Naked punks, a rave in a church and Napoleon at 3am: May in Reading
What Really Happened in Reading in May 2026
Looking for the best Reading news and stories from May 2026? Here are the biggest investigations, interviews and features published by The Reading Reporter during the month.
Wow, what a month! The most important month so far for The Reading Reporter, in fact.
There were parties and there was politics.
There was a rave in a medieval church and there was a soft play crammed with ballot papers.
There was a bar manager dancing naked and there was an election candidate dressed as Napoleon.
Funnily enough, in the month when we finally saw daylight hours extend well into the evening, I spent a lot of time writing about very long nights.
That started with the local elections on May 7.
We warmed up for the vote with a revealing interview with Green councillor Dave McElroy. His bold plan for Reading includes default 20mph speed limits on roads, a majority of affordable housing in new developments and admitting to voters that they could get poorer.
"If I fuck it up, I'll own it!": Inside the Greens' plan for power in Reading
Then on election night itself, I stayed up while the rest of Reading slept to observe the drama of a Green surge, a Labour revival, and the shadow of Reform.
It was when I was talking to Napoleon at 3am that I realised that this was a most peculiar night.
Fear, fatigue and Napoleon at 3am: How Reading’s peculiar election night unfolded
If Rivermead felt a little crazy, that's nothing compared to what's happened in the Purple Turtle over the years.
It was never meant to survive. But through friendship, music and sheer chaos, the Turtle became a Reading institution – and home to generations of stories too wild to make up.
Don't say I didn't warn you about the fridge though. Or the toilets.
Naked punks, a rotten fridge and Liam Gallagher: The untold story of the Purple Turtle
Some stories are just too good to fit into one article. The untold story of Turtle required two. It’s been 36 years of sheer chaos.
The second part included Liam Gallagher's mad visit to Reading – and Sir John Madejski partying just as hard as us commoners.
Underpinning it all are two Reading legends who aren't as famous but are just as important in this town's story.
And just to prove that Reading's party scene is still very much alive, I discovered that there were three festivals happening in one day here.
The crazy thing is, hardly anyone knew about it.
Reading really does need to shout more about its culture.
The highlight of Are You Listening? festival was the rave inside St Laurence's Church. Several of the commandments appeared to be broken that night.
A postcard from… Reading: Sunshine, street festivals and a rave inside a medieval church
But here's my most important story from May.
For the first time, I asked readers to join the founding community behind The Reading Reporter. To help build something Reading can be proud of.
After four months and 32 in-depth stories about Reading, I asked you to consider becoming paid subscribers.
I'm happy to report that many of you said yes.
That means I can keep giving you the real inside track on this town.
But quality, independent, local journalism like this depends on even more reader support. Here's more details on how you can help:
Four months. 32 stories. Now it's your turn.
If you enjoyed these stories, you'll find many more like them on Substack.
The Reading Reporter publishes exclusive reporting, investigations and untold stories about this town every week. It is the only place for original, quality, independent journalism in Reading.
Join free or become a paid subscriber today so you don’t miss out. June is going to be another remarkable month!
See you there,
Chris (The Reading Reporter)