Jump to content
  • Sign Up!

    Join our friendly community of music lovers and be part of the fun 😎

****READING FESTIVAL A-Z****


Guest mike99

Recommended Posts

AA/RAC

The AA/RAC are onsite. Please ask a car park steward to contact them for you if you have cover with

them.

ACTION AID

Action Aid are a charity who run a tent in the village area with DJ’s, low key entertainment and even

games. Go and see what they are up to! The Action Aid Tent will be open until 3am Thursday to Sunday.

Check out their website www.actionaid.org.uk and register for updates.

AEROSOLS

Any aerosol over 250ml is not permitted on site.

AGE RESTRICTIONS

Please note that we do not admit unaccompanied under 16s. Under 16s must be accompanied by a ticket

holder over 18 years old. Under 13s (12 and under) are admitted free but MUST be accompanied by a

ticket holding adult. Please note that there is no separate children’s area at this event and that there is

NO family camping at the event either. White campsite has historically been our quiet campsite and so

those who wish for somewhere away from the hub may wish to use the bridge to cross.

ANIMALS

No animals are allowed onsite, with the exception of registered guide dogs.

ANTI-SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR

Anyone evicted for anti-social behaviour, such as deliberately starting large bonfires, throwing missiles at

the staff, or throwing gas canisters or aerosols on fires, will receive a lifetime ban to all festivals that

Festival Republic and Live Nation promote including Glastonbury and Download. Their details will also be

passed onto Thames Valley Police.

Persons will be liable for eviction under the following circumstances:

• Entering or being onsite without a ticket or relevant pass.

• Any persons, who in the opinion of Reading Festival or its security staff are found to be causing

any disruptive or anti-social behaviour.

• Any person who is detained for criminal behaviour, will be handed to the Thames Valley Police for

further action following eviction.

• Unacceptable behaviour that can lead to eviction includes;

o illegal activity;

o offensive behaviour;

o throwing hard objects in the direction of people;

o encouraging others to behave badly by incitement;

o preventing our security or emergency services reacting to a situation;

o taking tents with the intention of burning them;

o building large bonfires; and

o having any fire in the campsites after 8pm on Sunday night.

Persons arrested by security staff for any offence will be taken to the Eviction Tents for documentation

prior to handing over to the police.

ARENA

This is where all the live entertainment takes place! There are food stalls, market stalls, toilets, water

points, cigarette points, bars and sponsor structures, as well as our music and entertainment stages. This

year we have six amazing stages;

• Main Stage;

• NME/Radio 1 Stage;

• Dance/Lock Up Stage (& Cinema);

• The Alternative Stage;

• Festival Republic Stage; and

• BBC Introducing Stage.

You can access the Arena via the entrance in the Village area.

BARS

There are several bars in the arena and one in the Village area, between the Arena Entrance and Reapers

Bridge. They are all cash only. The Carry Out bar is now based in the Village area, by Reaper Bridge. The

White bar will be serving real ales this year.

Forms of ID we accept: Drivers Licence, Passport, plus the following cards [part of the PASS scheme

www.pass-scheme.org.uk] CitizenCard, VALIDATE UK, Connexions Card, and Young Scot

Anyone under the age of 18 who attempts to bring alcohol into the site will have that alcohol confiscated,

as will anyone else over the age of 18 bringing in excessive amounts. There is a new alcohol limit this

year - after 6pm on the Sunday night, alcohol will not be permitted to be brought onto site.

THE BETTER FESTIVAL GROUP

Situated in the Main Arena, The Better Festival Group is at Reading Festival 2010 for their second year,

giving you the chance to voice your opinions, comments and suggestions regarding the festival to the

organisers. Whether you have something to contribute or have experienced something that you would

like to be brought to the organisers’ attention, this is the place to do it. Also at The B.F.G. stand you will

be able to learn about what we do, why we do it, how you can become involved, learn about the Focus

Group Outcomes and sign a petition to the Government to get the mark-up on Touted Festival Tickets

capped at a reasonable percentage. This is your best chance to get your voice heard by the people that

bring you Reading Festival, and a great place to see how you can get involved in making the festival

better!

BIN BAGS

Bin bags will be handed out in the campsites. If you need more bags please collect them from Green

Messengers, Zone Manager caravans or when you take your litter to the Recycle Exchanges.

BOX OFFICES

There are no box offices onsite for the public and there will be no tickets on sale at all. If you know

people who don’t have tickets please let them know this and remind them not to buy from touts, either in

person or online, as there is no guarantee they are buying a legitimate ticket. If you or your friends can

no longer come, you can always try out our secondary ticketing partner, Viagogo, which is a safe, secure

fan to fan re-sale point. Check out Viagogo in this guide for more information.

BRIDGE

There is a pedestrian footbridge from White campsite and car park over the Thames, to Brown campsite

and the main site and back. This is open 24 hours when the campsites/car parks are open. The bridge

has ramps, not steps, so it is suitable for most users.

CAMERAS

Cameras are normally permitted for personal use. Cameras with telephoto lenses will not be allowed

through the arena entrance, so please use the Left Luggage facilities available by Reaper Bridge or the

Lockers near the Welfare Tent on road G4.

Professional cameras and video/audio equipment are strictly prohibited. Live video/audio recordings

made without the permission of the artiste/promoter are prohibited.

CAMPFIRES

Small, clean (non-toxic) campfires below knee height and less than one pace wide are allowed in the

campsites (but not in the Arena or car parks). Firewood is available from the firewood trader in the

campsite until 6pm on Sunday night.

GAS CANISTERS, NITROUS OXIDE AND AEROSOLS OVER 250ML ARE NOT PERMITTED ONSITE

A new policy this year means that there will be no campfires permitted after 8pm on Sunday night.

• Any fires made of unclean fuel should be put out by stewards.

• There will be a firewood trader onsite to buy clean wood for your small campfires – clean

firewood will be on sale until 6pm Sunday evening.

• There will be no campfires after 8pm Sunday night in any campsite.

• Large bonfires are not permitted in the campsites.

• There are to be no fires at all in the arena this year.

• Candles are plain dangerous; torches are far less of a fire risk in and around tents.

• Watch out for flying embers and sparks, as they could start a fire, even from some distance.

• Do not burn plastic, rubbish or any unwanted items.

• Never use petrol or paraffin to start or revive a fire.

• If you cook, always do it outside, ensure that there is constant supervision, and keep well away

from any flammable materials.

The Zone Manager in your campsite will be able to help you on any fire issues you may have.

CAMPSITES

The campsites are split into various coloured zones (Red, Green, Yellow, Orange, Purple, Brown and

White). White, Red and the further reaches of Brown tend to be the quieter zones. Green, Yellow, Orange

and Purple tend to be busier. In each zone, there is a Zone Manager caravan, where a Zone Manager and

the Campsite Assistant Teams are based. Please get to know the staff and ask them for any advice or

help that you may need.

The campsites are open from Thursday 26th at 8am, unless you are an Early Bird permit holder, when you

will have access from 6pm on Wednesday 25th. Please note that all Early Bird permits are now only prebookable

and there will not be any for sale onsite this year. Anyone arriving early without an Early Bird

permit will be sent away until 8am Thursday.

All campsites close at Midday on Monday 30th August. Please bear this in mind when making multiple trips

to pack up your stuff, as you will not be allowed back onto site after this time!

Please do not camp within 1m of the roads and access routes in the campsites. If you do, your tent and

camping gear will be removed and taken to Left Luggage by Reaper Bridge.

CAMPSITE ASSISTANT TEAMS (CATs)

The CATs are volunteers based in the festival campsites. CAT volunteers are there to help you get the

most out of your festival 24 hours a day! If you’re having trouble putting up your tent, need directions,

wondering about a performance or today’s line up, concerned about a group or an individual’s behavior,

would like to complain about litter, or let us know which facilities require attention – please contact a CAT

volunteer, they’ll do their best to help! To contact a CAT – head towards your nearest fire tower,

campsite office, or catch them as they patrol around!

The CAT teams will also have free UV pens for you to use to mark your property – please use them. The

peak time for tent theft is overnight on the Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. There will be more patrols

at these times because of this. Please report any suspicious behavior to the Campsite Office or security.

Please look after your valuables at all times. Make use of the Left Luggage Tent by Reapers Bridge and

the lockers on the G4 road.

CAMPSITE OFFICES

The campsite offices are based in caravans in each zone. They are open 24 hours and they are the bases

for the Zone Managers, security, the CATs (Campsite Assistance Teams) and other campsite staff. Please

talk to the team in your campsite and get to know them.

CAR PARKING

Please note that our car parks are on grass fields, some with metal trackway approach roads and some

parts have unmade road approaches that may not be suitable for all car suspensions. If you have any

doubts about bringing a very precious car then maybe re-think your plans.

Car parking is limited and will be in nearby fields. A park and free shuttle boat service will run between

the Green car park and the festival site. There is a pedestrian bridge that will easily get you from White

car park to the main site. Tickets for the car park will be £5 in advance and can be purchased through

Seetickets. Car parking tickets will be £10 if purchased on the gate at the festival.

If you are coming to the festival from the North/North West, please head to White car park.

If you are coming to the festival from the South/South East, please head to Green car park.

CARAVAN AND CAMPERVAN AREA

There is one public campervan area onsite and this is in our White campsite, across the river. To camp

here you will need to have purchased a caravan/campervan pass in addition to your weekend tickets

from our website prior to turning up. If you miss buying this in advance however, you will be able to buy

the pass on site for £30. Each passenger must still have their own weekend ticket to be able to camp.

If you intend to sleep in your campervan or caravan, you need to pre-purchase a campervan supplement

permit assuring you of a place in the campervan site. No vehicles are permitted in the standard campsite

and you will not be permitted to sleep in the car park. There is a footbridge to get you there from the

White campsite and car park over the Thames to the main site, as well as a Shuttle Boat. For more

information on Shuttle Boats, please see the dedicated section in this A-Z!

CASH POINTS

There are ATM machines available onsite - situated in the Market, off road G4 and in the arena. There is

a surcharge of £2 per transaction. They are open 24 hours. The nearest cash point apart from those

onsite is at the Snax 24 Garage at the end of Richfield Avenue. The Information Tent has details of all the

telephone numbers for reporting lost cards.

CHEMIST

Our onsite medics will have a dispensary facility at the main medical tent in Piccadilly Circus so please use

them rather than going into town.

CHILDREN

We would suggest that this event is not suitable for young children. There are no facilities onsite for

them, and there is no family camping area. Large crowds can be disorientating for adults, let alone for

small children. White campsite is the most appropriate campsite if you are bringing children.

CHINESE LANTERNS

These are not permitted at the event. They are dangerous in crowds and on farmland and will be

confiscated.

CINEMA

The Lock Up Stage/Dance Stage becomes the Cinema Tent late at night when the music finishes,

showing films and shorts. Opening Times: Midnight-4am Friday to Sunday.

The Alternative Tent will also be showing a film each night, from around 7:30pm in the evening. For the

latest up-to-date schedule, please visit the Information Tent.

COACH PICK UP/DROP OFF

Coaches will pick up and drop off in the Rivermead Leisure Centre car park. There will be two separate

coach pick up/drop off areas. One is for National Express tickets, based directly in front of the Leisure

Centre. The second is for those who have a ticket/coach package bought via See Tickets, based in the

Rivermead car park nearest the Premier Inn Hotel.

COMPLAINTS

There will be a complaints book in both the Welfare Tent (on G4 road) and at the Information Tents (end

of G4 road, and one in the Arena) that you can use to write down any onsite grievances that you may

have. This book will be given to us twice daily as routine, and any serious incidents that need immediate

response will be reported straight away.

If you want to make a complaint about any event staff please come prepared with information that will

help us identify them. We will need:

• Tabard number, if they are wearing one.

• Location of incident, please try and be specific, for example “by Fire tower Y2/ by the Radio One

tent” etc.

• Time of incident.

• Description of staff member.

• A concise and straight account of the incident.

• A witness statement if possible.

Without these details we are unable to look into any incident, as there is insufficient information.

COMPOST

In 2009, we attempted tackling the problem of collecting biodegradable waste produced by the audience

at the festival. The response was phenomenal and we hope you'll continue separating your waste this

year.

So how does composting work?

When you buy food from the traders everything your food comes in is biodegradable. In the arena we

will have bins and mobile Compost Crew to collect your food rubbish once you’re finished. By putting the

hamburger plate or chip carton in the compost bin you’re helping in a big way.

First you won’t have to sit on someone’s old hot dog that’s been squished into the ground while you’re

trying to enjoy your kebab. Next, and we think it’s a pretty good reason, by collecting biodegradable

rubbish separately and sending it for composting, we prevent it going to landfill. We estimate that around

70% of the rubbish coming out of the arena is compostable, so we really hope that we can collect it all

up and make a massive dint in our landfill footprint. Using plastic or polystyrene food packaging is not

sustainable – they’re not only oil based but polystyrene can’t be efficiently recycled, and plastic

containers that aren’t washed out can’t be recycled either.

CONFISCATION POLICY:

There have been some changes for 2010. Please note the following;

• There will be no campfires permitted after 8pm on Sunday 29th August in any campsite.

• After 6pm on Sunday, alcohol and firewood are not permitted to be brought onto site.

SITE WIDE BANNED ITEMS

ARENA - ADDITIONAL BANNED ITEMS (permitted

into campsites BUT NOT arena)

OBJECT OBJECT

Aerosols over 250ml Cans

Airhorns

Disposable BBQs and permitted cooking stoves (see

permitted list given below)

Alcohol in the possession of U18yr olds

Drinks bottles (other than sealed plastic water/soft drinks

bottles under 500ml)

All gas canisters of any size (including nitrous oxide) Flags

Any goods for unauthorised trading

Any goods with unauthorised Reading/Leeds Festival logos

Any items which may reasonably be considered for use as a

weapon

Audio recorders

Chinese lanterns

Excessive amounts of alcohol

Excessive amounts of cigarettes

Excessive amounts of food

Fireworks

Flares

Generators

Glass bottles, jars, containers including

Perfumes/Aftershave

Illegal substances

Legal highs

Megaphones

Portable laser equipment and pens

Unauthorised professional film or video equipment

CAMPSITE ALLOWED ITEMS

OBJECT

Aerosols less than 250ml

Alcohol (not contained in glass bottles) in the possession of

over 18yr olds

Cans

Disposable BBQs

Firelighter stoves

Fitted gas canisters/cylinders in campervans

Flags

Greenheat base camp cooker

Methylated spirit stoves

Solid fuel stoves

If you require any further information, please do not hesitate to ask your nearest CAT team or your Zone

Manager.

CRASH TENT

The Crash Tent is available for anyone who needs it temporarily and is based next to the Welfare Tent on

road G4, near to Piccadilly Circus. Open 24 hours from Thursday afternoon until Monday morning. They

provide emergency shelter with camper mats and sleeping bags.

CRIME PREVENTION

Car keys, cash, credit cards, mobile phones, wallets, purses and other valuable items should be kept with

you at all times, or placed in the onsite lockers on the G4 road by Welfare or left luggage tent by Reaper

Bridge. Do not leave them in unattended vehicles or tents.

Large Gatherings of people such as this can provide easy pickings for thieves. If you present them with

easy opportunities they will take them.

If you are reporting the theft of a mobile phone you will be required to first contact your network

provider and have the handset blocked. This will ensure that its use will be blocked across all UK

networks even if the SIM card is changed, and will render it useless to the thief. A list of contact numbers

for UK network providers is available at the Information and Welfare Tent.

Thames Valley Police are present on site. Check out the Police section in this A-Z for more information,

and how to report a crime with them.

CROWD SURFING

Crowd surfing can be dangerous, especially for those in the crowd that are being clambered over. We will

be ejecting anyone out of the arena who our staff believe has come over the barrier for fun. If our staff

see that you come over for your safety, then you will be permitted back into the arena once we have

checked you over.

But if you come over for fun, you will be put back onto road G4 and made to walk back down to the

arena entrance to come back into the arena that way, the long way. You are likely to miss much of the

band’s set that way too, which is not what you come to the event for. Please don’t crowd surf, it is

dangerous and please also help us keep the numbers seen by the onsite medics down

CUP & TRAY DEPOSIT

In 2007 we introduced a highly successful way of drastically reducing the waste in the arena by having a

10p deposit on beer cups. For the fourth year running the 10p deposit will be back and ensure just about

every cup and tray will go for recycling rather than being left in the arena for you to wade through,

before ending up in landfill.

You’ll pay a 10p deposit when you buy your drinks in cups over the bars. There’s also a 10p deposit on

the cardboard cup carrying trays. You’ll get back the 10p when you return your cups and trays to the

refund points. Each year more than 90% of the cups have been returned. Just amazing – that’s more

than 6 tonnes of cardboard which was diverted from landfill.

DIRECTIONS

Any vehicles coming from the West/M40, North West/Birmingham etc should go to the White Car Park.

Any vehicles coming from the East/North East/London/M1/M25 etc should go to Green car park. All

campervans and caravans will go to White. All day ticket holders will go to Green.

DISABLED VISITORS

All disabled visitors wishing to use the disabled campsite and parking available in the Red campsite

should contact Reading Festival in advance, as we cannot process applications at the event. The

application deadline for this is the 23rd July.

The ticket schemes and disabled facilities are not open to those with temporary impairments such as

broken legs, pregnant customers, etc. There are medical welfare facilities onsite that are open to all

customers, but use of the disabled facilities and campsite are strictly regulated.

If you have already applied, you will find further information on the facilities in your Disabled Visitors

Information Pack.

Facilities we have onsite include:

• Disabled campsite based in Red, with toilets and showers and an electrical hook up point for

electric wheelchairs.

• Disabled toilets in the Arena toilet blocks, in the Guest area and at each disabled viewing

platform in the Arena

• Disabled viewing platforms with access ramps at a gradient of 1:12, with lighting and disabled

toilets nearby with some seating for personal assistants. Through a project run by Attitude is

Everything and Oxfam, disabled stewards work on these platforms.

DROP OFF/PICK UP POINT

The drop off and pick up point for parents and friends is at Kings Meadow/Green Car Park – please follow

the AA signs to this. You could then walk to site or get a free shuttle boat direct to the site and back.

Do not try to pick up/drop off at the Rivermead Centre or at the campsites – you will be moved on. Taxis

should be directed to the pick up/drop off at Kings Meadow/Green car park. There are signs which will

direct you to this point.

Hackney Carriages drop off/pick up is Tessa Road, and Private Hire drop off/pick up is now on Cremyll

Road, off Tessa Road.

DRUGS

Do not bring drugs, including legal highs, to the Reading Festival. Our gate staff will be searching for

many disallowed and illegal items, including drugs and legal highs. Anyone found in possession of these

will face rejection from the event at the gates and may be handed over to Thames Valley Police.

The dealing in or use of illegal drugs is not condoned by Festival Republic. It is illegal to take, to buy or

to sell drugs. Drug enforcement laws are as applicable onsite as anywhere else in the country. If you deal

in drugs, it is likely that you will be arrested via security and handed over to Thames Valley Police. There

are covert police and security onsite who will take action as appropriate.

For other confiscated items, please check out our Confiscation Policy in this A-Z.

EARLY BIRD TICKETS

These allow you early admission to campsites at 6pm on Wednesday 25th instead of Thursday.

EMERGENCIES

In an emergency please contact the nearest member of security or steward for help. There are over

2,000 security, police, stewards and campsite staff on site and so please look out for them. When you get

to site, please familiarise yourself with the site and our facilities, as well as our helpful CAT teams and

Zone Managers.

There is an onsite police station based in Piccadilly Circus from 7am–1am each day, as well as patrolling

the campsites 24 hours a day. The police are here to help with any problems that you have. Please take

care of your belongings onsite and make sure that any valuables you have are either kept on you or

stored at the Left Luggage Point. To find out more about reporting a crime with Thames Valley Police,

visit the Police section in this A-Z.

If it is an emergency always call 999. It is an emergency if a crime is being committed, if there is a risk of

injury or a risk of serious damage to property.

EVICTION TENT

This is where anyone that has committed a crime or created a nuisance of themselves will be taken by

police and security to be formally processed by independent welfare staff before they are evicted from

the event. Please try to avoid it, as anyone processed there is not allowed back the event this year, or

next year. There are two tents this year, one by Piccadilly Circus and one at Orange Gate.

For more information on our Eviction Policy, please see Anti-Social Behaviour in this A-Z.

FAMILY CAMPSITE

There is no family campsite at the event and anyone wishing to camp somewhere away from the main

throng could try the white zone campsite. Ask a steward to direct you there. For more information check

out the White Campsite in this A-Z.

FARMLAND

Please remember that there is a working farm on the festival site, which includes the main site and the

White campsite. The ground is generally level but uneven – please bring torches for when it gets dark so

you can see where you are walking, and be aware of guide ropes and other tents when walking in the

campsites.

Please be respectful of the land and do not leave tent pegs in the ground, cigarette butts, bottle tops,

broken glass or any other debris around that may endanger cattle or wildlife.

Please also note that our car parks are on grass fields - some with metal trackway approach roads and

some parts have unmade road approaches - so please drive appropriately.

FENCE JUMPERS

They may look amusing coming over and running from security but you have to ask yourself what are

they doing and why? They haven’t paid like you have. They probably do not have a tent so they are not

planning to hang around. They will not have a wristband or ticket and so they will not get into the arena,

which means that they will be hanging out by your tent with nothing to do. Report them please, for

everyone’s safety and to keep tent thefts and other crimes down.

FIRE

There is an onsite team of fire fighters who are fully equipped to deal with any fires as well as fire

observation towers located around the campsites and car parks. There are fire extinguishers located

throughout the site and many of the stewards and security staff have been trained in fire safety in

addition to the onsite fire fighting team. Your Campsite Zone Manager and the CATs will also be available

to help.

FIREWORKS

Fireworks and flares are not allowed onsite. Following the Fireworks Act 2003, it is an offence to set off

fireworks after 11pm at night.

FIRST AID AND MEDICAL ASSISTANCE

There is a fully set up field hospital based by the Main Stage/Mike gate and there are medics onsite who

are fully equipped to deal with all situations. You can also access this main onsite medical tent via

Piccadilly Circus.

There is also a first aid point in the Green campsite by the Zone Manager’s caravan on road G8, and a

first aid point by the Zone Manager’s caravan in White campsite. The medics have roving patrols and

provide an Accident and Emergency facility with full resuscitation, GP facilities and surgeries and

psychiatric treatment.

FLAGS

Flags will not be allowed into the arena. They restrict the view of the people behind.

FOOD STALLS

There are food stalls throughout the site selling a variety of food, from burgers to baguettes, noodles to

milkshakes in the Arena and in the Campsites. The campsite traders are based around road G4, Reaper

Bridge area as well as a few based in Brown, Red, White and Yellow Campsites.

Food traders are obliged to abide by the prices that are set out with them in advance and these prices

are listed on our website. There are very few exceptions, but some traders selling premium goods (e.g.

organic meats), may have dispensation to have higher prices.

Please let us know by writing in the complaint book at the Information or Welfare tents if you see anyone

straying from the price list – we will need to know the exact name of the stall, time of day and what price

you saw in order for us to pursue it.

Every year our food traders are inspected and monitored by Reading Borough Council Environmental

Officers and this year they will be awarded a star rating that will be on show and so you will be able to

see who has been awarded the highest food safety rating. 5 is the highest and 0 is the lowest.

GAS CANISTERS, NITROUS OXIDE AND AEROSOLS OVER 250ML

There is a TOTAL BAN on all gas canisters, nitrous oxide and aerosols over 250ml onsite at Reading

Festival this year.

GATE MANAGERS

We have the Gate Managers again this year at the wristband exchange tents into the site. They are

Festival Republic staff and they are there to ensure the gates operate as they should do. They are also

there to answer any ticket and wristband issues that you may have. Gate Managers will have day glo pink

tabards on, so they should be quite visible.

GREEN INITIATIVES

We have our helpful eco-stewards on site again this year, the Green Messengers, who will be handing out

bin bags for recycling as well as providing plenty of recycling initiatives, including packing down camping

gear and taking it home.

10:10

Reading Festival is pleased to be working alongside 10:10 to reduce the carbon footprint of Reading

Festival by 10% through efficiency in onsite energy use, waste and water consumption. By switching to

cleaner sources of energy, we are able to reduce carbon emissions and still power the stages, speakers

and refreshment stands that make Reading such a great festival. Our ongoing efforts to reduce landfill

waste and ensure minimal impact on the environment include zero waste campaigning, reducing material

use, comprehensive recycling, switching to biodegradable materials and composting them as well as

collecting re-usable goods for charity. Sign up your pledge at www.1010org.uk!

Camping Gear Donation

Every year, thousands of tents, sleeping bags and camping mats are left behind after the festival, along

with things like wellies, radios and clothes. Please pack up your gear and take it home, ready for your

next festival weekend. Not only will you save money, you’re helping the environment by not wasting the

resources and energy needed to make all stuff over and again. If you take home your kit you’re also not

giving fuel to those that are looking for abandoned gear to destroy in fires sending up toxic fumes into

the air and up everyone’s nostrils!

If you really don’t want your camping gear, please pack it up and hand it into the Tent Donation points in

the campgrounds. Donated gear will make their way to charitable and community organisations. We will

have separate collection bays for:

• Tents, Sleeping Mats, Sleeping Bags

• Chairs

• General camping bits and pieces

• Wellies

• Clothes

• Unopened food

Look out for the collection points that will pop up on Monday morning on your way out of the

campgrounds. We need you to take down your tents yourself and then hand them in to the donation

points. It is impossible for us to take down all the tents left abandoned even if they are in perfect

condition. Tents left standing will go to landfill and damage our environment.

Recycling Cans and Bottles for Beer!

Tonnes of aluminium cans and plastic bottles are left after the party’s over. Bring back a bagful of cans to

the Recycle Exchanges in the campsites, and we’ll give you a free can of beer (ID will be checked). Our

printed bin bags will be handed out by our Green Messenger Stewards and also available at Zone

Manager Caravans.

Industry Green

Julie’s Bicycle (JB) is partnering with us as part of their work helping the UK music community reduce its

greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. JB is a not for profit company that brings together music biz know-how

and climate science to research where we’re at now, and what a low carbon music experience should

look like. Its primary goal is to reduce the GHG emissions which cause climate change.

JB looked at the biggest festivals in the UK last summer and found that 60% of all cars driven to festivals

have 2 or less people in them – given that audiences getting to festivals produces over two thirds of its

carbon emissions you can all help festivals go green - share cars, travel by coach and train or get on your

bike. If you are looking to Liftshare, check out FestivalBudi.com under our Liftshare section in this A-Z!

The Green Tent Company

We are working closely with the Green Tent Company who are the first company in the world to design a

stylish, competitively priced tent range made solely from one product, as well as incorporating a new peg

system which prevents them from being left in the ground - all with one focus of being environmentally

and festival friendly. Their ground breaking range starts with a 2 man dome tent and is topped by a

deluxe 6 man, 3 bedroom version which is tall enough to stand up in. They have even manufactured their

sleeping bags and camping mats from the same single product making them more festival friendly. So if

you’re going to be purchasing a new tent for this year’s festival, please visit

www.thegreententcompany.co.uk and help us to reduce our carbon footprint, thus saving the planet.

Water Bottle Deposit

To work towards getting all the plastic water bottles recycled, each bottle of water sold at the festival will

have a 20p deposit charged. When you’ve finished, bring back the empty bottle to the refund points to

get your 20p back. Only water sold at stores onsite will be refundable. Other plastic bottles should be

placed in the recycling bins.

INFORMATION TENTS

The Information Tent is on road G4 and a second one has been placed in the arena between the

Alternative and Festival Republic stages. The campsite Information Tent is open 24 hours a day from

2pm on Wednesday until midday Monday afternoon, and the Information Tent in the Arena will be open

as per Arena opening hours. The Information Tent handles a large variety of queries from festival-goers,

runs a message board and has details of all local transport services, etc. The latest information on the

running order is available at the Information Tent.

There will be a complaints book in the Information Tents where you can write down any onsite

grievances you may have. This book will be given to us twice daily as routine, and any incidents that

need immediate response will be reported to us there and then. You can also get information from the

Zone Managers’ caravans in the campsites.

KIT KAT

Kit Kat are one of the festival’s 2010 sponsors, and will be having their Music Breaks stage in Yellow

Campsite, with DJs and a Kit Kat Chunky giveaway!

LATE NIGHT ENTERTAINMENT & SILENT ARENAS

This year we are delighted to have two Silent Arenas, one in the Red campsite zone, and a new one in

the Orange campsite. They are both open from 10pm until 4am in the morning Friday, Saturday and

Sunday.

The Action Aid tent is back again in the campsite, and is open 3pm until 3am Thursday to Sunday. The

Cinema tent and the Alternative tent in the arena are open until 4am and 3am respectively on Friday,

Saturday and Sunday nights. The funfair will also be back in the Red campsite, with waltzers, dodgems

and more.

LEFT LUGGAGE, LOCKERS AND LOST PROPERTY

The Left Luggage facility is open 24 hours from 8am on Thursday to 11am on Monday and is located at

Reaper Bridge outside the Arena Entrance. This is also the point where any Lost Property found during

the festival is sent.

If your tent and camping gear has been removed by staff because it was within 1m of the roads and

access routes in the campsites, it will be available for collection from Left Luggage.

This year we have teamed up with Lockerhouse to make sure you can keep your belongings safe at

Reading Festival. These lockers are located on the G4 road near the Welfare tent. You get to keep a

souvenir branded padlock after the event too! The lockers also have mobile phone charging facilities,

which require 12v car adapters/chargers. The locker sizes are 25cm wide x 15.5cm deep x 10cm high - so

they are the right size for small valuables (mobiles, wallets, cameras).

The address for queries for lost property after the show is;

Waves, Reading 2010, PO Box 150, Droitwich Spa, WORCS WR9 0WX

Email: lostproperty@wavesltd.org

LIFTSHARE

If you must bring your car, please consider the following in the interests of the environment and also to

reduce congestion:

- Transport as many people as possible with you

- Travel at off peak time (the peak time for arriving onsite is 08:00 – 14:00 on the Thursday)

- Consider car share

Check out the FestivalBUDi.com website, which is also linked on the official Reading Festival website.

LOCAL RESIDENTS

We are in an urban area and the event can only continue with local support and so please do respect our

neighbours and keep our site clean and quiet for them.

LOST CHILDREN

If you lose a child or vulnerable adult, please let your nearest security guard, steward or campsite Zone

Manager know ASAP and they will let the relevant festival personnel know. If nearby, you could also go

to the onsite police base which is located in Piccadilly Circus, or the Welfare tent which is on road G4 and

they will manage the situation for you. If you are bringing young children, please get them to remember

where you are camping, tell them to go to a security guard and put your mobile number in their pocket,

or write it on them! It speeds things up dramatically.

MEETING POINT

There is no official meeting point, so when you get to the festival agree 3 set times during the day to

meet up at any/all of them if you get split up during the weekend. Don’t forget to check out our Stay

Safe message in this A-Z.

MERCHANDISE

Official merchandise is available to buy inside the Arena and in the Village area. Any T-shirts or

merchandise being sold outside the site on Richfield Avenue is not official Reading Festival merchandise

and we cannot guarantee its quality. Do not buy unofficial merchandise

MYHABS

The funky and new innovation for luxury camping at festivals is back for 2010. They are made from

recycled plastic and waterproof cardboard with plenty of space to kick back and relax. They are based in

White camp. For more information, check out their website at www.myhabs.com!

O’MALLEY ALLEY

This is still an exit only gate, therefore festival-goers will not be able to enter via this gate at any time.

ORANGE GATE

To enter the campsites through this gate you must be wristbanded beforehand at one of the other

wristband exchanges. The new Tescos on Portman Road outside of this gate.

Please note if visiting the supermarkets at night we would still advise you to walk to the Kings Meadow

Tescos, as the pedestrian route to the new Portman Road Tescos is quite dark.

OVER 18 WRISTBANDS

This is a voluntary venture for anyone who wants it and the aim is that it will help our bar staff, gate staff

and other local retailers to do a quick check for anyone that seems around 18 years old. It will stop you

from having to carry your ID every time you want a drink onsite, or want to bring alcohol into the

campsites from the supermarkets. It is still a trial so please help us with it.

You will need valid ID in order to get the wristband (a PASS hologrammed ID card, a full photo card

driving licence issued by the DVLA or a passport). If there is any doubt as to the age of the customer,

they will be refused service.

Bar staff will ask for proof of age ID whenever the customer appears to be under 18. However, if you are

over 18 but feel you will be asked for your ID a lot onsite because you are fortunate to look younger

please get one of our new ‘over 18 wristbands’.

OVERSEAS BOOKINGS (INTERNATIONAL VISITORS)

Any overseas customers who have booked tickets will need to collect their tickets from the collection

point based at the Hexagon in Reading town centre. If you have booked tickets and are based overseas,

you will have this information sent out to you by the ticket retailer you purchased with.

OXFAM

Oxfam heads back to Reading for their 9th year, bringing with them over 600 volunteer stewards and

shop staff. The stewards work throughout the Arena, at the gates and other strategic locations on site,

with festival stewarding generating £1.1million last year alone for the charity.

Also on site, is the Oxfam Festival Shop, which caters for every taste; from wedding dresses, ponchos,

hats and suits, to complete hippy, disco and punk rock outfits. The shop is always well stocked with

festival essentials to survive whatever the British weather decides to do, such as knitted blankets,

sleeping bags and warm coats or raincoats and wellies or sun hats, sunglasses and sun dresses. Make

sure you visit; you will find the Oxfam Festival Shop on the G4 road.

PODPADS

Podpads provide a touch of luxury and take away the hassle of carrying, erecting and breaking down

camp. They are based in the Tangerine Fields, in White Camp. The Podpads have 24hr stewards, and

come with a decorated and solid floor, carpet, shelving, power socket, vanity mirror and lock, and are

available with single, double or twin beds. They are eco-friendly with sunflower solar panels, and are

weatherproof. For more information, visit their website at www.podpads.com!

POLICE

There is an onsite police station based in Piccadilly Circus from 7am–1am each day. The police are here

to help with any problems that you have. Please take care of your belongings onsite and make sure that

any valuables you have are either kept on you or stored at the Left Luggage Point. If you want to speak

to the police please call 0845 8 505 505 - this number is for reporting non-emergencies (loss of phones

etc) and for giving information to Thames Valley Police.

If it is an emergency always call 999. It is an emergency if a crime is being committed, if there is a risk of

injury or a risk of serious damage to property.

PRIVATE COACHES

Anyone wanting to bring their private coach to the Festival must apply in advance via email to

coaches@readingfestival.com. Please note all persons must have valid standard tickets. It is free to bring

a coach to Reading Festival. You will be sent further routing and gate information nearer the event by

email.

QUIET CAMPING

Quiet camping can be found in the White campsite on the North side of the river. For more information,

see White Campsite in this A-Z.

RECYCLE EXCHANGES

The Recycle Exchanges are based in the campsites. See our Green Initiatives section in this A-Z for the

latest 2010 schemes we are running! Opening Times are 8am until 8pm Thursday to Sunday.

Campsite recycling is on the go. Look out for Team Recycle and the green-topped barrel bins to place

your bottles and cans in. You can also bring bags of other recycling to the campsite Recycle Exchanges.

Bin bags are available at all Recycle Exchanges.

RELENTLESS

Relentless will be onsite this year, with a sales kiosk on the G4 road.

RIVERMEAD CENTRE

The Rivermead Centre will be open during the day for swimming and showers, as well as having a nice

café if you fancy a change of scenery. It is open from 8:30am until 3pm, and is accessible by walking

down O’Malley Alley, just off of Piccadilly Circus.

Please note that there will be no Club night on the Thursday night this year.

SALVATION ARMY

They are here again this year, offering their usual non-stop 24 hour fundraising service from 9am

onwards on the Thursday 26th. They are always here ready to offer you any help that they can. Free

counselling, advice, problem sharing, blankets, sleeping bags and even clothes! In addition they offer tea,

coffee, soup and a service with a large smile and a small price. Their marquee is close to its usual

location on road G4, adjacent to the green camping area.

SAMARITANS

The Samaritans operate confidentially providing an ear and support for distressed festival-goers. They are

available 24 hours a day during the event from noon on Thursday to noon on Monday and are situated

on road G4. They offer a confidential, non-judgmental, listening service for anyone passing through a

crisis that needs to talk.

SEAT

Festival goers that find themselves mucky from the mosh-pit or just feel like a freshen-up will definitely

want to head for the SEAT ‘human car wash’ in the Village. This free-to-use service will lather you up,

hose you down and give you a thorough air drying – just like a real carwash. Don’t forget your swimmers!

SHOWERS & TOILETS

There are free single-sex public showers based on road G4 close to Piccadilly Circus, as well as in White

camp. Please use environmentally-friendly soaps and products where possible. This year we have

extended the opening hours of the showers to 6am until 8pm Thursday to Sunday with breaks for

cleaning. There are toilet blocks in the Arena and throughout the campsites.

There are also showers available at the Rivermead Centre, which is open from 8:30am until 3pm. Please

access the Rivermead Centre via O’Malley Alley.

If you have any comments to make on these toilets, please leave your feedback at either of the

Information points.

Sick of queuing for the toilets and envious that the boys don’t have to? This year there will be urinals for

girls to use in the arena toilet blocks. We will be giving out free ‘Urinelles’ to be used with these. Curious?

Go to the arena loos and see what it’s all about.

SHUTTLE BOATS

We have two sets of shuttle boats, each completely free to use.

Shuttle boats from Kings Meadow/Green car park to Green gate, which start operating on Wednesday

25th and finish at 1pm on Monday 30th.

There are also shuttle boats running from Mapledurham/White campsite to the main site, starting on

Wednesday and 25th and finishing at 1pm on Monday 30th.

SHUTTLE BUSES

Reading train station is a 15 minute walk from the site, but if you prefer you will be able to get a shuttle

bus from the train station to near site. Reading Buses are providing this service with single tickets being

only £1. Please see the news section on the Reading Bus website, www.reading-buses.co.uk, or visit the

information point for further information and their timetables.

SMOKING

Smoking is not permitted in any of the toilet cabins, public tents and this includes the big top tents in the

arena – i.e. Radio One stage and others. Please take care to remember this when wandering around the

arena.

STAY SAFE MESSAGE

The Reading Festival is a weekend of huge fun and entertainment. We don’t want that experience

spoiled by anything happening to you, your stuff or other festival-goers, so we’re offering this advice to

help the weekend go with a swing and not a bump. Please also keep your eye out for other festival-goers

that appear to be lost, vulnerable or wandering about on their own – please help them sensitively. Crime

does happen on site and we all need to be vigilant at all times.

Most people are here to have a great time and make new friends, but there may be some people who

might take unfair advantage of the relaxed atmosphere. The festival is the size of a small town and you

need to take the same precautions as you would on any other night out. If you meet someone new,

invite them to join your group. If you want to see them on your own, follow these basic rules:

• Meet somewhere public and start off with some other friends so people know who you’re with.

• Make a plan to meet up later so your friends can be sure you’re OK.

• Keep your wits about you – that means not drinking too much or taking other substances. After

all, if you meet the love of your life, you’ll want to remember something about it!

• Learn the layout of the site, particularly your camping area so you can find toilets and stewards

without wandering about.

• Pick your camping spot carefully: somewhere with a landmark which you can find at night. If you

are girls alone, try to keep to busier areas. Get to know the people who are camped around you:

it makes for a nicer vibe. You also come to know who’s meant to be going in and out of those

tents and vice versa with your tent.

• Carry a torch with you, keep your mobile on and look out for your mates. It’s always more fun in

a crowd and you help keep them safe just like they help you .

• There are plenty of festival staff here to help. Don’t be worried about asking us for directions or

to report something or someone you are worried about.

• Be really clear about what you say yes or no to, and don’t get pressured into doing anything or

going anywhere that you don’t feel comfortable about. Don’t worry about walking away.

• Don’t leave your valuables in your tent and keep an eye on your phone. Use one of the Thames

Valley Police lanyards for your phone/wallet, or use pockets with zips. Particularly if you are in

the crowd watching the acts on the stages.

• Use left luggage for anything of value that you can’t bear to lose.

Enjoy the event and keep your wits about you, or at least ask a good friend to!

SUPERMARKETS

A new onsite supermarket can be found near the arena entrance in the campsite village. It will sell

convenience foods, snacks, pies/pasties, chilled drinks, fresh daily bread and milk, newspapers,

beer/lager/cider, toiletries, pharmacy, general grocery, fresh sliced meats, bacon, sausage, butter and

cheeses, deli counter, and cigarettes. It will offer a card payment facility (minimum purchase £5) with

cashback. A transaction fee of £1 for all card purchases applies.

You may have seen last year that there is a new Tescos on the Portman Road/Oxford Road but we would

advise that you continue to get the free boat service from Green Gate to the older Tescos at Kings

Meadow, as the pedestrian route to the new Portman Road Tesco is quite dark at night.

SUNDAY PASS-OUT SYSTEM

There will be no re-entry to the festival after 8pm on Sunday if you don’t get a pass-out on your way out

of the festival. Make sure if you are going offsite on Sunday after 6pm that you get a pass-out stamp.

TANGERINE FIELDS

Your tent’s already here! The camper’s dream that is Tangerine Fields returns to Reading Festival. So

leave your camping gear at home and start the party early. Book a ready-pitched and fully equipped tent.

Choose from 2, 4 and 6 man tents and all the kit you need to camp – from sleeping bags to head

torches. For that added bit of luxury and piece of mind, we have our own toilets and showers in a secure

area with 24 hour stewarding. For more information, check out their website www.tangerinefields.co.uk!

TIME

Festival time is much longer than real life timing so please be patient. This also means that if your friends

say they will be somewhere in five minutes they probably mean twenty five! Please bear this in mind

when planning which bands to see, as the Arena Entrance can be busy.

TOUTS

Beware of unauthorized ticket agencies including eBay; buying from them can be a lot of trouble. You are

likely to pay over the odds for a ticket that will have never existed or might never materialize.

Check the updates on our official Reading Festival 2010 website; we continually update the list of

unauthorized ticket retailers.

We have also included Viagogo in our A-Z this year. They are our secondary ticketing retail partner, and

provide a safe and secure way to purchase and sell official Reading Festival tickets. Just check out below!

VIAGOGO

Festival Republic has formed a partnership with Viagogo making Viagogo the official ticket exchange of

the Reading Festival. While Viagogo is not a primary ticket seller, this partnership will allow fans to re-sell

spare tickets for the Reading Festival in a safe and secure environment. Viagogo guarantees all payments

and ticket deliveries, meaning that fans buying tickets will get them and fans selling tickets are

guaranteed to get paid. Festival Republic would like to encourage fans to use Viagogo as it is the only

official ticket exchange for the Reading, Leeds and Latitude Festivals.

If fans use any other ticket exchanges or buy from unauthorized agents they risk being defrauded and

not getting their tickets.

VODAFONE

This year, Vodafone will be onsite providing a free phone recharging facility for everyone on the G4 road.

WHITE CAMPSITE

In 2006 we stepped over the Thames to North of the river for the first time and created our quiet White

zone campsite, a little further afield that the main campsites, and now in 2010 it hosts Tangerine Fields,

MyHabs, PodPads and more! If you are planning to bring a car to White car park, you must have

previously purchased a White car pass to park here. There are a couple of food traders, toilets, showers

and a bar based here open 23 hours a day. The White bar will be serving real ales this year – great

news!

There is a pedestrian bridge that crosses the Thames from the main site in Brown zone campsite over to

the White zone campsite and car park. Please do not walk to white campsite from Reading town centre,

the station or Kings Meadow/Green car park as it is a five mile walk by road. It can be very dangerous as

the roads are very narrow and winding.

If you have parked in Kings Meadow/Green car park or been dropped off in Kings Meadow and you want

to camp in White zone please get the bridge to the main site green wristband exchange, then walk down

through the campsites and cross the pedestrian bridge in brown camp straight into White camp. This is a

much shorter and manageable route.

If you arrive by shuttle bus from the station, or are walking from the town centre, go into the main site

via the Red wristband exchange, then walk through the campsites and cross the pedestrian bridge in

Brown camp straight into White camp. This is a much shorter and manageable route.

WELFARE

The Welfare Tent is situated on road G4 by Piccadilly Circus. It is open 24 hours from 2pm Wednesday to

noon Monday and offers general welfare, assistance and advice, a drugs advisory service, counselling, a

messages service and they can also help distressed or missing people and children. The Welfare Tent

provides a Crash tent with camper mats and sleeping bags.

There will be a complaints book in the Welfare Tent where you can write down any onsite grievances you

may have. This book will be given to us twice daily as routine, and any incidents that need immediate

response will be reported to us there and then.

WRISTBAND & WRISTBAND EXCHANGE

Customers must exchange their ticket for a wristband on entry to the site at either White zone Wristband

Exchange, Red zone Wristband Exchange or Green zone Wristband Exchange. Re-admittance to the site

is only possible once you have been wristbanded. Entrance to the Arena is only possible with a valid

wristband: tickets will not be allowed through at this point. There is a wristband exchange over in the

White campsite for those that will park in the white car park and campervan field. You will be able to be

wristbanded prior to you crossing the Thames to get to the main site.

Wristbands removed from your wrist or tampered with will be rendered invalid and will not be replaced. If

you have any problems with your wristband or ticket please return to the nearest wristband exchange, or

speak to your nearest Gate Manager.

ZONE MANAGERS

Zone Managers were also very successfully introduced into the campsites a couple of years ago and they

will be back again for 2010. They are permanently there to patrol the campsites with their DC and CAT

staff and to ensure that everyone has a safe time. Their caravan will hold the most up to date

information, running orders, a large site map and more useful information.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Very good info, useful to hear.

I can't see the 8pm onwards no fires rule being manageable myself , it will give the security much better justification to stamp out the idiotic bonfires and trouble but it does seem to unfairly punish the law abiding majority who will come back to there tents after Blink 182/last act and want to chat/drink reminisce on the last night.

I hope a common sense approach is implemented whereby sensible small fires "less than knee height and one pace wide" will be ignored.

Also the no re-entry to site thing on late sunday/monday might become difficult as those late risers usually require at least 2 trips to the car to put things away. Personally im normally on my way home by 10am but even i usually make 2/3 trips to the car packing up.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Unfortunately, your content contains terms that we do not allow. Please edit your content to remove the highlighted words below.
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...