The Concert Hall
WHERE
Reading
What it’s like
A working concert hall in the Reading Abbey Quarter hosting touring performances and events, with a café for before or after.
This is a proper working concert hall rather than a fixed exhibition, so what you see depends entirely on what's booked in that week. It sits inside the Reading Abbey Quarter visitor hub, so a trip here can be a performance plus a wander round the wider site rather than a single stop.
Because the programme changes, this isn't the place to turn up on spec expecting something specific for a five-year-old on a Tuesday afternoon. It works best if you check what's actually showing before you commit, then plan the visit around that one event rather than around the venue itself. A touring show or one-off event will have its own running time and suitability, and that's the detail that actually decides whether it's right for your children, not the hall itself.
The building itself is properly accessible, flat floor access from the main entrance, a lift to the upper floors and accessible toilets throughout, which matters if you're navigating with a buggy as much as a wheelchair. The Pantry Café does sandwiches, jacket potatoes, soups and cream teas, with vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options, and it's open Tuesday to Saturday, 10am to 4pm, so it won't help with an evening show but it's there for a daytime one.
Getting there without a car is straightforward if you're coming from London, Oxford or Newbury, with trains running every 15 to 30 minutes and the walk from Reading Station taking 15 to 25 minutes. If you are driving, parking is offsite at The Oracle, Queen's Road or Reading Station car parks rather than on site.
Facilities
Need to know
- Parking
- Available at The Oracle, Queen's Road and Reading Station Car Parks (offsite, cost not stated)
- Food
- The Pantry Café & Kitchen serves freshly made sandwiches, jacket potatoes, soups, scones, cakes, biscuits and cream teas, plus hot
- Wheelchairs
- Fully accessible with flat floor access via main entrance, passenger lift to upper floors, accessible toilets on all floors
- Dogs
- Welcome, including guide dogs
- Getting there by bus or train
- Reading Station 15-25 mins walk
- The programme changes week to week, so it's worth building the visit around a specific event rather than the venue in general
- The café only runs Tuesday to Saturday, 10am to 4pm, so it won't cover an evening performance
- Dogs are welcome inside, including guide dogs
- Parking is offsite, not attached to the hall itself
Plan your visit
What's actually on?
It changes week to week since this is a working concert hall with touring performances and events passing through, so the specific show and its length depend on what's booked in when you go.
Is it suitable for young children?
That depends entirely on the individual performance or event rather than the venue itself, since each one will have its own format and running time.
Do we need to book?
The box office is open Monday to Saturday, 10am to 4pm, for booking and enquiries.
Is there parking?
Not on site. The nearest options are The Oracle, Queen's Road and Reading Station car parks nearby.
What's the café like?
The Pantry Café does sandwiches, jacket potatoes, soups, scones and cream teas, with vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options, Tuesday to Saturday from 10am to 4pm.
Is it accessible with a buggy or wheelchair?
Yes, flat floor access from the main entrance, a passenger lift to upper floors and accessible toilets on every floor.
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