Reading festival to add fourth night next year
The festival will begin its live music on Thursday
Last updated 18th Aug 2026
Reading borough council has agreed to allow Reading festival to make significant changes to its event licence including adding a fourth night of live music.
From next year the live music can start on Thursday from 5pm through to 1130pm. Only the main stage can be used meaning the five other stages won't host live acts until Friday.
Festival Republic - who run the festival - had wanted the Thursday curfew to be midnight but after listening to concerns from resident groups in the Warren (opposite the site) and nearby Caversham legendary festival promotor Melvin Benn agreed to an earlier finish.
It was a sign of how significant this application was that Mr Benn - who took over the festival in 1989 - attended the meeting in person.
The licence variation also had two other important changes - from next year 40,000 fans can arrive on Wednesday, currently half that number are able to enter the site. And an extension to the hours alcohol can be sold was approved with sales now authorised until 3 in the morning.
Festival republic said allowing more fans to arrive early will spread arrivals more evenly over the Wednesday and the Thursday which they described as an 'improvement'.
Resident groups told councillors at the meeting they had many concerns mainly around noise, disruption, disorder and traffic congestion.
But Mr Benn had one more surprise in store for them - having heard the decision - he announced that a compulsory £1 levy would be placed on tickets next year to provide the local community with a windfall of more than £100,000.
Helen Lambert from Caversham residents group CADRA left the meeting saying she felt the gesture was 'appropriate', and Lisa Miles from Warren and district residents association WADRA said the concession to end live music at 1130pm was 'a win'.
More than 100,000 fans are due at this year's festival which begins next week.