Centenary Community Festival 2026

Saturday 16 May | 12pm - 5pm - Community Festival

Sunday 17 May | 12pm - 5pm  - RAG Parade & Forbury Gardens Festival

Celebrate 100 years with us! The annual Community Festival is back and better than ever with a full line-up of activities, music and so much more!

In the celebration of our Centenary Year, the festival has been renamed the Centenary Community Festival, celebrating everything you know and love about the event, with added excitement for this milestone year.

Join us on Saturday 16 May at the Whiteknights Campus for a free, family‑friendly day packed with activities, live music, performances and more. The festival brings together local residents, alumni, researchers, community groups and small businesses for a vibrant programme including workshops, sports, community stands, craft stalls, street food, and a wide range of research‑inspired activities and talks. It’s everything you know and love about the festival, only bigger, brighter and even more special for our Centenary year. Come and be part of the celebration, you won’t want to miss it!

Day 2 of our Centenary Community Festival sees the celebrations move from campus into the heart of Reading town. We’ll be bringing the festival spirit to Forbury Gardens, where the historic RAG Parade returns to the centre of Reading for an afternoon of live entertainment, stalls, and a fantastic opportunity for students and the wider community to come together and raise money for charity.

Keep an eye on our website for updates on this year's festival. If you have any questions please email communityfestival@reading.ac.uk