In just a few hours, the town of Reading will transform into the epicenter of one of the world’s most celebrated music festivals. Music lovers from all corners flock to Reading to experience a festival with a legacy that stretches back over three decades. Over the years, legendary acts like The Chemical Brothers, Foo Fighters, Oasis, and Prodigy have lit up the Reading Festival stage. If you’re planning to attend this iconic event for the first time, you’re in for a treat. This article is packed with essential tips for navigating Reading Festival 2024, so jump right in.

The Reading Festival has become an annual tradition, drawing crowds of music enthusiasts year after year, no matter the weather. Festival-goers have braved rain, endured sweltering heat, and embraced the mud, learning the art of packing smartly. You’ll want to bring two sets of clothing, prioritizing shorts and T-shirts, but don’t forget waterproof gear and warm layers as rain is expected on Saturday. A quality sleeping bag is a must, and remember to pack light—dragging a heavy bag while hunting for the perfect camping spot is far from fun.

Towels are essential; one can dry you off on rainy days, while the other provides a cool respite when soaked in cold water during hot spells. Wet wipes are invaluable for reasons you’ll soon discover. Sunscreen is crucial for Friday and Sunday to avoid painful sunburns that could ruin your festival experience. If you enjoy a beer (and who doesn’t?), consider bringing your own to avoid the high prices at the festival. Other must-haves include a hat for sun protection, plenty of water to stay hydrated, sunglasses, glow sticks, and a waterproof hoodie for unexpected downpours.

Selecting the right tent is key to a successful Reading Festival adventure. Choose one that stands out so you can easily find it amidst the sea of tents. Otherwise, you might find yourself awkwardly entering the wrong one more than once. Avoid pitching your tent near hedgerows or main pathways, as these areas can be problematic. The ideal spot is near a tree and close to the arena where the bands play. Finally, don’t forget to make new friends, wear your trendiest jeans, and embrace the festival atmosphere with confidence!

And most importantly, don’t miss the First Timer’s Guide from Reading Festival—it’s an essential read for newcomers.

All points East 2024, I can only say one thing, if you’ve never been before, and you are
between 14 and 30 or have a taste for indie rock and music with a difference, star this for at
least a day of it, next year. Our 13 (come 16) year old absolutely loved this festival. And we
were surprised by some great stuff to, frankly.

Apparently it wasn’t just us who were impressed. We arrived a little late at 3pm – … and woahh was what we both said when we saw the queue.
Mitski, Sunday 18 was our destination and it was clearly a fantastic line up, attractive to the
many.

Tip 1 – Arrive early to avoid queues.
Have to say prize for friendliness went straight to the woman at the press ticket office –
friendliness never goes out of fashion, in our humble…

So we are in and we head straight for the blue Tent – massive festival tent which completely
quickly filled up with Sir Chloe fans. She’s getting a growing fan group and the energy was
palatable, honestly you could reach out and touch it which is, err energising…

After that, we needed sustenance. A range of good looking bars and the Madrid stand got our
credit card, energised my partner to be sure! Searching for food – well it’s a festival and it
was everywhere. Value for money – hmmmm as always, check others plates before
deciding.

Tip 2 – Check out different food offers, – the Korean was good, the chips next to that, in a.
cone were real value for money £5 and full, but there were burger places selling burgers for
£13 then £5 for chips. I get it, prices are only rising but the lack of queue there showed
group price-rejection.

Next on the cards was just a wonder around, set in Victoria Park, just being there, sitting on
the grass under the trees. Our group couldn’t rseist taking a ride of two, fun but way to high
swings and the obligatory big wheel which was thankfully not that big…..

Tip 3 – bring plenty of cash, it’s fun but it costs (obviously).
The energy just seemed to grow throughout the day. With a total explosion at the end –
really the pinnacle of a fine day. Mitski is like a performing artist. She held the crowd from
start to finish, asking us all (and it felt like 40k plus thronged to her finale), put your hand up
if. When she said put your hand up if you are the chaperone, up when my hand yet I
actually experienced real pleasure watching her go for it, twisted limbs in ballet style, full
throated beautiful voice singing Love me more, Nobody and My love mine all mine. And the brilliant energy of the end, orange confetti exploding all over the stage and the pit. We all crowded out into the night black east London streets, everyone happy in Hackney, a real wow experience. Thank you, All Points East!

Next week, Reading & Leeds, the largest UK festival devoted to music will welcome 240,000 music fans in a celebration of live music with an era-defining line-up loaded with electrifying artists that reflect the dynamic tastes of current generations and tickets are due to sell out this weekend. 2024 will welcome two brand-new stages, The Chevron, featuring the world’s first floating video canopy, and The Aux stage, a first of its kind live stage for the UK’s digital content creators. 

Melvin Benn, Managing Director of Festival Republic said, “We are delighted that weekend tickets for Reading & Leeds are expected to sell out in the coming days. Reading & Leeds is a pivotal moment in UK cultural calendar and we’re thrilled to mark a new chapter in the festival’s rich history: the debut of the groundbreaking 40,000-capacity Chevron Stage and the Aux Stage that welcomes some of the most popular content creators in the UK.”

The six stellar headliners topping the bill on the most prestigious main stage of all are: the extraordinarily talented Fred again… whose meteoric rise will see him perform his first festival headline show, one of this generation’s most iconic sounding artists Lana Del Rey and Brit-pop icon Liam Gallagher who will mark the 30^th anniversary of Oasis’ all-conquering debut Definitely Maybe by performing the album in full at Reading & Leeds. Catfish and the Bottlemenwill be making their highly anticipated return, the original members of Blink-182, one the world’s biggest rock bands, will join forces, plus the UK’s biggest independent artist Gerry Cinnamon who has enjoyed one of contemporary music’s most extraordinary ascents to stardom. 

Also performing is BRIT awards record breaker RAYE, London-born hip-hop star 21 Savage, UKR&B icon Jorja Smith and Pendulum, one of the biggest electronic rock crossover bands of all time. 

Rock and indie acts announced include Ireland’s most intoxicating post-punk group Fontaines D.C.,indie trailblazers Two Door Cinema Club, fan favourites The Wombats and Wrexham’s finest pop-punk heroes, Neck Deep. Coming from across the pond are Bleachers led by Lana Del Rey collaborator Jack Antonoff, plus alternative indie pop talents Rachel Chinouriri, and the genre blending Hak Baker.

A cohort of some of Gen Z’s leading talents will be at Reading & Leeds, such as pop icon in-the-making and star of the new ‘Mean Girls: The Musical’ Reneé Rapp, guitar-pop hero Beabadoobee, alt hit maker Ashnikko and winners of the BBC Sound of Poll 2024, The Last Dinner Party, who have been taking the world by storm with their distinct indie sound. 

Also, ready to take to the Reading & Leeds stages is BRIT Award-winning R&B group FLO, soulful singer taking the world by storm Teddy Swims, political punk upstarts Kid Kapichi, indie pop darling The Japanese House, joyous dance pop act Confidence Man and bassline innovator Bru-C.

Continuing its constant evolution, 2024 will see the spectacular debut of a ground-breaking new stage: The Chevron, which will feature iconic artists, The Prodigy, Sonny Fodera, Skrillex, Nia Archives, Barry Can’t Swim, Denzel Curry, Bou,Kenya Grace and many more.

Positioned in the main arena of both festival sites, The Chevron is an immense 40,000-capacity open-air venue featuring mammoth staging and the world’s first floating video canopy made up of hundreds of thousands of programmable LED lights. The new stage will also host the world’s biggest silent rave where fans can secure their tickets and headsets for £15 plus a refundable £20 deposit. 

Reading & Leeds will also welcome an entirely new set of performers with the debut of The Aux, a first of its kind live stage for UK’s digital content creators. Acts include comedic personalities Max Balegde and George Clarke, both renowned for their podcast The Useless Hotline, Ash Holme will bring a live version of her podcast Antics with Ash, as will content creator and presenter Ayamé Ponderwith In Ayame we Trust. Chunkz & Filly, stars of the YouTube hit The Chunkz & Filly Show will bring plenty of laughs along with The M1Podcast will bring off-the-cuff freestyles plus many more.

On top of that, a plethora of emerging new artists including Halifax songstress Ellur, Hull’s electro-punk Jodie Langford and Reading rock club-kid Cameron Hayes and many more will all play the BBC Introducing Stage. A staple of Reading & Leeds festival since 2008, over 80% of the Reading & Leeds line up have been championed through BBC Introducing.  Demonstrating the importance of giving up-and-coming artists a chance to expand their audiences on the most impactful stages in the country.

The fan favourite and Leeds exclusive LS23 stage returns – the 360° immersive rave experience, known for its incredible light design, will see festival goers packed together dancing until the early hours, deep within the forest. Newly announced for sets at the LS23 stage include Manchester-based producer Sota, and Nathan Dawe.