What's on in Reading this month

September means a new school term for the kids – and a new season for our wonderful cultural community. From local theatre and heritage to big name comedy and medieval jousting, there’s no shortage of variety this month! And summer festival season lives on with live music, vegan food and Reading showing its pride, too. We struggled to narrow down the highlights of What’s On in September in Reading – do head to whatsonreading.com for so much more!

All The Ding’s A Stage | Various Dates

Whether you’re looking for a professional or amateur production, there’s plenty of theatre to get stuck into this month. Progress Theatre open their 80^th season with an adaptation of Cold Comfort Farm on 3-12 Sept; The University of Reading, home of The Samuel Beckett Archive, presents Beckett’s Not I on 19 & 20 Sept; South Street welcomes Fringe First winner Monstering The Rocketman, the tale of Elton John vs The Sun, on 23 Sept; and Dracula begins its run at Reading Rep Theatre on 23 Sept, too.

It Was Agatha All Along | Various Dates

This year marks the 100th anniversary of Agatha Christie's infamous disappearance, just down the road in Sunningdale. So the Royal Berkshire Archives will be holding a brand new exhibition on Christie beginning on 22 Sept, which it will include the only known surviving copy of the missing persons poster produced by Wokingham police. And, as chance would have it, The Mill At Sonning's next production is Christie's The Mirror Crack'd, starring Liza Goddard as Miss Marple. There's a joke about giving her a clue, but we're not going to make it...

Reading Pride | 5 September

Reading Pride's annual parade and festival returns to the town centre and King’s Meadow (respectively), with a line-up of loads of local and national acts all doing their bit, from some of Reading’s favourite drag queens to pop princess Lolly! And there are plenty of fringe events and after-parties in venues all over town, too!

Down At The Abbey Festival | 11 & 12 September

Returning to Reading Abbey Ruins, Down At The Abbey is a music festival like no other, where fantastic contemporary bands perform in the shadow of our 900-year-old landmark. This year’s line-up sees cool touring names like Joshua Idehen, Ibibio Sound Machine and Anthony Szmierek performing alongside local faves like Ma Bessie, Dolly & The Clothes Pegs and The Race, making their first live performance in over a decade.

Reading Raga Resonance | 12 September

The Kala Festival 2026 once again makes a stop at The Great Hall, Reading University for a pair of concerts where traditional Indian music meets contemporary creativity. In the afternoon, it’s Bow, Beat, and Breath, showcasing the mesmerising musical dialogue of the soulful Sarangi and the dynamic rhythms of the Tabla. And in the evening, it’s Slide & Strum on The Mystic Frets, an extraordinary collaboration between three masterful artists from different musical worlds: Indian Slide Guitar maestro Pandit Debasis Chakroborty, guitarist Giuliano Moderalli from the UK, and Sam Evans on Tabla from Australia.

Heritage Open Days | 12 - 20 September

The annual celebration of our buildings, natural and cultural heritage returns for 2026 with more walks, talks, tours and other events that give you a “peek behind the curtain”. From the chance to explore some of Reading’s oldest buildings, to venues and collections that aren’t often open to the public, to events that celebrate this year’s theme of “Everyday Histories”, there’s so much to discover.

Paul Merton and Suki Webster's Improv Show | 12 September

If you were a fan of “Who’s Line is it Anyway?” back in the day, this is the show for you! An evening of sensational improvised comedy hosted by two of the UK’s masters of improvisation with their old friend, improv virtuoso, Mike McShane and a host of very special guests. Expect fast and fabulously funny improvised games, scenes, stories and laugh out loud surrealism.

Medieval Jousting Weekend | 12 & 13 September

Dinton Pastures is home to a thrilling weekend of historical action, with food, crafts and entertainment for the whole family. Witness the thrill of jousting, marvel at birds of prey, and try your hand at archery and axe throwing! Truly, a knight to remember!

Reading Vegan Festival | 19 September

The Reading Vegan Festival will take over the town centre once more, with of 50 stalls offering all manner of vegan wares, from dairy-free cakes and artisan cheezes to homeware, unique gifts and more. There’ll also be talks, entertainment, kids activities and much more throughout the day!

Cinema Events | Various Dates

If you’re bored of the same old blockbusters, there’s plenty of alternative film fun to be had this month. On 5 Sept, choose from an open-air evening of adventure documentary films at Basildon Park, or a night of horror shorts at Reading Biscuit Factory. And on 26 Sept, the Through A Different Lens Film Festival returns to the Biscuit Factory, with film screenings, Q&A sessions and more. Plus – if you want a night listening to some of the best movie (and TV) themes of the 80s & 90s played by a bunch of middle-aged blokes, catch Not A Band at the Facebar on 4 Sept!

Alfie Moore: Warm Up Show | 25 September

Copper-turned-comedian Alfie Moore returns with a fun-filled, interactive ‘warm up’ show ahead of recording Series 10 of his award-winning BBC Radio 4 comedy ‘It’s A Fair Cop’. Alfie ‘swears in’ the audience as police officers before sharing a brand new, real-life scenario from his ‘casebook’. He playfully challenges the ‘audience cops’ to say what they would’ve done in his shoes – with often unexpected and entertaining results!

An Evening with Nigel Mansell | 26 September

The iconic racing driver comes to The Hexagon for an evening of stories and insights into his stellar career. From his start in Formula Ford and Formula 3 to his 15 seasons in Formula 1, the last driver to be personally selected by Enzo Ferrari has plenty of tales to tell. And there are meet and greet add-ons if you really want to take your evening up a gear!