Explore arts, sports and culture whilst living in this lively town

Explore arts, sports and culture whilst living in this lively town

If you are a nursing or midwifery student at our Berkshire Institute for Health, you'll be based in Reading.

Discover more about arts, sports and world-famous music festivals in Reading.

Explore arts, sports and culture whilst living in this lively town

Main centre of Reading

Museums and Historic Landmarks

Reading has a collection of museums around the town as well as important historic landmarks.

Reading town is full of history including Reading Museum, The Museum of English Rural Life, Reading Abbey Ruins and Reading Gaol, a former prison which now features a Banksy.

  • Reading Museum

    Located in the town centre next to the town hall, Reading Museum is home to collections of art, archaeology, natural history and the history of Reading. The museum is home to almost 500,000 objects. Admission is free to the museum's collections. The Reading Museum is open Monday to Saturday and is closed on bank holidays and Sundays. Always check before your visit.

  • The Museum of English Rural Life

    The Museum of English Rural Life explores the history of the English countryside and the communities that have lived there. The museum is free to visit and is open Tuesday-Sunday.

  • Reading Abbey Ruins

    The beautiful Reading Abbey Ruins reveal the south transept, the chapter house, the treasury, the dormitory and the refectory. During your visit, there is information around the abbey explaining the use of each room by the community of monks that once lived there. The abbey is open from dawn to dusk every day but is sometimes closed for private events. Always check before you visit.

  • Reading Gaol

    Reading Gaol was once home to the famous author Oscar Wilde, who was imprisoned in 1895 for homosexuality (which was illegal at the time). Unfortunately, the prison isn't currently open to visitors but Reading Borough Council are attempting to buy the prison and turn it into an arts and culture hub. However, it is still worth a visit because, on the night of 28th February 2021, graffiti artist Banksy painted a mural on the side of the prison featuring an escaping inmate and a typewriter.

A musical and dance number during a LCM production

Theatre

Reading has several theatres and arts centres within the city centre. Programmes are varied and include dance, comedy, poetry reading and theatre.

Find out more information across The Hexagon, South Street and The Concert Hall venues on the Reading Arts website

A guitarist on stage wearing a green plaid shirt.

Live music

Reading is, of course, home to the famous Reading Festival, which has been running for more than 30 years over the August bank holiday weekend. The festival attracts some of the biggest names in contemporary music.

  • Reading Festival

    Reading and Leeds Festivals are a pair of annual music festivals that take place in Reading and Leeds in England. The events take place simultaneously on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday of the August bank holiday weekend. Since the festival began in 1961, it has been headlined by legendary artists from across the world including Nirvana, Björk and Kendrick Lamar.

  • Sub89

    Sub89 is located on Friar Street and opened in 2009, with live music events a few times every week. Some of the acts to feature are Chase and Status, Gary Numan, Hybrid Minds, Bad Manners, Napalm Death, Subfocus, DJ Fresh, Buzzcocks, New Model Army, Adam Ant, Ed Sheeran, Skindred and Snoop Dogg.

This image depicts the river thames running through the main restaurant area which is part of the Oracle in Reading Town. In the image there is a Pizza hut, a Nandos, Lemoni and House of Fraser.

Shopping

Reading is home to a large shopping centre, The Oracle. There are also other areas of Reading which provide more unique and quirky shopping experiences.

  • The Oracle

    The Oracle is in the centre of Reading and comprises of a large indoor shopping centre and outdoor riverside area where you can find all your favourite restaurants and cafes. The Oracle is open every day but always check opening times before you visit.

  • Broad Street Mall

    Broad Street Mall has another selection of shops and cafes and is situated on Oxford Road near the Hexagon Theatre. The mall is open every day but always check opening hours before your visit.

  • Caversham

    For a more unique shopping experience with small boutiques and charity shops, head to Caversham, which is north of Reading centre and over the River Thames.

Two student footballers running and tackling

Sports

If you like watching sport, Reading is home to The Madejski Stadium, a football ground where Reading FC are based.

Reading also has its own basketball team, the Reading Rockets, who play at the highest level in British basketball. Supporters are welcome.

  • Reading FC

    Reading Football Club currently play in EFL League One, the third tier of English football. The club play their home fixtures at the Madejski Stadium.

  • Reading Rockets

    Reading Rockets was founded in 1997 and has achieved huge success with its senior, junior, academy and community development programmes and is now privileged to run the AASE (Advanced Apprenticeship in Sporting Excellence) programme. Rockets is now one of the most successful basketball clubs in England and established its Rockets Sport and Educational Foundation charity in 2012. It has gained Sport England’s kitemark ‘ClubMark’ and England Basketball’s 4 star accreditation. The heart of the Rockets club is passion, vision, quality, motivation and commitment – unified with family values and standards.

  • Climbing

    Reading is home to a large indoor bouldering and climbing centre with over 175 top and lead rope routes.

Cinema seats at an auditorium

Cinema

If you fancy a quiet night but still want to get out, Reading has two cinemas to choose from. 

  • Vue Cinema

    Vue Cinema is located on the Oracle riverside

  • The Reading Film Theatre 

    The Reading Film Theatre is based at the Reading University at Whiteknights in Reading. It's an independent theatre and has a policy of playing the best films from around the world and shows at least one foreign language film (subtitled in English) each week, the rest of the programme being a mix of both mainstream and independent cinema.

A couple of people standing in front of a wall with bottles in a bar

Nightlife

People come from miles around to sample Reading's nightlife. With Reading University in the same town, there is plenty of entertainment aimed at students.

There is a vast selection of pubs, bars and clubs to choose from. These range from small traditional pubs that take their real ales very seriously to bars with regular DJs or live music.

A close-up of a main course, being seasoned

Places to eat

If you are grabbing a bite to eat, there is something to suit every palate; from fine dining restaurants offering avocado ice cream to the best of traditional English cooking, including fresh homemade pies. 

The Oracle shopping centre hosts all main high street stores, plus cafes and a multiplex cinema.

The River Thames runs through the centre of Reading Town, there is a green area on one side and some highrise buildings on the other side. The image is taken from a high perspective and includes bridges over the river.

Parks and green spaces

Reading is home to some large green spaces and parks throughout the town.

  • Forbury Gardens

    Forbury Gardens is near the centre of town and has won a Green Flag Award for being welcoming, safe and well maintained. Featuring a large war memorial called the Maiwand Lion, named after the Battle of Maiwand.

  • Dinton Pastures

    Dinton Pastures is on the east side of Reading and has a long footpath around a large body of water.

  • River Thames walk

    There is a popular walk that takes you from the centre of Reading to Henley-on-Thames via Sonning Eye and Shiplake. It is about 10 miles along the river and is mostly flat, making it an easy walk. The route follows the River Thames and passes many canal locks out of the town. To return to Reading afterwards, there is a bus route, or catch a train to Twyford and then a train back to Reading.

  • Prospect Park

    Another large green space is Prospect Park, located on the west side of Reading along Bath Road. Prospect Park in on the ground of a former stately home and has a collection of mature trees as well as sports facilities.

Come visit us and see for yourself