Festival Dates
Reading Festival 2022 will take place on Thursday, 25th – Sunday, 28th August 2022 at Richfield Avenue in Reading.
Reading Festival 2022 will take place on Thursday, 25th – Sunday, 28th August 2022 at Richfield Avenue in Reading.
A performance interpreting service will be provided by fully qualified interpreters from Performance Interpreting.
Full performance interpreting schedules will be included in our Access Guide, along with details and the location of our information and welfare service available for D/deaf customers at Reading Festival.
A hearing loop is installed at the Disabled Access Check-In, and at some of our platforms in the Arena. Exact locations will be shown in our Access Guide.
We strongly advise planning your journey before leaving for Reading Festival. Specific travel information will be sent out via email to Access customers prior to the event.
If driving, please be wary that road restrictions may be in place during the event. Please follow the temporary road signs directing to the Access Car Park, rather than sat nav, near the event location.
For those travelling by public transport, please refer to the Travel Section of this website for more information.
Reading Festival has a dedicated Access Car Park located close to the Access Check-In and Campsite. If you require use of this car park you will need to apply for Access Parking (via the Access Requirements Form).
Please note:
If you are being dropped off at / picked up from Reading Festival, you can apply for a Drop Off Pass through our Access Requirements Form. This will allow entry into the Access Car Park, and for you to drop off luggage close to the Access Campsite.
If you plan on arriving by train, please be aware that Reading Train station is a 20 – 25 minute walk from the festival site. The station has a step-free ticket office and platforms which can be reached via a lift, as well as 24hour staff assistance and accessible toilets.
Accessible viewing platforms and toilets are provided within the Arena at Reading Festival. These are controlled by a wristband system, and managed by the Access Arena Manager. To ensure they run smoothly, each location has its own team of stewards and security.
All platforms have ramp access, wheelchair accessible toilets and charging points. Limited seating is also available at each platform, however access customers are welcome to bring their own (where space allows).
As platforms have a limited capacity these are strictly for access customers, plus one (1) companion.
We operate our platforms on a first come, first served basis and, whilst we try to ensure that we have sufficient space for everyone, demand varies by artist and at times there may be a wait.
Wheelchair accessible and standard toilets are located at all of our viewing platforms.
We do not recommend you take drugs, but if you do please bear the following in mind.
Remember if you take drugs and become ill, depressed or concerned, make sure you ask the nearest member of staff to direct you to our Medical Tent or Welfare Tent.
If you or someone you are with has a bad reaction and needs medical help, talk to the nearest member of staff immediately. Let the medics know what has been taken. You could save your friend’s life. We guarantee you will not get in trouble. People who are overdosing can go downhill very quickly so don’t delay in seeking help.
Ecstasy deaths appear to be rising year on year. There appears to be a link with the amount of MDMA found in tablets more recently. In 2005 each pill contained around 80mg of MDMA (an average adult dose is 80-120mg). Average pill strengths are now around 160mg MDMA i.e. twice an average adult dose and pills are frequently tested upwards of 300mg MDMA. In addition, your body weight, hormone levels, using other drugs or alcohol, and your underlying health can all have a significant impact on how you react to a drug. Your friends might have taken the same drug and not had any ill effects. There is no safe dose.
Mixing drugs intensifies the effects of each drug and makes them more dangerous and potentially fatal. Mixing drugs and alcohol is common but alcohol can have a big impact on the way many substances affect you. It could enhance the effects of the first drug but it could also create a dangerous or potentially fatal chemical reaction. Mixing ecstasy with cocaine can increase the high but also increases the risk of cardiac arrest. The more drugs that are used simultaneously including alcohol and including prescription drugs, the greater the risk. DO NOT MIX.
Alcohol can moderate the high from ecstasy and increase the intensity of the come down. Both drugs cause dehydration which increases the risk of heatstroke. There is a greater strain on the liver and kidneys which can lead to feeling / being sick. Both drugs impair judgment. Mixing alcohol with ecstasy has played a part in several drugs overdoses at music festivals in recent years.
This combination results in the formation of an entirely new chemical in the body called cocaethylene. This is then associated with liver damage, seizures and immune system damage. Some research suggests that immediate death from cocaethylene is 20 times more likely than from cocaine alone. The impact of alcohol can increase the levels of cocaine in the blood by as much as 30% increasing the strain on the cardiovascular system. There is also an increased likelihood of violent behaviour and suicide.
A combination of alcohol with other stimulants such as ritalin, adderall, amphetamine, some diet pills, some over the counter cold remedies and even some strong energy drinks can also be dangerous. As with cocaine they can obscure the sedating effects of alcohol enabling a person to get dangerously drunk without fully realising. Overheating is more likely which can lead to organ damage and overheating is associated with many drug-related deaths from stimulant drugs including MDMA. A person taking alcohol with these stimulants can lose their inhibitions but be irritable and aggressive.
Mixing alcohol with ketamine or other downers like valium is particularly risky for overdose.
Prescription drugs are not safe if not used according to the issuing doctor’s instructions. The benzodiazepine (benzo’s) group of drugs – valium, xanax, etizolam, temazepan etc are often used to come down from other drugs such as ecstasy or speed. This is a dangerous combination as the tranquilizers can be numbing and when taken with alcohol the combined depressant effects can cause fatal overdose by inhibiting breathing or slowing down vital organs.