Reading’s Popular Children’s Festival Returns for its 36th Year!

Reading’s ever-popular Children's Festival gets off to an exciting start on Saturday 10 May with Forbury Fiesta, set in the picturesque surroundings of Forbury Gardens, where there will be something for everyone from sport and music workshops to arts and craft sessions.

Fun activities for all the family include:

• Theatretrain performing a musical medley and dance workshops
• Universal Voices, performing songs from musicals, traditional music from around the world, pop songs and classical music
• Signature Senior Lifestyle will be bringing a free children's craft station and a mini petting zoo
• Tilehurst Beekeepers’ stall with an interactive virtual hive
• Circus workshops with juggling, unicycling, hand-held stilts, diabolos, spinning plates and walking the tight wire
• Afro and Hip-Hop workshops offered by Reading Vibes with Aaliyah

This year marks the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birth. Jane, and her sister Cassandra, attended the Reading Ladies Boarding School from 1785-1786 and Waterstones will be celebrating the occasion at Forbury Fiesta by running Jane Austen themed story times.

Meet Jamie from Prior’s Court, who will be opening the main stage programme at Forbury Fiesta with a fantastic performance. Jamie is a young adult living at Prior's Court, a Berkshire-based charity providing care and education for autistic young people with complex needs. Jamie has a real passion for the performing arts, using it to express himself in a way he otherwise couldn’t.

And children from Katesgrove Primary School have written and will be performing their very own original song for this year’s Children's Festival around the theme of HOPE.

There will additionally be sports which this year includes martial arts, fencing, cycling and archery, plus tombola’s, the usual amazing food and drink stalls, face painting and lots more.

Forbury Fiesta will be followed by three weeks of exciting low-cost family events taking place at venues across Reading. These will include fun exploratory and experimental sessions for children between the ages of 7 - 11yrs at Jelly’s Family Art Space, and a series of new and fun challenges and activities coming to all seven Reading libraries, launching May half-term, and running until the end of the summer.

There will be Children’s Festival events across the borough including;

• Fourbears Fest on Saturday 17 May and Sunday 18 May
• The Abbey’s Festival of Sport – Saturday 17 May
• Reading Symphony Orchestra Children’s Concert – Saturday 17 May
• The Street-style Doodle Art Wall at Station Hill – Saturday 24 May
• Reading Canoe Club Taster Sessions – Monday 26 and Tuesday 27 May
• Palmer Park Multi-Activity Day – Tuesday 27 May
• Green Park Reading 10k and Family Fun Runs – Sunday 1 June

Find out about all the Children’s Festival events https://www.reading.gov.uk/leisure/things-to-do/events/reading-childrens-festival-2025/

Adele Barnett-Ward, Reading Borough Council’s Lead Councillor for Leisure and Culture said “I’m delighted our fantastic Children’s Festival is returning for its 36^th year. Last year more than 10,000 visitors joined in, and this year let’s make it even more.”

“The Council’s Children’s Festival is always maximum full-on fun for children and parents alike, do pop along and try something new at Forbury Fiesta and during the three weeks of fun free and affordable events across the borough.”

FM Conway is delighted to sponsor the 2025 Reading Children’s Festival. FM Conway is proud to support Reading as a place for people to live, work, and play. We wish the Children’s Festival all the best for another successful year!