Travel

Looking for a lift to Pepsi MAX presents Reading Festival or have a spare seat in your car?

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Check out Liftshare to connect with other festival‑goers and share your journey. You can register as either a driver or a passenger.

By splitting fuel costs, you’ll save money and reduce the environmental impact of your travel, a win‑win!

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Looking for the easiest and most sustainable way to get to Pepsi MAX presents Reading Festival 2026?

Big Green Coach is back on board as our official travel partner, providing carbon-neutral coach returns directly to the festival’s coach park.

Let Big Green Coach take the hassle out of planning your travel so you canfocus on what matters! Secure your seat from one of 51 UK pick-up locations andlet Big Green Coach do the rest.

Weekend return coach: Choose to arrive on Wednesday, Thursday or Friday. All coaches will return on Monday, hassle-free. You won’t need to worry about being the designated driver or relying on public transport connections.

Day return coach: Choose to travel on Friday, Saturday and/or Sunday. Your carbon-neutral coach will arrive at Reading's official coach park before the music starts and return to your pick-up location after the headline act. There’s no need for expensive hotels or taxis to get home after the show.

Three-day travel pass: Don’t want to camp but still want the full festival experience? No problem! Book a convenient three-day travel pass with Big Green Coach and enjoy hassle-free travel to and from your original pickup location each day. You won’t miss a minute of the action!

Travel sustainably with the UK’s largest events travel company from £50. Booking advance to secure your return seat for just £1 and pay the rest in bite-sized monthly instalments.

Reading train station is a 15-20 minute walk from the festival site. There are many routes from throughout the country to the station, including from London Paddington.

The last trains leaving Reading train station are often incredibly busy and do not run late on Friday and Saturday night. Please leave extra time if you’re planning on using these services.

To check train times and service providers, please visit the National Rail website.

Please visit the Network Rail website here to check for planned engineering work prior to travelling.

When going home by train, make sure you leave at least an hour to get to your train from the festival site exit gate.

TRAVELLING BY TRAIN? MAKE SURE YOU HAVE A VALID TICKET WITH YOU‍

Things to remember when travelling to and from the festival by train…

Great Western Railway (GWR) conduct a full scale revenue protection exercise for the entirety of the event.

This means that they are looking for people without valid tickets

If you can’t produce a valid ticket you are likely to face significant extra costs and the possibility of criminal prosecution

TO AVOID SPOILING YOUR WEEKEND:‍

✅ Book in advance: Reserve your seat at gwr.com or on the GWR app before you travel
✅ Use the right ticket: Make sure your ticket is valid for your journey; child tickets are only for those aged 5–15, and proof of age may be requested, and peak restrictions may apply on some trains
✅ Bring your Railcard: If you have one, make sure you have it with you; travelling without it may mean paying the full fare
✅ Charge your phone: If you're using an e-ticket, make sure your battery will last the journey
✅ Allow extra time on Monday: Trains home from Reading will be extremely busy and a queuing system will be in place; build extra time into your plans and check before you travel
✅ Check before you travel: Timetables may vary across the festival weekend; always check your journey at gwr.com before you set off
❌ No trolleys or sack trucks: Space on board is limited; please only bring what you can carry. Trolleys and sack trucks will not be permitted on trains

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To help you on your way to or from Reading Festival, Reading Buses are running a shuttle bus service which picks up and drops-off at:

Festival Side:

Service 97/98 – Thames Side Promenade, Reading ///broke.pepper.cats

Reading Town:

Service 98 – Reading Station North, stop ND ///dust.ranges.photo

Service 97 – Sainsburys Friar Street, Reading ///invite.object.shelf

Prices and the Reading Buses App:

Buy your bus tickets on the app to speed up your journey.

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For those wanting an easy and hassle-free way of travelling to the festival from town, simply download the Reading Buses app. You can get both a single trip or weekend ticket and check the timetable for both routes. No need to worry about carrying any money, just activate, scan and go!

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Single ticket – £1.70

Festival shuttles are just £1.70 each journey to make things nice and simple. Make it easy on yourself and buy in advance on the app.

Weekend bus ticket – £6.50

Exclusively available on the Reading Buses app. Unlimited travel on routes 97 and 98 all weekend!

No cash will be accepted. Customers can pay with their card either on one of the handhelds from a member of Reading buses staff selling tickets, or by tapping on-bus ticket machine.

‍TIMETABLES Check back soon for 2026 timetables

Reading Festival has a designated Pick Up and Drop Off location at Hills Meadow Car Park, which has great connections to the festival site. You can travel to the festival site along the River Thames footpath or by using the free shuttle boat. See the Shuttle Boat drop-down below for more information on this travel option.

Here is a map showing the designated Pick Up and Drop Off location:

There is no picking up or dropping off on Richfield Avenue. Vehicles stopping there will be moved on. Please also be aware of road closures when planning your journey.

FREE BOATS SERVICE

Shuttle boats will run from Green Gate to Green Car Park and from Green Car Park to Green Gate at the times below:

• WED 26th: 13:00 – 22:00
• THURS 27th: 08:00 – Midnight
• FRI 28th: 08:00 – 01:00 (Saturday)
• SAT 29th: 08:00 – 01:00 (Sunday)
• SUN 30th: 08:00 – 02:00 (Monday)
• MON 31st: 08:00 – 14:00

There is a FREE boat service that will take you from Kings Meadow (Green Car Park) to Green Gate where you get onto the festival site. More details here. It’s operated by Thames Rivercruise.

Please don’t use other boats as they may be unsafe, unlicensed, dangerous and charge you ££££!

SWIMMING AND BRIDGE JUMPING – Our advice is don’t. Just don’t. Here’s why…

• rubbish in the river (broken glass, metal, shopping trollies (lots of shopping trollies) etc.
• strong currents – too strong for you to fight against.
• cold water – it always is in the Thames, even in summer – be cautious of hypothermia and drowning! Do you want to get pulled under or hit by a boat propeller?
• locks or weirs – it would be plain daft to swim here wouldn’t it!!
• depth of water? – dive or jump into shallow water and you can get paralysed from your spinal injuries
• never, ever, push someone in. Something terrible could happen to them which you’ll regret for the rest of your life. Please see here for a link on how to use the throw lines located along the river bank: Learn more about how to use a water rescue throw line

Locations of throw lines are as follows:

• Thames Prom (Cow Lane)
• Thames Prom (Thames Side Promenade)
• Christchurch Meadows (entrance by Wolsey Road)
• Christchurch Meadows (by lamppost 11767 outside children’s play area)
• Thames Side (east side of Reading Bridge – by Reading Bridge House)
• Thames Side (Kings Meadow adjacent to mooring F near Caversham Lock)
• County Lock (by bench / notice board)
• Fobney Lock (adjacent Island Road)
• Green Car Park: Thames Lido – An urban retreat located in Reading – right next to green car park. You can book a 2 hour guest swimming slot, and cool off in a beautifully restored Edwardian lido in complete safety -no boats, no rats, no waterborne diseases, no submerged objects to hurt you – perfect!!

Taxis will be available from Reading train station. The main festival taxi pick up/drop off point will be on Tessa Road, near Red Gate and will cost approx. £5-6. Busy traffic/slow journeys will increase the price.

Taxis are not allowed access to drop off at the White Campsite (Mapledurham). If you want to get to the White Campsite without parking there you should access the site at Red or Green Gate and walk through the campsites to the bridge.

Queues for taxis leaving site are often quite long, particularly on Sunday night/Monday morning, so consider pre-booking a private hire to collect you from the designated pick up area at the far end of Tessa Road.

We strongly recommend people don’t drive to Pepsi MAX presents Reading Festival but take public transport or, if driving is a must, car share where possible to limit traffic on the roads. The train station is very close to the festival site and shuttle buses run back and forth for £1.50 single. See the above section ‘by Shuttle Bus’ for more information.

If you do drive, please follow the AA signage and directions on your car pass and not your Sat Nav. Please be aware, some of our car parks are located on grass fields which may not be suitable for certain car suspensions. If you would like more information, please see ‘contact us’.

CARPARKING SUMMARY:

Parking
We have two public car parks which open as per the times of the campsites. See below for more information. Follow the colour-coded AA signs to park.

All Car Park Passes for Reading are mobile tickets which get scanned on the gate, only then will you be handed a hanger once your ticket is scanned and validated.

PLEASE NOTE: No hangers are posted out for Reading, please do not contact your ticket agent if you have not received one in advance.

Weekend Car Parks (White & Green Carparks)‍

• Weekend ticket holders can park in both the Green and White Carparks.
• White & Green Weekend Car Park passes are valid from Wednesday – Monday for Early Entry Pass (in conjunction with a Weekend Ticket).
• Weekend Ticket holders (without an early entry pass) can park Thursday – Monday.
• 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 Carpark Only)

• ‍‍Day Ticket Holders can park in the Green Carpark ONLY. The White Carpark is for Weekend Ticket holders ONLY.
• Car Parks are open from 8am for Day Ticket holders with a ticket for that day. Day Car Park Passes are available on the gate, subject to availability.
• The Green Car Park is the only day car park. 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.

THE CARPARKS:

White Car Park

• The White Car Park is situated in Mapledurham, next to the White campsite.
• 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 to the festival for Day
• Ticket holders from the White Car Park, nor for those who need to visit the Guest or Access Check-In points.
• There is also strictly no drop-offs or pick-ups allowed at any time.

Directions to White Car Park

• FROM M4 EASTBOUND – Junction 11 or 12
• FROM M3 – Junction 6
• FROM M40 COMING FROM THE WEST – Junction 9

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Green Car Park

• Green Car Park is situated in Kings Meadow which is off site. There is a free shuttle boat to take you from the car park to Green Gate.
• 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.

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Broad Street Mail Carpark

Weekend passes for Green Car Park are now SOLD OUT. Broad Steet Mail Carpark is offering local discounts for parking. Please click here to book.

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OTHER INFORMATION:
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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 31st 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 the festival entrance.

Leaving the site

• Our peak exit times are between 8:00am and 1:00pm on Bank Holiday Monday, 31st 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.

Railair operate a direct Reading to London Heathrow bus service which uses Reading Train Station as a drop-off and pick-up point. This service is best when pre-booked, which can be done at the Railair website

Please note this bus service does not stop at any other locations other than Reading and the London Heathrow terminals.

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If you plan to book a coach for you and your friends from a private operator to drop you off / pick you up at Pepsi MAX presents Reading Festival please go ahead and book your coach.

Depending on the capacity of your coach, you may need to purchase/book a slot for your pick up/drop off near the festival site at a later date, see below for more info.

Not all vehicles require a booking. Descriptions of vehicles:

• (A) ) A Minibus: is a vehicle which holds up to 16 passengers (+ driver).
• (B) A Coach: is a vehicle which holds from 17 passengers (+ driver) up to 49 passengers or more (+ driver)
  

If (A) applies, you do not need to purchase any extra tickets. Your driver can pick you up and drop you off at Kings Meadow, RG1 8DF between 8:00am 26/08/2026 and 31/08/2026 17:00pm.

If (B) applies, you will need to book/purchase a pick up and drop off slot HERE.