Reading Water Fest

Reading Water Fest Reading Water Fest Saturday 27 June 2026 11am - 5pm Along the Kennet and Forbury Gardens, Reading Town Centre
(1)

Join us for the big Water Fest Celebration Weekend!📆 Saturday 27 June - Sunday 28 June🌊 Reading Water Fest will be takin...
23/06/2026

Join us for the big Water Fest Celebration Weekend!

📆 Saturday 27 June - Sunday 28 June

🌊 Reading Water Fest will be taking place on Saturday 27 June in the Forbury Gardens, Reading Abbey Ruins, Chestnut Walk and Riverside Walk between 11am and 5pm in partnership with Kennet and Avon Canal Trust - Reading Branch. Join us for live entertainment, children’s activities, refreshments, water activities, sustainable fashion workshops, charity stalls, and so much more! The event is free of charge and open to everyone. For the full programme of activities visit the link in the comments.

🇬🇧 The weekend will continue with entertainment taking place in the Forbury Bandstand and on Broad Street in celebration of Armed Forces Day on Sunday 28 June between 11am and 4pm. The day will feature performances by the Reading Scottish Pipe Band, local Armed Forces Representatives and information stalls and activities from Armed Forces charities.

Join us at Reading Water Fest from 11am - 12.30pm for a fun and free garment upcycling workshop! 👕 Led by Anurita Chando...
22/06/2026

Join us at Reading Water Fest from 11am - 12.30pm for a fun and free garment upcycling workshop! 👕
Led by Anurita Chandola, this workshop is all about giving your old clothes new life with embroidery.
Do you have clothes sitting in your closet that you don’t wear anymore? Instead of letting them go to waste, please bring them along. You don’t need any sewing skills for this workshop, and everything you need will be provided.

📆 Saturday 27 June,
📍 Forbury Gardens, Reading

Book your free spot ⬇️

1 week to go!The 37th Water Fest returns to Forbury Gardens, Abbey Ruins, Chestnut Walk and Huntley Wharf along the Kenn...
20/06/2026

1 week to go!

The 37th Water Fest returns to Forbury Gardens, Abbey Ruins, Chestnut Walk and Huntley Wharf along the Kennet on Saturday 27 June, 11am-5pm!

Join us for a huge variety of free family-friendly activities and entertainment:

🎵 Four stages with live music, cultural and theatre performances
⚔ Medieval experience including music in the bandstand, Norman Drills for Children, Norman Fashion Show and a combat demonstration
👕 Sustainable Fashion Zone featuring garment upcycling and mending workshops, The People’s Catwalk and 'Reclaimed Runway: A Second-Hand Fashion Affair' showcasing pre-loved, vintage and upcycled attire
👪 Family-friendly workshops by Nature Nurture and Becoming Mums
🎨 Art organisation Jelly will be holding a free print workshop and a paper streamer workshop where youngsters can create water-inspired streamers to use in the Water Fest Parade led by World Groove drummers at 4pm.
🛶 Boat trips and the much-loved duck race!

The full programme of activities ⬇

Join us at Water Fest to celebrate sustainable fashion and creativity! The Sustainable Fashion Zone is returning to Forb...
19/06/2026

Join us at Water Fest to celebrate sustainable fashion and creativity!

The Sustainable Fashion Zone is returning to Forbury Gardens with an exciting programme of workshops and fashion shows:

🧵 Join the workshop led by Anurita Chandola at 11am to give your old clothes new life with embroidery! No sewing skills required – everything you need will be provided. Book your free place at https://rdguk.info/2WjP7

🧵 Learn five essential mending stitches in the hands-on, beginner-friendly session led by Mara Campbell. Build confidence, practice step-by-step, and create your own stitched sampler to take home - so you can keep your clothes in use for longer.

🚶🏻‍♀️ Get ready to strut your stuff on the Water Fest People’s Catwalk at 4.15pm where thrifted gems take centre stage. Whether you’re a fashionista or a first-time thrifter, everyone is welcome to showcase their style in the historic setting of the Forbury Gardens. As long as it’s pre-loved, vintage or upcycled we want to see your outfits on display – no judgement here, just come along and take part in what promises to be a fantastic celebration of style!

💃🏾 Following the People’s Catwalk, and to close the event, join us for a spectacular fusion of sustainability and style at 4.30pm in front of the Maiwand Lion. ‘Reclaimed Runway: A ‘Second-Hand Fashion Affair’ invites you to experience the magic of fashion reborn. Embrace the allure of pre-loved garments as they strut down the catwalk, each piece telling a unique story of renewal and reinvention. From vintage classics to modern treasures, witness the beauty of eco-conscious fashion in action.


For the full programme of the Water Fest activities check out the official brochure - link in the comments ⬇️

17/06/2026

💙💚 We’re back at Reading Water Fest this year! 💚💙

Join us on Saturday 27th June, 11am–5pm in the stunning surroundings of Forbury Gardens, Abbey Ruins and the River Kennet (our exact location to be confirmed!)

This year, in partnership with , we’ll be creating Seeds of Hope – a gentle community installation celebrating connection, kindness and the power of lifting one another up 🤗

Through a simple exchange of messages, anyone who identifies as a mother is invited to leave a message of hope for another parent and take one away in return. Surrounded by a beautiful floral display celebrating nature, beauty and the future, this will be a space to pause, reflect and be reminded that you are not alone 💛

Reading Water Fest is a fun, family-friendly and accessible festival packed with theatre, dance, music, games, activities and stalls for all ages. This year’s event also highlights Reading Council’s ongoing pledge to become carbon neutral by 2030 🌍

We’d love to see you there! 😃

Feeling in need of a daily dose of nature? Join Nature Nurture and the Nature Doctor in the Forbury Gardens at Water Fes...
16/06/2026

Feeling in need of a daily dose of nature?

Join Nature Nurture and the Nature Doctor in the Forbury Gardens at Water Fest for a playful wellbeing check-up inspired by the Natural Health Service 🌳
Visit A&E (Awe & Excitement), check in at Tree-age, and explore a range of fun, hands-on activities inspired by the five senses.
Discover how nature can help lift your mood, reduce stress, and support your wellbeing.

Family-friendly experience filled with creativity, curiosity, laughter, and a healthy helping of outdoor fun...all FREE on the NHS (Natural Health Service)!

For the full programme of activities at Water Fest check out the brochure - link in the comments ⬇️

🖐🏻 As we aim to make Water Fest 2026 accessible for everyone, a British Sign Language interpreter will be available at s...
15/06/2026

🖐🏻 As we aim to make Water Fest 2026 accessible for everyone, a British Sign Language interpreter will be available at selected performances during the event:

⏩ Acoustic Stage ⏪
12noon - 12.20pm - Progress Theatre
1.10pm – 1.40pm - Reading Rep

⏩ Sustainable Fashion Zone, Forbury Gardens ⏪
4.15pm - 4.40pm - People’s Catwalk and ‘Reclaimed Runway: A ‘Second-Hand Fashion Affair’

15/06/2026

Join Jelly’s artists to make your own cyanotype artwork at Reading Water Fest Part of our Open for Art festival 2026🎨

📅Saturday 27 June
🕙11am-3pm
📍Jelly’s stand in the Abbey Ruins
💵Free
🎟️drop in

Cyanotype is an environmentally friendly photographic process that produces rich blue prints. We have materials for 240 participants — so get there early! It's first come, first served, with no booking required. Just turn up and get creative.

✨Open for Art 19-28 June 2026. A festival celebrating all things creative.🎨 Join us for workshops, talks, arts trails and more. We’re turning Reading town centre into a space to pause, REFLECT, create.🎪

Open for Art is funded by Arts Council England.

13/06/2026

Just 2 weeks to go until Water Fest 2026!

Get ready for a fantastic day of live music, theatre performances by Progress Theatre and Reading Rep Theatre, and engaging activities hosted by Becoming Mums and Nature Nurture. Enjoy creative workshops by Jelly, explore a wide range of charity and community stalls, and indulge in great food. You can also take part in activities in the Historia Normannis Reading village, join the duck race and find out more about sustainable fashion!

And that's not all! Join us for a fun-filled day set in the stunning surroundings of Forbury Gardens, Abbey Ruins and the River Kennet.

📅 Saturday 27 June
🕚 11am – 5pm
🎟️ Free & family-friendly!

Start planning your day with the official brochure - link in the comments ⬇️

The Water Fest 2026 brochure is now LIVE! 🎉Check out the full programme in the comments and start planning your day! Fro...
12/06/2026

The Water Fest 2026 brochure is now LIVE! 🎉
Check out the full programme in the comments and start planning your day! From live performances and creative workshops to family-friendly activities, there's something for everyone ⬇️

Address

Reading Borough Council, Civic Centre
Reading
RG17AE

Telephone

+441189372771

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Reading Water Fest posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Share

Category