A vibrant community that proudly maintains its town status, preserving the unique character and quality of life that makes Reading special.
Reading isn't just a town. It's a thriving community that's managed to balance urban development with green spaces, economic growth with community values, and progress with heritage.
With over 900 years of history, Reading has preserved its cultural identity while embracing modern development.
Over 100 parks and playgrounds provide residents with accessible natural retreats within an urban setting.
A thriving technology sector and strategic Thames Valley location make Reading a powerhouse without city status.
From the world-famous Reading Festival to local museums and events, culture thrives in our town.
A tongue-in-cheek look at why being overlooked for city status is actually the best thing that ever happened to us.
Reading has applied for city status four times. That's 2000, 2002, 2012, and 2022. Each time the Royal Family graciously overlooked us. At this point it's less of a rejection and more of a tradition. We've got a whole collection of "thanks, but no thanks" letters. It's almost as if they're saying "you're perfect just the way you are!"
We're taking it as a compliment.
Reading has over 174,000 residents. Some UK cities are, well, let's just say they're pretty small. St Davids in Wales has a population of just 1,841 people. That's smaller than some of our housing estates! Clearly city status isn't about size. It's about something else entirely.
We're perfectly happy being the largest town that could be a city but chooses not to be.
Once upon a time, having a cathedral was your golden ticket to city status. But here's the thing. Towns like Dunblane have cathedrals without the city title. Meanwhile places like Brighton & Hove are cities without cathedrals. Reading's Abbey ruins are a testament to our rich history. We don't need a cathedral to shine.
We've got character, and that's better than a fancy title anyway.
Reading has a thriving economy, world-class festivals, over 100 parks, and a community spirit that cities would kill for. Why would we want to trade that for a title that comes with extra paperwork and the pressure to act more "city-like"? We're perfectly happy being the coolest town in the UK.
It's like being the best band that never got signed. We've got street cred.
Reading Festival started in 1971, making it one of the UK's longest-running music festivals. Its sister site? Leeds Festival. Leeds has been a city since 1893. But here's the thing. We started the festival. They got the sister site later. So while they've been a city for over 130 years, we're the ones who had the vision to create one of the world's most iconic music festivals.
Sometimes the best ideas come from towns, not cities.
Reading ticks every box for city status. We've got everything a city needs, except the desire to be one.
Applying for city status isn't free. Here's what it might cost us..
All for a title we don't even want.
Join our campaign. Just say no to city status.