Tens of thousands of people have braved heavy rain as they arrived at the Reading Festival on its first day. About 100,000 people are expected to see acts including Charli xcx, Raye, Chase & Status, Dave and Fontaines D.C. ahead of the annual event closing on Sunday. Rain is expected on all three days but Monday, when most attendees are expected to leave, is forecast to be drier.
Jack arrived in Reading with friends on Wednesday and they made the most of the sunny weather to pitch their tents. Unfortunately not all of them made it through Thursday morning's rain unscathed. "One of our tents did get a little bit flooded," he said.
"Thankfully it wasn't mine… It's going to be a rough festival for [other friends] but they've got to deal with that now. They should have set it up properly!" Having attended 2025's festival, he said dust across a dry site was an issue. He said he expects mud will be something attendees will need to contend with this year.
Listen to the latest news from Berkshire Tabby, who is attending the festival for the first time with friends Evie, Issy and Ellie, said the change in weather was not something they had prepared for. "It's not what we expected when we were going to Reading, especially after all of the hot weather. Preparing for it was all a bit last minute." She added: "We're all very excited.
The rain has brought down our mood slightly but we'll have fun in the rain." What Reading Festival means for local businesses Off to Reading or Leeds? Here's your guide to festival make-up (without the toxins)
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