Christmas in Reading town centre

Christmas has arrived in Reading town centre! From family-friendly things to do to festive nibbles and merry markets, you don't have to travel far in Reading to get your Christmas fix. Here's what you can expect in the heart Reading town centre this festive season:

Candy Cane stilt walkers

Sunday 1 and Sunday 8 December, Broad St
Visit Reading town centre during the first couple of December weekends and you'll find our Candy Cane Stilt Walkers in Broad Street, spreading festive cheer! Make sure you're in town at 12pm, 1:30pm or 3pm to catch our friendly festive giants - the perfect way to kick start the holiday season and free entertainment for the little ones while you get some Christmas shopping sorted!

Reading Lantern Parade, GLOW

Saturday 7 December
Returning to Reading town centre for it's second year, Reading's very own lantern parade, GLOW, is a magical celebration of light and music. Visit Reading town centre on Saturday 7 December at 5pm to witness a beautiful musical procession making its way from Hosier Street to Town Hall Square. Hundreds of willow and paper lanterns will light up Reading town centre in this magical light display, and you can join in the free workshops running throughout December. 

Magical Christmas storytime 

Sunday 15 December, Reading Biscuit Factory
Experience the magic of the season on Sunday 15^th December, with a free festive storytime from Reading Children’s Book Group. Drop into Reading Biscuit Factory between 1-3pm for stories from Christmas-themed picture books and classic festive tales – no booking required! (All welcome, but this event is best suited to children aged 7 and under.)

Festive character visits

Saturday 21 December, Broad St
Head to Reading's Broad St. on Saturday 21 December to meet some of our best-loved characters. Children can meet the Huggable Snowman and Snow Queen who’ll be sprinkling some festive magic to Reading town centre ahead of the big day. Pop into town between 11am-4pm to meet our festive characters and embrace the holiday magic!

Father Christmas visits Reading

Saturday 22 December, Broad St
Who’s on Santa’s ‘nice’ list this year? Head to Broad Street on Sunday 22 December to find out, as Father Christmas himself pays Reading town centre a visit! If you want to catch him, make sure you head to Broad Street between 11am-1pm where you'll find him greeting shoppers and saying hello to little ones before he flies back to the North Pole. (Rumour has it Santa will be stopping off at some other Reading locations during the festive season - so no excuse to miss him!).

Live music in Reading town centre

Weekends throughout December
You’ll find plenty of live music in Reading town centre across the festive season, kicking off on 16 November at Reading’s Light Switch on. Every Saturday and Sunday throughout December, you'll find a fantastic programme of festive music in Broad Street. From steel bands and choirs, through to soul singers and brass bands - whether you're in town meeting friends, wrapping up your Christmas shopping, or keeping the kids entertained with Reading's festive family activties, you'll find the perfect musical backdrop to get you in the spirit of the season! 

Reading Christmas Markets

16 November - 31 December
Reading's very own Christmas market returns to the town centre with more stalls and longer opening times than ever before! From food and drink to crafts and sweet treats, you'll find a whole host of Christmas stalls open on Broad Street for the entire Christmas season. Don't miss our unique Christmas tree on the roof of our bar! Plus, with live music every Saturday and Sunday in December - it's the perfect festive activity to celebrate the season. And, if Christmas markets are your thing, there are a few in and around town - so make sure they're in the diary!

Reading Christmas shopping

Boasting three shopping centres and a pedestrianised high street with over 250 well-known brands, Reading offers the best Christmas shopping experience in the Thames Valley. Choose from household names such as John Lewis, M&S, Zara, H&M and Primark, as well as 80 independents offering a wonderful variety of quirky Christmas gifts. The best part? Everything is within a short stroll of each other, you'll find plenty of bars and cafes for a well-needed pitstop - and Reading's excellent bus and train connections makes it easy to get to.