The Air Navigation (Restriction of Flying) (Reading Festival) Regulations 2026

Published: Fri 7th Aug 26

Restricted the use of unmanned aircraft in the vicinity of the Reading Festival between 26 and 31 August 2026.

These Regulations prohibit the operation of unmanned aircraft below 1,200 feet above mean sea level within a specified area of Reading, Berkshire, during the 2026 Reading Festival.

The restriction applies to all unmanned aircraft from 17:00 UTC on 26 August 2026 until 16:00 UTC on 31 August 2026, with specific exemptions for police air support and aircraft granted permission by the event's Silver Commander.

The Secretary of State issued these rules under the Air Navigation Order 2016 to ensure public safety and security during the gathering.

Arguments For

The Secretary of State asserts that flight restrictions are necessary in the public interest due to the intended gathering of a large number of persons.
The explanatory note states that the Civil Aviation Authority and the Department for Transport agree the restrictions are required for reasons of public safety and security.
The document establishes a specific geographic boundary and altitude limit to manage airspace during a high-occupancy event.

Arguments Against

Licensed drone operators or recreational users may argue the geographic coordinates and altitude limits restrict legitimate flight activities in the Berkshire area.
Private operators might question the process for obtaining permission from the Festival Republic Event Silver Commander, as the criteria for granting such permissions are not detailed in the regulations.
Parties concerned with over-regulation may note the restriction applies for the duration of the event regardless of specific site conditions at any given moment.

Citation and commencement

These Regulations may be cited as the Air Navigation (Restriction of Flying) (Reading Festival) Regulations 2026 and they come into force on 26th August 2026.

This section establishes the official name of the regulations and sets the date they become legally active. The rules take effect on 26 August 2026.

Interpretation

The times referred to in regulation 3(1) are Co-ordinated Universal Time( b ).

( b ) Co-ordinated Universal Time (UTC) is one hour behind British Summer Time (BST).

This section defines the time standard used throughout the document.

It clarifies that all listed times use Co-ordinated Universal Time (UTC), which is one hour behind British Summer Time.

Restricted airspace

-(1) Subject to paragraph (2), during the period beginning with 1700 hours on 26th August 2026 and ending with 1600 hours on 31st August 2026 no unmanned aircraft is to fly below 1,200 feet above mean sea level within the area bounded by straight lines joining successively the following points-

(a) 512758N 0005842W,
(b) 512753N 0005840W,
(c) 512749N 0005915W,
(d) 512742N 0005922W,
(e) 512747N 0010015W,
(f) 512752N 0010045W,
(g) 512759N 0010108W,
(h) 512812N 0010125W,
(i) 512817N 0010118W,
(j) 512832N 0010112W,
(k) 512822N 0010030W,
(l) 512806N 0010031W,
(m) 512812N 0010012W,
(n) 512814N 0005956W,
(o) 512809N 0005935W,
(p) 512806N 0005918W,
(q) 512803N 0005850W, and
(r) 512758N 0005842W.

(2) Paragraph (1) does not apply to any unmanned aircraft-

(a) flying in accordance with a permission issued by the Festival Republic Event Silver Commander, or
(b) operated by or on behalf of a police air support unit.

This section prohibits unmanned aircraft from flying below 1,200 feet within a specific geographic area defined by 18 coordinate points.

The ban is active from late afternoon on 26 August until the afternoon of 31 August 2026.

Two exceptions are provided for the flight ban.

Unmanned aircraft may operate if they are part of a police air support unit or if the operator has obtained specific permission from the Festival Republic Event Silver Commander.

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