We would recommend people don’t drive to Reading Festival but take public transport. The train station is very close to the festival site and shuttle buses run back and forth for £1.
If you do drive, please follow the AA signage and directions on your car pass and not your Sat Nav. Our car parks are located on grass fields, some with metal trakway approach roads and some internal roads are on land that may not be suitable for certain car suspensions.
Car Sharing
If you are driving to the festival, sign up to gocarshare.com/reading to save money on a permit and park right at the front in the Priority Car Park for free. Looking for a lift? Find awesome people who’ll drive you to the festival. Travel green and save money.
Parking
We have two public car parks which open as per the times of the campsites. Follow the colour-coded AA signs to park.
Weekend Car Parks
- Weekend car park passes for Reading 2019 are now sold out.
- White & Green Weekend Car Park passes are valid from Wednesday – Monday for Early Entry Pass + Weekend Ticket holders and from Thursday – Monday for Weekend Ticket Holders.
- You must display an actual car park pass in your car – printed booking confirmations will not be accepted as a car park pass.
Day Car Parks
- Green Day Car Parks are open from 8am for Day Ticket holders with a ticket for that day. Please note, Sunday passes for the Green Car Park are now sold out and will not be available to buy on the day.
- Day Car Park Passes are available on the gate, subject to availability, for £20.
- Day Car Park Passes often sell out in advance in which case there would be no passes available to buy on the gate and you would be directed to a public car park in Reading town which may cost more.
- You must display an actual Car Park Pass in your car – printed booking confirmations will not be accepted as a car park pass – if you do not receive an actual pass from your ticket agent, you must contact them before leaving for the festival, otherwise you will be charged for a replacement pass on the gate.
White Car Park
The White Car Park is situated in Mapledurham, next to the White campsite.
White Car Park Passes are now sold out.
- Any weekend vehicles coming north or west of Reading should go to the White Car Park.
- All public campervans and caravans should follow signs for White Car Park.
- Please note: There is no access for drop offs and pick ups here.
Directions to White Car Park
- FROM M4 EASTBOUND – Junction 11 or 12
- FROM M3 – Junction 6
- FROM M40 COMING FROM THE WEST – Junction 9
Green Car Park
Green Car Park is situated in Kings Meadow. This is a short, FREE shuttle boat journey away from Green or Red Gate into the campsites.
- Any weekend vehicles coming from the East or South of Reading should go to the Green car park which is situated close to Napier Road, Reading.
- All day ticket holders will go to Green car park
- No access for drop-offs or pick up
Green Car Park Passes are now sold out.
Broad Street Mall Car Park
We are recommending Broad Street Mall car park for anyone without a festival parking ticket. This car park cannot be booked in advance. The price is £20 for parking between Thursday and Monday morning or any part of that period. On arrival, you must take your Festival ticket to the Customer Service office on level A and have it validated to get the cheaper price. This is applicable to the first 200 customers ONLY.
Drop off/pick up point
There are numerous drop off/pick up points for the festival:
- Private hire taxis drop off/pick up on Cremyll Road, off Tessa Road
- Hackney carriages/black cabs drop off/pick up on Tessa Road
- Minibuses drop off/pick up point is at Kings Meadow car park
- Parents/friends drop off/pick up is at Hills Meadow car park
- From 6:00am -2:00pm on Monday 26th August, Hackney carriages/black cabs will also pick up from Thames Side Promenade (the road next to the Crowne Plaza Hotel).
Do not attempt to drop off or pick up anywhere near Richfield Avenue or the White or Green Car Parks.
Once you’ve arrived, follow the signs to our free shuttle boat service to the site.
Leaving the site
Our peak exit times are between 8:00am and 1:00pm on Bank Holiday Monday, 26th August. Please plan ahead and organise leaving arrangements before you arrive at the festival.
Please ensure you have a good exit planned, with a sober and well-rested driver by the time you are ready to leave.
Important parking information for Day ticket holders & guest/disabled access ticket holders – there is no access from the White Car Park to the Green Day Gate for Day Ticket holders or the guest/disabled access check in because both of these are situated on the other side of the river. You will not be able to access the festival site from the White Car Park unless you have a standard Weekend ticket (+ Early Entry Pass for access on Wednesday).
If you have a Day Ticket, you must either purchase a Green Day Car Park Pass for the corresponding day to your ticket or, once these are sold out, either travel to the festival using public transport or utilise one of the public car parks in Reading town detailed below. You can only enter the festival site via the Green Day Gate.
If you have a Guest (Day or Weekend) or disabled access ticket, you will be provided with the relevant parking information for your ticket type closer to the festival, please do not purchase a White Car Park Pass or attempt to access the site via the White Car Park/Pedestrian entrance as you will be turned away.
Carbon Balancing with Energy Revolution
The main contributor of carbon emissions at festivals is travel, which accounts for 70% of a festival’s carbon footprint. That is why at Reading Festival we are introducing carbon offsetting to our car and motorcycle parking prices. £1 of the cost of your parking pass will be donated to the charity Energy Revolution, who invest in renewable energy projects.
In 2018 we balanced 551,773 travel miles with 100% of donations going to Solar for Schools, a project putting solar panels on school roofs across the UK.
