Reading Festival: Day ticket holders warned over rail disruption

Day ticket holders for Saturday August 26 are being urged to plan to use alternative transport

Day ticket holders planning to get to Reading Festival by train are being urged to find an alternative way to get to the town.

Train travel to Reading will be severely disrupted by a strike on Saturday 26 August. The station will also shut at 19:00 BST.

It has been announced that campfires, disposable barbecues and single-use vapes are banned this year.

Festival-goers are being asked to take tents home and use new bottle banks.

Held on a farm off Richfield Avenue, from 25 - 27 August it is expected to see 105,000 people attend.

Reading Borough Council said "although it is envisaged Elizabeth Line services will still be operating... It is important that day ticket holders for Saturday plan ahead for alternative transport."

About 20,000 members working for 14 train operating companies are expected to take part in the strike over pay and conditions strike over pay and conditions announced by the RMT union.

The 1975 are set to headline after Capaldi withdrew from the festival over his health

Numerous road closures and parking restrictions will be in place around the Richfield Avenue site.

The Thames Path will also shut overnight from 19:00 - 06:00 from Thursday 24 August to Monday 28 August between Scours Lane to the far end of Thameside Promenade.

The new Rivermead Leisure Centre will also be closed for seven days from 23-29 August.

Headliners for this year's festival include The 1975 who replace Lewis Capaldi, Foals, Billie Eilish, The Killers, Sam Fender and Imagine Dragons.

The council and festival organisers are encouraging people to be use less single-use plastic and say the total waste generated at the site in last year was down by 5%, and there was a 21% decrease in the number of tents left behind.