Reading 2009

There are a number of changes from last year that you should be aware about before you attend Reading Festival 2009:

- The Rivermead Centre’s pool and showers are open to festival goers from 8am - 3pm on Thursday ,Friday, Saturday and Sunday.  

- No box office at Reading. There will be no tickets on sale at Reading this year. Any overseas customers with pre-booked tickets to collect from one of our authorised agents will be contacted by their point of purchase to advise on the collection location and opening hours.

- Arena Extension. We are extending the Western end of the arena for 2009. This will then create more space for the Radio One tent , make room for an extra block of loos and improve the levels of music on site, without increasing the disturbance off site for residents.  

- Crowd Surfing. The policy has been revised and if you come over for fun, you will be put back onto road G4 and made to walk back down to the arena entrance to come back into the arena that way, the long way. 

- Arena Entrance . The layout will change this year to ease the flow in and out.

- Campsite toilets have been rearranged within the campsites, the site map when available will show this.

- NO aerosols (over 100ml) or gas canisters. We suggest that if you want to cook outside your tent that you bring disposable bbq’s, trangias or solid fuel stoves.  Disposable barbecues are also available at the nearby supermarkets.  Anyone seen with canisters or cylinders will be ejected from site.  

- No Indigo Zone this year. What was indigo last year will revert back to brown and purple.

- All security staff in the campsite will be SIA licensed this year. There will also be an increase in Police and Security. There will be an onsite Police Desk at the Info Tent on Picadilly Circus.

- Campervan and Caravan permits will cost £20 in advance and £30 on the gate, this is to maintain the integrity of the C&C field.

- Car park passes will be £5 in advance this year, £10 on arrival.

- Over 18's wristband will be optional, but allows those that look young to not have to carry ID around all the time.

- Confiscation policy has extended to aerosols (over 100ml) and gas canisters. You will be given a receipt and told to collect them Monday morning from the left luggage tent on presentation of your receipt.

- Information Tent has been upgraded. Go here to find out more.


NOT CHANGES, JUST REMINDERS

AGE RESTRICTIONS
Please note that we do not admit unaccompanied under 16.  Any under 16s must be accompanied by a ticket holder over 18 years old. Under 13 (12 and under) are admitted free but MUST be accompanied by a ticket holding adult.

YOUNG CHILDREN
We would suggest that this event is not suitable for young children.  There are no facilities on site for them, nor any family camping area.  Large crowds can be disorientating for adults, let alone for small children.

WALKING TO WHITE CAMPSITE BY ROAD
Please do not walk to white campsite from Reading town centre, the station or Kings Meadow/green car park as it is a four mile walk by road.

If you have parked, or been dropped off, in Kings Meadow/green car park and you want to camp in white zone please get the shuttle boat to the main site green wristband exchange, then walk down through the campsites and cross the pedestrian bridge in brown camp straight into white camp.  This is a much shorter and manageable route.

If you arrive by shuttle bus from the station, or are walking from the town centre, go into the main site via the red wristband exchange, then walk through the campsites and cross the pedestrian bridge in brown camp straight into white camp.  This is a much shorter and manageable route.

PICK UP/DROP OFF POINT
Please do not attempt to access Richfield Avenue by car to get to site as you will not be permitted to stop here.  The pick up/drop off point for cars is Tessa Road for taxis/private hires, and then Kings Meadow (green car park) for parents/friends

EVICTION POLICY
Please note that, as well as for inappropriate/anti social behaviour,  anyone seen on site without a valid wristband will be ejected.

WHITE CAMPSITE
White campsite has histrorically been our quiet campsite and so those who wish for somewhere away from the hub may wish to get the bridge across the Thames and camp there.  There are showers, a bar and food traders based over there and a footbridge over the river for very easy access.

Please note that we do not admit unaccompanied under 16s.  Under 16's must be accompanied by a ticket holder over 18 years old. Under 13 (12 and under) are admitted free but MUST be accompanied by a ticket holding adult.

Please note that there is no separate children's area at this event and that there is NO Family Camping at the event either.  White campsite has histrorically been our quiet campsite and so those who wish for somewhere away from the hub may wish to use the bridge to cross.

Forms of ID we accept: Drivers licence, Passport, plus the following cards [part of the PASS Scheme www.pass-scheme.org.uk]  CitizenCard, VALIDATE UK, Connexions Card,  Young Scot

The late night entertainment has been a very welcome addition to the event over the past few  years and it is something we are keen to continue with to give you more to do in the after hours. 

The ever popular Silent Disco will run again from 9pm til 3am on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights in the same location as 2008, in red campsite by the Rivermead Centre.  

The Action Aid tent is back again for 2009 in the campsite and it opens at 3pm on Thursday 27th and runs til 3am each night. The Cinema tent and the Alternative tent in the arena are open until 4am and 3am respectively on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights.  The funfair will also be back in the red campsite..

For various reasons, mainly your and our staff’s safety, we have decided to bring our campsite policy in line with many other similar national events and we will not permit any gas, cylinders or petrol cookers into the campsites, or anywhere on site, this year.  We suggest that if you want to cook outisde your tent that you bring disposable bbq’s only.  They are also available at the nearby supermarkets.  Anyone seen with canisters or cylinders will be ejected from site.  Please help up with this, plan ahead and have a great camping experience.

The caravan and campervan ticket holders in white campervan field only will be permitted to bring in gas containers up to the limit of 3kg.

NOT ALLOWED:
GAS CANISTERS (any size)
PETROL BURNER
ANY FORM OF AEROSOL OVER 100ml

ALLOWED:
SOLID FUEL STOVES
DISPOSABLE BARBEQUES
FIRELIGHTERS / FIRELIGHTER STOVES
METHYLATED / “TRANGIA” SPIRIT STOVES

The CATs are volunteers based in the festival campsites. CAT volunteers are there to help you get the most out of your festival 24 hours a day. If you're having trouble putting up your tent, need directions, are concerned about a group or an individual's behaviour, need a UV pen to mark your belongings, would like to complain about a build-up of litter, or let us know about facilities which require attention – please contact a CAT volunteer – they'll do their best to help!

To contact a CAT – head towards your nearest campsite office or catch them as they patrol around!

If you're interested in volunteering to be a CAT please visit www.HotBoxEvents.com

Or you can email info@hotboxevents.com

You can go straight to the online application here https://hotboxevents.paamapplication.co.uk/

There will be a complaints book in both the welfare tent (on G4 road) and information tent (at Piccadilly Circus) that you can write down any on site grievances that you have.  This book will be given to us twice daily as routine, and any serious incidents that need immediate response will be reported to us on receipt of the complaint.

If you want to make a complaint about any event staff please come prepared with information that will help us identify them.  We will need –
1. tabard number, if they are wearing one
2. location of incident, please try and be specific, for example “by Fire tower Y2, by the Radio One tent” etc
3. time of incident
4. description of staff member
5. your concise and straight account of incident
6. and if possible a witness statement.

Without these details we are unable to look into any incident as there is insufficient information.