![Reading Festival has laid out its Look Out For The Planet pledge ahead of its return next week, bringing measures set to promote sustainability. Picture: Luke Dyson [LukeDyson.com]](https://wokingham.today/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Img1871502.jpg)
READING Festival, sponsored by Pepsi Max, has laid out its Look Out For The Planet pledge ahead of its return next week, bringing a slew of measures set to promote sustainability in live music events.
It features a number of initiatives aimed at minimising the event’s environmental impact as well as helping attendees reduce their own impact.
Among the moves announced as part of the programme are a move by organisers to power one of the stages entirely through green, fossil-fuel-free energy.
It marks a first-of-its-kind partnership between the festival, Grid Faeries, and Ecotricity, who are teaming up to power the brand-new Ballroom Stage.
Utilising the Grid Faeries battery system and green energy supplied by Ecotricity, it marks another major milestone in bringing large-scale renewable power to the UK festival industry.
The Grid Faeries system the stored energy and additional wind and solar generation could power an average UK home for 425 days.
Elsewhere, the Campsite Clearance Commitment sees a new initiative implemented at both festival sites which commits to the Festival Campsites being cleared and returned to their natural state within two weeks following the festival.
Litter picking group volunteers from Litter Free Leeds and Life’s A Beach will be in the campsites at Leeds and Reading respectively, engaging with and encouraging attendees to be proactive about keeping tidy campsites.
100%-compostable and plastic-free food and drinks packaging and cutlery have been implemented across the festival; all drinks from bars and food vendors are served in aluminium cans, paper cups, or recyclable tetrapak.
The festival is also teaming up with local repair cafes, bringing campsite ‘reparium’ stalls focused on extending the lifespan of campsite gear by fixing items rather than allowing them to be discarded.
Festivalgoers can bring broken or damaged items to the hub to be fixed by a group of volunteers, including campsite gear and clothing.
Both festival sites have also teamed up with over 50 local community groups and charities to redistribute any usable materials post-festival.
Food donations will be collected by Oxford Food Hub.
Attendees are also encouraged to consider green travel options, like public transport, to and from the festival.
Besides the environmental initiatives, Reading Festival is also seeing the return of AIR (assistance, information, and response) Hubs.
They provide a 24 hour facility over and above the existing security and stewarding teams, situated in multiple locations in and amongst the camping areas, bringing extra support from community groups such as Reading Schools, CGL, Berkshire Women’s Aid, Safer Spaces, Sport in Mind, Oxfam, Aurora New Dawn, and Soulscape.
Similarly, Event Well is working with organisers to bring a space which can be used by anyone who may be feeling overwhelmed or overstimulated on-site, offering a quiet environment to calm down.
Initiatives such as #LookOutForEachOther and Ask For Angela will be in effect across the site, as well as Stamp Out Spiking and anti-violence against women and girls policies.
Melvin Benn, Managing Director of Festival Republic, said: “As a leading festival in the global festival calendar, Reading and Leeds Festival takes our responsibility to open up new sustainability models and initiatives with the utmost importance.
“This year we’re happy to unveil new measures across campsites, staging and within the local community which shows how a festival’s impact can be positive for the environment.
“It’s vitally important in this partnership that the festival works with its fans to achieve this goal–and we look forward to continuing the great work of recent years with festival fans in 2026.”
Reading Festival returns to Richfield Avenue from Friday-Sunday, August 28-30.
More information and tickets are available via: readingfestival.com
