Reading festivalgoers head home in their muddied wellies and trainers after fun-filled weekend despite heavy rain and thunderstorms - with further showers over coming days

Festivalgoers at Reading Festival faced continued heavy rain and thunderstorms on Saturday, prompting the Met Office to issue a new weather warning. Thousands of attendees, many still in their muddy wellies and rain gear, began to leave the event’s site as the weekend drew to a close. The festival, which ran from Friday to Sunday, saw performers such as Charli XCX, Chase & Status, Dave, Florence + The Machine, Fontaines DC and Raye take to the stage amid the relentless downpours. Despite the challenging conditions, festivalgoers remained engaged, enjoying live music, drinking and socializing, though signs of weariness were evident as they departed. The festival, held at Little John's Farm, attracted tens of thousands of visitors who arrived as early as Thursday. However, the site was repeatedly hit by intense rainfall throughout the weekend, forcing attendees to rely on waterproof clothing and footwear. Many were photographed walking through puddles, some even resorting to wrapping blow-up beds around their shoulders to stay warm. Others rested atop their overnight bags, which had become soaked during the deluge. The site became littered with abandoned tents, discarded personal belongings and large quantities of waste, reflecting the impact of the prolonged wet weather. The Met Office issued a yellow weather warning for flooding, hail and lightning on Saturday, highlighting the severity of the situation. The warning was followed by additional forecasts indicating that western parts of Britain would remain under the threat of heavy rain and thunderstorms into Monday. While the west was expected to see drier conditions later in the day, the north could experience extended periods of rain overnight. The forecast described the coming days as changeable, with a mix of showers and occasional thunder, though temperatures were predicted to remain normal for early September. Artists performed under difficult conditions, including British rapper Skepta, who kept his hood up during a performance on Friday as rain battered The Grid stage. London-born singer Raye took to the stage on the festival’s closing night, while Florence + The Machine headlined the event’s final night on Sunday. Despite the adverse weather, these performances added to the festival’s vibrant atmosphere, even as many attendees struggled to make their way home. As the weekend progressed, images circulated showing the extent of the damage caused by the rain. A single welly lay abandoned on the festival grounds, while bags, camping chairs and rubbish were dragged out of the site by departing attendees. One image showed a bag lying strewn across the ground, a visual representation of the chaos left behind by the weekend’s downpours. Other photographs captured festivalgoers in disheveled states, some wearing dirty pyjamas and others carrying damaged personal items, all signs of the festival’s struggle against the elements. The Met Office’s chief forecaster, Dan Suri, noted that the coming week would bring unpredictable weather, with all regions likely to see a combination of showers or dry spells. This forecast suggests that the challenges faced by festivalgoers may persist, with the potential for further disruption in the days ahead. As the site continues to recover from the aftermath of the rain, the focus shifts to cleanup efforts and the long-term implications of such extreme weather conditions on future events.