Our History

The Reading Real and Jzz Festival started in 1987 by the Mens 2XI team at Reading Hockey Club as a way of raising funds to purchase an artificial turf pitch for the hockey club. The success of this first small event encouraged the club to run the event again and since then it has grown into an annual social highlight for Reading residents and jazz and beer lovers from miles around.

A firm fixture in the summer calendar, the event is still run entirely by volunteers from the hockey club. A small organising committee with 20 years of festival experience behind them works throughout the year to plan the festival drawing on professional contacts in the jazz world and in local breweries to put together the programme of music and slate of beers.

The site is erected by club members and all the staff at the festival except for professional security and medical staff are working for free to provide you with a top class night of entertainment and raise money for their sport. So why don’t you come and join us this July. You can enjoy a night of quality entertainment run to professional standards whilst supporting your local hockey club, one of the most successful clubs in Europe.

The Venue

The festival is held in Christchurch Meadow Reading. The venue is located a convenient 5 minute walk from Reading station. If you prefer to drive there is car parking available across the road from the festival, and make sure you nominate a designated driver. We have a range of soft drinks available for non-beer drinkers.

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