When we (organisers Heavy Pop) launched the first event, in the autumn of 2019, it was with the expectation it would take three successive event years of hard work and our financial investment to get the event to a...
Did you join us in the Ruins earlier this month? Fancy winning tickets to next year's festival? Just complete our post-festival survey here, and you’ll be entered into our Prize Draw to win a pair of weekend day tickets...
Look sharper than King Henry I! Yes, you can now buy our ethically sourced, screen-printed Monk T-shirts, hoodies & embroidered beanies from our shop. Heavy Pop Friends with Benefits Ambassadors also get a 10% discount.
We are excited to share that with our partners at Siren. We've created a festival case of beer inspired by our act with a mix of 8 hoppy, hazy, crisp and sessionable beers. The Down at the Abbey box...
Yes, Adult day tickets will move to Tier 2 pricing this - Monday 28th August @ 6pm! Join us in the 900yr old Reading Abbey Ruins for two days of live music and more this September! All stages times...
Stage times, the free kids activities and our local food traders are now live on our website! Siren Craft Brew pints under £6! Tickets move to Tier 2 pricing on the Aug bank holiday weekend, so if you are...
We’re looking for Volunteers to help out at the festival within the stunning Abbey Ruins on Fri 8th (evening) and Sat 9th Sept (day and evening). We need fun, reliable music lovers to do a number of roles and...
We are pleased to unveil the new artists joining our cosmic jazz Friday headliners The Comet Is Coming across our two stages - with no clashes. Our new artists are Manchester's forward-thinking synth-pop band W. H. Lung who have been...
We wanted you to be the first to know that Early Bird Saturday and Weekend day tickets end and move to Tier 1 pricing this Friday (21st) at 10 am. Join us for the 3rd edition of Down at...
Festival season is very much underway and we are pleased to unveil a list of new artists joining BC Camplight and Los Bitchos on our Saturday line-up across our two stages - with no clashes. New artists include the stunning vocals of Los Angeles residing/UK born...
Huge congratulations to our Saturday headliner BC Camplight who has reached No. 4 in the Official Vinyl Albums Chart with his new acclaimed album, The Last Rotation Of Earth (SUNDAY TIMES - Album of the week, 5 stars “A...
BC Camplight returns to Down at the Abbey to headline our Saturday evening and will be performing material off his new album, The Last Rotation Of Earth, (out 12th May via Bella Union - John Grant, The Flaming Lips)....
We are over the moon to announce that the acclaimed London-based cosmic trio The Comet Is Coming are our first announcement for Down at the Abbey 2023, and will headline Friday night. The band have garnered critical acclaim...
We are back! Down at the Abbey Early Bird Tickets are now on sale here for Friday 8th and Saturday 9th September. We'll be making a headliner announcement soon and previous headliners include BC Camplight and Snapped Ankles, so...
Dear Down at the Abbey supporters, The last few years have been incredibly challenging for our small team. We were extremely happy to be able to deliver Down at the Abbey last September, albeit in very testing circumstances; and...
Our Down at the Abbey Festival beer partner Siren Craft Brew presents Siren Time Hops Beer Festival 2022 at University of Reading on Sat 30 July. A whole day of great beer, street food + entertainment from DJs...
Hello, We can't believe it's festival season already! We are thrilled to reveal our first line-up for this year's festival featuring exciting acts such as the amazing indie brother-duo Field Music, who headline our Saturday Main Stage, Ben Marwood, Pale...
Wow! Thank you for making Down At The Abbey 2021 so special. After two long years, it felt so good to be back in the Reading Abbey Ruins last weekend. Thanks so much to all the volunteers, crew, bar...
With only a few days to go until we return to the 900-year-old Abbey Ruins, we can now reveal our stage times! You can purchase tickets for both days here. - Friday (10th) Warm-Up Times - For more info,...
Today (1st Sept) is your last chance to buy Saturday Adult tickets before they increase from THURSDAY 2ND SEPTEMBER so save yourself the price of a posh sandwich or the price of a pint and get your tickets now!...
Headlining the Warm-Up Party is the big seven-piece Soul band The Mark II. Delivering big 60s Soul and Motown classics - they’ll bring the tunes that will get everyone up and dancing. Also bringing well-known classics are The Skandal....
Saturday 7th August - Down at the Tap Yard @ Siren Craft Brew - A mini-festival to promote Down at the Abbey - Siren Tap Yard, Marino Way, Finchampstead RG40 4RF 1pm - 8pm // Music from 2pm -...
Dear friends, Following on from the government’s extension of the current lockdown restrictions until the 19th July, we thought it was best to reassure our audience that we are confident that Down At The Abbey 2021 will still go...
Hello We've added Middle Eastern funk-psych band Flamingods, Krautrock-inspired The Utopia Strong who feature Kavus Torabi (Gong), multi-instrumentalist Michael York and 80s Snooker legend Steve Davis(!), 6Music championed post-punk mob Do Nothing, along with the soulful Jen Berkova and ex Morning Runner singer Matthew Greener to our line-up. The newly announced acts...
Hello, We are thrilled to reveal our first line-up featuring some great artists including Snapped Ankles, LoneLady and more! Tickets are on-sale now.
Hello, Down at the Abbey Festival organisers Heavy Pop have released a limited edition batch-run of ethically sourced merch which is available to buy now! By buying, you are DIRECTLY supporting our festival organisers and helping to secure our future. Head...
Down at the Abbey festival organiser Heavy Pop are independently funded and the impact of the festival not going ahead in 2020 as a result of Covid-19 has been heavy. Local promoter Heavy Pop has lost 100% of its...
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_video link="https://youtu.be/f8Jtdb8pDuA"][vc_column_text]Due to Covid-19, the festival was unable to take place this year so we present a virtual experience which combines live music performances with some historical insight into Reading Abbey and the waterways that feed it. Live music...
Hello, This is a statement we were hoping we wouldn’t have to make but 2020 is the year that keeps on surprising and sadly for the wrong reasons. Due to the current pandemic and wanting to produce a safe...
💙 TAKE US BACK 💙 Check out these beautiful photos taken by Emma Jamieson and remember drinking cold Santo in warm September sun ☀️ Can you spot yourself in any of them? 📸 Tickets for Down at the Abbey 2020 are coming...
😍 THANK YOU 😍 We've just about recovered from Saturday's shenanigans and we want to say a massive 'THANK YOU' to everyone that made Down at the Abbey 2019 so special 🙏 It went better than we could have imagined and we owe it...
"I really miss bad festival beer" said nobody ever That's why we have Siren Craft Brew providing their delicious, award-winning beer at Down at the Abbey Festival Expect flavours that make you dance including... YU LU With Earl Grey...
BE THIS HAPPY We want to flyer neighbourhoods and get posters in all the shops, cafes and offices in Reading Can you help us? If you can help us for a few hours, you'll get a free Festival Ticket...
We're pleased to announce the final acts to play Down At The Abbey in September. We've added mesmeric folkie Rozi Plain, UK indie legend Darren Hayman, globetrotting troubadour Rachael Dadd, award-winning local orchestra Aldworth Philharmonic Soloists, and more will...
FOR RELICS? Reading Abbey was the largest abbey in Western Europe before it was destroyed, and it housed an impressive collection of holy relics... The most famous relic was The Hand of St James, which was brought to the...
Let's Talk About Hugh Hugh Cook was the last abbot of Reading Abbey. Born in 1490 in Faringdon, he became Abbot in 1520 and entered The Big Leagues. As abbot, Hugh got his own coat of arms and became...
