Reading Festival
Putting Reading on the Map sponsored by Jacobs the Jewellers and Purple Turtle
An Iconic, World-Famous Festival
This year’s Putting Reading on the Map award went Reading Festival and was collected by Claire Armstrong and Georgie Hanrahan from Festival Republic.
Guests heard how the festival does far more than simply take place in Reading – it helps define the town. Working alongside local charities and volunteers, Reading Festival has become an integral part of the town’s heritage, bringing people together and creating lasting connections across generations.
Operating in Reading since 1971, and building on the foundations of the National Jazz Festival, which began in 1961, Richfield Avenue has welcomed some of the biggest names in music. From Nirvana, Metallica and Guns N’ Roses to Eminem, Kendrick Lamar, Billie Eilish and Dua Lipa, the festival has hosted an extraordinary line-up of international talent.
Reading Festival has created generations of local and international ambassadors, connecting hundreds of thousands of people with Reading through their first festival experience, favourite live performance or unforgettable weekend spent with friends.
In a special video message, longtime organiser Melvin Benn expressed his heartfelt gratitude for the award.
