‘However you Christmas’, wrap it up in Reading
However you choose to celebrate Christmas, the festive season in Reading will offer everyone a way to make the most of the holiday period.
Christmas Lights switch on
Christmas starts on 16 November with the Lights Switch On and festive market which features a great selection of food, drink and craft stalls and live music from 12:30pm into the evening. There will be a brand-new Christmas lights display for this year comprising 800,000 LED festive lights and showcasing the town’s history and cultural heritage from Henry I and Oscar Wilde to the No. 17 bus and Reading Football Club. The Reading Christmas Lights are funded by Reading town centre businesses through Reading BID.
However you plan to get together… highlights of the season include:-
- Reading’s Lantern Parade, GLOW, on 7 December.
- December weekends - live music, stilt walkers, children’s story time and exciting character visits including 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
- Reading’s Christmas market stalls in Broad Street every day from 16 November until 31 December
However you shop…
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.
However you celebrate…
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.
Get here and home so easily
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 @vistrdg on Instagram, Facebook and X.
