What's on in Reading this month

June really brough the heat – and July will turn that heat up with a hotter-than-hot calendar of events celebrating some of our best local talent while welcoming plenty of national and international visitors, too. We’ve got choral concerts and community celebrations, top tribute artists and indie icons, music festivals and open-air theatre – and, of course, the start of the summer holidays with plenty of fun for kids. Check out our highlights of What’s On in Reading in July – and, as always, don’t forget to check whatsonreading.com for so much, much more!

Nowt as choir as folk – various dates

Plenty of our local choirs will be in full voice this month, serving up summer concerts to raise spirits and smiles. On 2 July Chorate Chamber Choir shake up “A Summer Cocktail”; Thames Vale Singers sing “Songs for a Summer Evening” on both 4 & 5 July; Reading Haydn Choir perform European Choral Gems on 5 July; 6 July brings Berkshire Music Trust’s Berkshire Choirs Festival; Reading Bach Choir sing “With Heartfelt Joy” on 12 July; and on 19 July, Thames Valley Gay Chorus say “Life Goes By Too Quickly: Let’s Love and Party With Pride”.

The Big Comedy Bash – 3 July

The Hexagon once again hosts this exciting night of comedy, with a host of top names doing a turn in support of the Slapstick Comedy Festival. This time round, the legendary Griff Rhys Jones is on hosting duties, introducing an all-star line-up of laughmakers: Jayde Adams, Stephen K Amos, Andy Hamilton, Lucy Porter, Debra Stephenson and Nabil Abulrashid.

Theatre at South Street – Various dates

From local theatre-makers to international visitors, there’s plenty of theatre to enjoy at South Street this month. On 3 & 4 July, it’s The Man, a brilliant, funny, and deeply moving one-man play that takes a candid look at the moments, objects, and memories that define a life; Mark Thomas and writer Ed Edwards test drive a few ideas for their new play Ordinary Decent Criminal on 11 July; South Street Youth Theatre present Zoned / Truthspeak on 15 & 16 July; award-winning, Reading-based theatre-makers Dogmouth Theatre power up the anarchic, high energy, dark comedy Sluts With Consoles on 23 July; and New York City-based, writer/performer company of two Xhloe and Natasha return on 25-27 July with a trio of Edinburgh preview shows.

Find the Flock: Shaun the Sheep Trail – from 5 July

Get ready for a baa-rilliant summer adventure in Reading town centre! Everyone’s favourite woolly friend, Shaun the Sheep, is in town with a FREE family-friendly trail that turns a day out in Reading into an exciting hunt for 12 giant Shaun sculptures. Each one has been uniquely decorated by talented artists, and they’re waiting to be discovered in key spots all across the town centre.

Berkshire Motor Show – 7 July

The Berkshire Motor Show returns to Prospect Park, promising a great event for car lovers and fun for all the family, too. As well as classic cars and bikes, trucks, 4x4s and other vehicles, there's plenty of other things to see and do, including Rebel Buckshot Drifters (wild west living history), a funfair, archery and even World War Wrestling!

Summer Garden Late at The MERL – 9 July

The Museum of English Rural Life invite you to a summer soiree in their garden, and to drop in on an informal conversation with award-winning photographer and farmer Amy Bateman, whose stunning MERL exhibition Forty Farms captures the heart of Lake District farming. The galleries will stay open for the night so you can also explore and browse the collections at your leisure. No formal lecture. A gentle mix of open galleries, garden views, and inspiring stories to dip into as you like. Come for a wander, stay for a drink, and enjoy the museum in a whole new light.

Chilterns Walking and Vineyards tour – 12 July

Local walk leaders Walk Works are hosting a second date of this most unique walking tour. Explore 13km of our local natural heritage as you walk between four local vineyards, meeting the winemakers and enjoying eight wine tastings (and a two-course lunch) throughout the day, all led by a pair of experienced walk leaders with a knowledgeable wine guide on hand all day, too! The first date sold out fast, so don’t deliberate too long…

Bastille Day Festival – 12 & 13 July

Forbury Gardens will soon have that certain je ne sais quoi again with the return of Bastille Day Festival, a two-day celebration of all kinds of French culture, with lots of live performances, some wonderful food and much more! Plus, 12th-century reenactment group Historia Normannis Reading will take you back to the time of the Norman conquest, with dynamic and exciting combat, displays of woodwork, leatherworking & cooking and more!

Open-Air Theatre – various dates

They say “all the world’s a stage”, and this month that becomes rather literal with some wonderful outdoor theatre performances. We’ll get our annual visits from Mikron Theatre with two shows across four different waterway-adjacent locales throughout the month: Operation Beach Hut (the deep history of the seaside floats to the surface) and Hush Hush (a world of secrets, songs and cyphers at Bletchley Park). And on 23 July-7 August, the Abbey Ruins plays host to Secret Shakespeare and a never-before-seen immersive Macbeth breaking the fourth wall between actors and audience.

Heritage Live weekender – 19-22 July

The grounds of historic Englefield House once again play host to a long weekend of wonderful live concerts featuring a breadth of musical stars and styles. This year’s concerts offer up The Wombats w/ Doves, Hard-Fi and Alfie Templeman on 17 July; Ministry of Sound Classical w/ Paul Oakenfold, David Morales, Judge Jules & Fish56Octagon on 18 July; The Jacksons w/ Sister Sledge and Boney M on 19 July; and The Beach Boys (only UK show in 2025!) w/ David Essex & Lulu on 20 July!

Marvellous Festival – 19 & 20 July

The UK’s original and longest-running tribute act festival returns to Dinton Pasture for two more days of music that’s even better than the real thing! This year’s line-up is headlined by Definitely Might Be on the Saturday – perfect for anyone who missed out on Oasis tickets – and Flash on the Sunday, bringing all kinds of Queen magic!

Summer Holiday Camps – from 28 July

As the summer holidays kick in, so too do weeklong workshops where creative kids can hone their skills and have lots of fun. Wild City Collective host a Wild Summer Camp with wild wellbeing, fires, crafts, cooking and muddy play for 4-11 yr olds. Reading School of Dance’s Summer Dance Workshops return for a week of classes with some fab guest teachers. And there are plenty of “play in a week” theatre camps from Reading Rep Theatre, Berzerk Productions and RABBLE Theatre, with plenty more from each as the summer goes on, too!