Festival clear-up saw 2.8 tonnes of waste collected

Volunteers at this year's Reading Festival collected 2.8 tonnes of waste and repaired 264 items.

The event saw about 100,000 people attend the festival in Richfield Avenue and it was followed by a major clean-up operation.

Life's a Beach, one of the groups involved, collected 2.8 tonnes of recycling and waste material, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Organiser Festival Republic said two-thirds of tents were taken home in 2025, and its goal was that none were left behind after the event.

The amount of waste left behind at the 2026 event prompted questions about what could be done to track progress on recycling going forward at a Reading Borough Council meeting on 16 September.

Rob White, Green councillor for Park Ward, said: "Reading Festival is one of the UK's biggest and best-known music festivals and brings significant benefits to the town.

"It is an event that Green Party councillors want people to enjoy, however, every year large numbers of tents, sleeping bags, chairs and other equipment are left behind, along with substantial amounts of other waste.

"We want to see Reading Festival become a leader in reducing waste, increasing recycling and minimising its environmental impact."

Finn McGoldrick, the council's lead for environmental services, said the festival was "a huge asset to our town" and generated an estimated £30m for the local economy.

"It is a flagship cultural event and in fact, a rite of passage for many Reading residents," she said.

She said Festival Republic had introduced improved recycling points, free recycling and general waste bags in the campsites, and a volunteer "green team" encouraging people to take their belongings home.

There was also a Recycle to Win campaign, attracting more than 1,000 participants, and a new campsite repair facility run by local repair café volunteers.