However you choose to celebrate Christmas, the festive season in Reading will offer everyone a way to make the most of the holiday period.
The Christmas season kicked off last weekend with a spectacular Lights Switch On in Reading town centre, accompanied by a festive market with a huge selection of food, drink, craft stalls and live music.
This year’s brand new Christmas lights display features 800,000 LED festive lights, and centrepieces which showcase the town’s rich history and cultural heritage from Henry I and Oscar Wilde to the No. 17 bus and Reading Football Club.
There’s plenty going on throughout the Christmas season in Reading, with highlights including:
- Reading’s Christmas stalls in Broad Street, open every day from 16 November until 31 December.
- Reading’s Lantern Parade, GLOW, on 7 December.
- December weekends – live music, stilt walkers on 1 and 8 December, children’s story time on 15 December and exciting character visits including the Snow Queen and Huggable Snowman on 21 December and Father Christmas on 22 December.
- Across the town don’t miss Reading Hexagon’s pantomime, Cinderella, starring Justin Fletcher, opening on 7 December.
- Reading’s very own Winter Wonderland returns to Hills Meadow from 9 November.
- Santa’s Grotto at Broad Street Mall opens from 22 November.
- Wellington Illuminova light trail returns to Wellington Country Park from 22 November.
- Reading Rep’s The Snow Queen opens on 29 November.
Christmas shopping in Reading couldn’t be easier, with three shopping centres, well-loved department stores and the pedestrianised Broad Street all within a short stroll.
Choose from over 250 well-known high street brands including M&S, John Lewis, H&M, Primark and Zara, as well as a growing hub of over 80 wonderful, independent businesses selling everything from comics to board games.
Reading’s indies are full of local, hard-working heroes selling unique products and local produce. Late night shopping is available during the season, making those last-minute dashes a breeze.
Whether you’re looking for somewhere to host your office Christmas party, planning festive drinks with your nearest and dearest or a Christmas lunch, Reading has an unrivalled selection of bars, pubs and restaurants, from independent taphouses to 5-star hotels and everything in between. Our festive menus (with and without turkey) are sure to match all tastes and budgets.
As one of the best-connected towns in the Southeast, getting home is never an issue in Reading. Visitors will find trains a plenty, an award-winning bus network and park & rides extending all over the greater Reading region and plenty of parking right in the centre of town.
So, however you Christmas… you’ll find lots of ideas to make the most of the festive season in Reading. For more information, head to visit-reading.com/Christmas, or follow @visitrdg on Instagram, Facebook and X.
