park near Leeds.

The two festivals share much of the same line-up, with artists usually appearing at both sites on different days. Reading has a more town-centre feel, while Leeds is in a larger parkland setting outside the city.

Reading location: Richfield Avenue, Reading
Reading county: Berkshire

Leeds location: Bramham Park, near Leeds
Leeds county: West Yorkshire

Reading and Leeds Festivals – Thursday, August 27 to Sunday, August 30

The two festivals share much of the same line-up, with artists usually appearing at both sites on different days. Reading has a more town-centre feel, while Leeds is in a larger parkland setting outside the city.

Line-Up Highlights

Festival line-ups, ticket availability, prices, camping, parking and travel arrangements can change. Always check the official festival or ticket provider before booking.

Festival link: Add official or affiliate link when available.

Tickets and Prices

Reading and Leeds Festival offer different ticket types, including weekend camping, weekend non-camping, early entry, two-day tickets, day tickets and travel or coach options.

The official Reading ticket page currently lists ticket types including weekend, camping, early entry and payment plans. It also shows car park passes, including Green and White car park passes, with example parking prices shown at £55.50.

Reading’s official site currently shows Weekend Non-Camping tickets at £295, with payment plan options available.

A Ticketmaster listing for Reading Festival 2026 Weekend Camping currently shows Weekend Camping tickets at £325.00.

See Tickets currently lists Reading 2026 Weekend Camping at £325.00 and Weekend + Early Entry Camping at £361.00, although availability can change.

Before booking, check:

Weekend camping tickets
Weekend non-camping tickets
Early entry tickets
Day tickets
Two-day tickets
Coach packages
Car park passes
Accessible ticket arrangements
Refund and resale rules

Tickets TBA

Getting There

Reading Festival

Reading Festival is held at Richfield Avenue, close to Reading town centre. Reading railway station is usually the key arrival point for many visitors, with onward walking routes, shuttle buses or local transport depending on the year’s arrangements.

Because Reading is a town-centre festival site, it can be practical by train, but roads and local transport can become very busy during festival arrivals and departures.

Check before travelling:

Train services to Reading
Walking routes from the station
Shuttle bus information
Drop-off and pick-up areas
Taxi arrangements
Car park colour and location
Festival entrance gates

Leeds Festival

Leeds Festival is held at Bramham Park, outside Leeds.

Because the site is not in the city centre, travel needs more planning. Big Green Coach is listed as the official coach travel partner for Leeds Festival 2026, with weekend return coaches arriving on Wednesday, Thursday or Friday and returning on Monday.

Check before travelling:

Coach options
Rail travel to Leeds
Festival shuttle or bus information
Taxi arrangements
Drop-off and pick-up rules
Driving routes
Car park instructions
Festival entrance gates

Parking

Parking arrangements are different for Reading and Leeds, so make sure you buy the correct parking pass for the correct site and ticket type.

For Reading, the official ticket page lists White Weekend Car Park Passes and Green Car Park Passes, with different rules depending on whether you have weekend camping, weekend non-camping, early entry, single-day or two-day tickets.

The Reading ticket page also notes that vehicle searches are in place and that car park rules depend on ticket type.

For Leeds, check the official Leeds Festival travel and ticket information before booking parking or coach travel. Because Bramham Park is outside the city, traffic planning, arrival time and exit arrangements are especially important.

Before travelling, check:

Correct festival site
Correct car park colour or pass
Ticket type restrictions
Arrival day
Vehicle search rules
Campervan or caravan rules
Accessible parking
Drop-off and pick-up rules

Camping

Reading and Leeds are major camping festivals, but they also offer non-camping options.

The official Reading information says weekend tickets allow access to campsites from Thursday 27 August 2026 until campsite close on Monday 31 August 2026, with arena access on all show days. Weekend tickets are exchanged for wristbands allowing unlimited re-entry for weekend wristband holders.

The Leeds official information says weekend tickets allow access to campsites from Wednesday 26 August 2026 until campsite close on Monday 31 August 2026, with arena access on all show days.

Leeds’ essential information also lists campsite opening times as 12 noon on Wednesday 26 August 2026 for Early Bird ticket holders and 03:00 on Thursday 27 August 2026 for weekend ticket holders.

Camping options may include:

Weekend camping
Early entry camping
General camping
Accessible camping
Campervan or caravan options
Boutique or upgraded camping where available

Before you book, check exactly what your ticket includes. A weekend non-camping ticket does not give campsite access.

Food and Facilities

Reading and Leeds are large festival sites, so you can expect food traders, bars, toilets, water points, welfare areas, medical support, accessibility facilities and campsite services.

However, the exact layout, trader list, payment rules and facilities can change each year.

Before you go, check:

Food and drink rules
Water bottle rules
Bar and payment arrangements
Toilets and showers
Accessibility facilities
Medical and welfare points
Bag rules
Phone charging
Festival app or map
What you can and cannot bring

For camping tickets, comfortable footwear, waterproofs, warm layers and a reliable phone charging plan are especially important.

Good to Know Before You Go

Reading and Leeds are large, busy festival weekends, so preparation makes the experience much easier.

Before travelling, check:

Correct festival site
Ticket type
Camping or non-camping access
Arrival day
Car park or coach ticket
Weather forecast
Bag rules
ID and age requirements
Re-entry rules
Set times
Phone battery and ticket app access
Return travel plans

For Reading Festival, Ticketmaster notes that under-16s must be accompanied by an adult ticket holder aged 18 or over who remains on site throughout the weekend.

Where to Stay

If you are travelling from outside the area and are not camping, it is worth arranging accommodation early, especially for the August bank holiday festival weekend.

For hotels, cottages, holiday parks, last-minute breaks and other accommodation ideas, see our Where to Stay section.

Nearby Attractions and Alternatives

Reading and Leeds are the main reasons to visit during festival weekend, but you may want other options if you are staying longer or travelling with people who are not attending every day.

Near Reading

Reading town centre
The Oracle shopping centre
River Thames and Kennet walks
Reading Museum
Basildon Park
Mapledurham
Henley-on-Thames
Windsor
Oxford

Near Leeds

Leeds city centre
Royal Armouries Museum
Roundhay Park
Harewood House
Temple Newsam
York
Harrogate
Knaresborough
Ilkley Moor

If the weather is poor before or after the festival, nearby museums, shopping centres, cafés and indoor attractions can be useful. If the weather is good, river walks, parks, historic houses and nearby towns can add more to the trip.