Free Reading Festival tickets: exclusive free entry guide

Free Reading Festival Tickets

Most music festivals offer free entry in return for various types of volunteering, selling tickets to friends, through paid work at the event, and by countless other means. Check out our exclusive guide to securing free Reading Festival tickets.

Reading Festival takes place on the August bank holiday weekend. The lineup (below) features a wide variety of acts from across the genres. With an increased capacity of 110,000 and a multiplicity of stages, you’ll likely struggle to find yourself bored at Reading.

How to: get free Reading Festival tickets

Information correct as of March 2018

Volunteering with Hotbox Events

Fans can secure free tickets to Reading Festival in return for volunteering with Hotbox Events. Volunteers will be required to complete three eight hour shifts over the weekend of the event, and in return will be given a full weekend wristband absolutely free!

Shifts are allocated in the order deposits are paid, so the sooner you apply, the better. The festival is just one of the opportunities available with Hotbox Events, who also offer spots at Download, Latitude, RiZE, and Leeds. Hotbox volunteers fulfil a unique role, providing general advice, information, and assistance to those that need it.

In return for free Reading Festival tickets, volunteers are required to complete three 8 hour shifts across the weekend. Applicants are able to specify which shifts they would prefer, in order to ensure they get to see their favourite artists’ performances. A refundable deposit of £95-£145 is required, which is returned 30 days after the festival. Conveniently, a single deposit can be used for free entry to multiple festivals, potentially giving you access to four amazing weekends totally free of charge.

Hotbox claim that each year, over half of their volunteers join them alone the first time, then return each year to meet up with friends they’ve made volunteering. You can find their application form for this year on their official website.

Free Reading Festival tickets: exclusive free entry guide 1

The current Reading festival lineup poster

Volunteering with Oxfam

Oxfam offer free entry to Reading Festival in return for working three eight hour shifts. A refundable deposit of £220 is payable, which will be returned provided all shifts are completed as promised. In addition to free Reading Festival tickets, Oxfam volunteers are provided with secure camping, hot tea & coffee, phone charging, and one meal token per shift.

The roles available with Oxfam include checking wristbands at the main entrance and the arena entrance, wristband exchanges, disability viewing platforms, and stewarding within the arena. Shop volunteers are also required, who will work a different shift pattern, usually every day of the event. Shop volunteers have first access to the awesome clothing sold in the festival Oxfam charity shop, which is known to stockpile the best Oxfam charity shop donations from across the country.

Check out Oxfam’s application system for Reading Festival here.

Other ways to get free Reading Festival tickets

As of yet, we are unaware of any other organisations offering free entry to Reading Festival. This page will be updated should further opportunities become available. All festivals require thousands of paid staff, most of which will be granted a free ticket to the event. Check with local temporary work agencies and you may find something you love.