Reading Carol Concerts 2026: Minster and Great Hall, From £5

Reading’s carol season starts on Tuesday 1 December with Launchpad’s Carols by Candlelight at the University’s Great Hall, and runs to a candlelit string quartet in the same hall on Saturday 19 December. The cheapest is Reading Bach Choir’s come-and-sing in Caversham, £5 on the door. Reading Minster has three evenings of its own.

The quick answer

• Biggest community carols: Launchpad’s Carols by Candlelight, Tuesday 1 December, 6pm, Great Hall, London Road, £14.
• At Reading Minster: the NHS Christmas Concert on Friday 4 December (adults £12, children £6) and The Christmas Orchestra on Saturday 12 December, 6pm and 8.30pm.
• Sing them yourself: Reading Bach Choir’s Come and Sing Carols, Tuesday 15 December, 7.30pm, St Andrew’s Church, Caversham, £5 on the door, under 18s free.
• Church carol services: Reading Minster and Greyfriars had not published their 2026 Christmas service times when we checked on 26 October. This page will add them.

Every concert below was checked on 26 October 2026 against the organiser’s own listing on What’s On Reading, the council’s listings service, or the organiser’s own site. Prices are the published full prices.

The concerts in date order

Launchpad’s Carols by Candlelight, Tuesday 1 December, doors 5pm, performances from 6pm, The Great Hall, University of Reading London Road campus, RG1 5AG, £14. The Reading housing charity’s carol night is hosted by its patron, TV presenter Matt Allwright, with the Reading Community Gospel Choir and the youth choir Universal Voices, festive readings and a raffle. Every ticket goes to Launchpad’s supported housing, which the charity says gives homes to more than 111 people (Launchpad listing).

NHS Christmas Concert, Friday 4 December, 7pm, Reading Minster, St Mary’s Butts, RG1 2HX. Adults £12, children aged 5 to 16 £6, under 5s free, each with an optional booking fee (£2.08 adults, £1.69 children); a limited number of accessible tickets are also £12. Sangeeta Bhabra hosts carols and seasonal music from Take Note Choir, The Barberettes, Avenue and the Emmer Green Primary School Choir, for Royal Berks Charity, which funds extras for the Royal Berkshire hospital trust. The charity says previous concerts have sold out (Royal Berks Charity listing).

PACT’s Magical Christmas at the Minster, Saturday 5 December, refreshments from 3pm and the main event 4pm to 5.30pm, Reading Minster, Chain Street, RG1 2HX. A relaxed family event of carols and local performers for the charity Parents and Children Together: children £3, adults £12, with family options. Booking closes at 11.59pm on Friday 4 December (PACT listing).

The Christmas Orchestra, Saturday 12 December, Reading Minster, two concerts: doors 5.15pm for a 6pm show ending 7.15pm, and doors 7.45pm for an 8.30pm show ending 9.45pm. A 16-piece chamber orchestra with a lighting show plays music from Home Alone, Elf, The Holiday, Love Actually, The Muppet Christmas Carol, The Nutcracker, Harry Potter, Die Hard 2 and White Christmas, plus traditional carols. Seating is unreserved within each ticket zone, first come first served, and tickets are non-refundable unless the concert is moved or cancelled. The listing gives no prices; they are shown only on the booking page (The Christmas Orchestra listing).

Comes The Light, Saturday 12 December, 7pm, Queen Anne’s School, 6 Henley Road, Caversham, RG4 6DX. South Chiltern Choral Society shares its Christmas concert with The Hill Primary School choir, with carols for the audience too and refreshments. Adults £18, 12 to 18s £10, 5 to 11s £5, under 5s free; tickets are also sold on the door (South Chiltern Choral Society listing).

Come and Sing Carols, Tuesday 15 December, 7.30pm, St Andrew’s Church, Caversham. Reading Bach Choir’s evening of carols to join in with, music from the choir and homemade treats, conducted by Daniel Mahoney with Nicholas Shaw accompanying. £5 on the door only, under 18s free (Reading Bach Choir; What’s On Reading listing).

Candlelight: Christmas Classics, Saturday 19 December, 6pm and 8.30pm, The Great Hall, University of Reading, RG1 5AG. A string quartet plays an hour of Christmas music by candlelight, from the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy and O Holy Night to Last Christmas and All I Want for Christmas Is You. Doors open 45 minutes before, there is no entry once it starts, and it is for ages 8 and over, with under 16s accompanied. Seating is first come first served within each zone; the listing does not give prices (Candlelight listing).

For babies and toddlers

Bach to Baby Christmas Family Concert, Tuesday 1 December and Monday 14 December, both at 4pm, Reading Minster, Chain Street. Concerts built for babies and toddlers, who can roam and dance while the musicians play. £18 an adult, with up to two children free, and it is listed as a relaxed performance (Bach to Baby listing).

Already sold out

Sh!t Theatre’s Sing-Along-A-Muppet Christmas Carol at South Street on Friday 11 December is sold out, and it is strictly adults only (South Street listing).

Not yet published

Church carol services. Neither Reading Minster’s nor Greyfriars’ own website listed 2026 carol services, Christingles or a nine lessons and carols when we checked on 26 October. This page will list them when they are published.

If you want a Christmas show rather than a concert, Reading Rep’s A Christmas Carol runs from 21 November and the Hexagon’s Aladdin from 5 December: see our pantomime page.

Getting there

Reading Minster is on St Mary’s Butts in the town centre, walkable from Reading station. The Great Hall is on the University’s London Road campus, east of the town centre. Evening parking in the town centre is covered on our parking in Reading page, and check Reading roadworks and travel before driving in on a December evening, when the Christmas market and late shopping fill the car parks.

Running a carol concert or service in Reading, Caversham or Tilehurst? Email hello@readingdaily.co.uk with the date, time, venue and price and we will add it here.