Winter Festival 2026

Winter Festival 2026 returns to the Whiteknights Campus on Thursday 26 November, running from 17:30 to 20:00. It's a free, family-friendly evening that spreads across the Palmer Quad, the Palmer Building and the Reading Students' Union, so it's more of a wander than a single show. The main draw is live music under festive lights, with a light switch at 18:15 to kick things off properly.

There's a bit for the kids too. Dr Rebecca Berkley and ITTsoc are running a Festive Winter Sing and Craft Workshop in the Palmer Building, room G03, for children aged 7 to 11. It's first come first served, so if that's the part you're after, it's worth getting there early. Beyond the music and the workshop, there's face painting, reindeer, festive food and drink, and an indoor Winter Market for browsing. It's the kind of evening that works just as well if you're bringing the whole family as it does if you just want to pop in for a drink and a look around.

It's free to attend, and the whole thing runs from 17:30 to 20:00 on Thursday 26 November, with the lights coming on at 18:15. The music, the market, and the reindeer are all spread across the Palmer Quad, the Palmer Building and the Reading Students' Union on the Whiteknights Campus.