Are You Listening? 2025: A pleasing mixture of music that is really special

One of the organisers of Are You Listening? Music festival is delighted with how the two-day event went … and how it has taken on a life of its own.

Held across seven venues in Reading town centre over Friday, May 9, and Saturday, May 10, Are You Listening? saw hundreds of people enjoyed a wide range of music from jazz to post-pop punk.

The Are You Listening? team organised nearly 50 different acts, including DJs, solo artists, Reading-based bands, and from further afield giving people an opportunity to discover new music and enjoy some old favourites.

It started with the warm-up party at Saint Laurences Church in Blagrave Street on Friday night, where headliners Sprints delighted crowds.

On Saturday, Ben Marwood opened proceedings with a set in Market Place. The open-air stage acted as a shop window for the rest of the festival, which took also place in Saint Laurences, Sub89, South Street Arts Centre, Milk, The Purple Turtle, and The Face Bar.

Dave Maul was a happy man after the event off without a hitch, even if it kept him busy enough that he didn’t have much time to enjoy the bands himself.

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“The weather helped and ensured people were in a good mood,” he says. “Venues were packed out, and, collectively, it has gone down well with the audience and the bands. It seems there was a good time.”

The open-air stage in Market Place is, Dave says, an important part of the Are You Listening? festival.

“It gives people a chance to enjoy some live music free in the afternoon, and it’s a really good thing for the town. It adds a bit of vibrancy to Saturday afternoon,” he continues.

“It was great to see a mixture of festivalgoers and people with their kids, loaded up with their food shopping, popping in for a bit and enjoying a drink. It was lovely to have a good, mixed crowd.

“The place was still fairly busy right to the end. Normally, these stages drift off a little bit as other venues open and bigger acts start but it worked really well this year and the last bands played with a decent crowd.”

The event relies on a team of people, some of whom have been helped for many years, to ensure it is successful. Dave says that without them the event wouldn’t work.

“We’re quite fortunate that people have worked with us for a number of years now, and they seem to – despite the craziness that it is – enjoy coming back,” he smiles.

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How does Dave and the team select the bands that perform at Are You Listening?

“We put a lot of effort into it,” he says, admitting that some acts they approach don’t always work out for various reasons such as availability, so it takes some time to bring it all together. The end result, he says, is special.

“I was really, really pleased with the mixture we had this year, some bigger headliners and a mixture of local talent and newer bands.

“It’s always interesting to see the results of our post-festival survey, some of the bands people choose are actually local, not the touring bands. People really take the music at face value and not by reputation.”

One of the attractions was a team-up with Siren Craft Brew which organised pop-up bars in both Saint Laurences and Market Place.

“They have been more involved this year than previous years and it’s great to support them,” Dave explains. “We are fans of their beer and what they do, and they are an independent business – we always like to try and work with local businesses where we can.”

Another aspect of the festival wasn’t music or beer, but art. The Are You Listening? team organised a charity art auction, featuring eight posters created by Reading-based artists focusing on one of the bands performing.

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Each piece was unique and were exhibited in Milk in Merchants Place.

Over the course of the weekend, a blind auction took place with all proceeds going to the work of Laura’s Lasting Legacy Charity Fund, which will support grass roots causes across Reading.

Organisers want to raise at least £8,000 and they have already brought in more than £6,000. Donations can be made at: https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/forlauraj

“The winners get a nice bit of artwork and the money raised goes to charity,” Dave explains. “They are all hanging in Milk Bar at the moment, so go and have a look.

“We got some nice comments from people about it.

“Laura’s Lasting Legacy is a fundraiser that my friend set up last summer when he lost his partner suddenly. He is organising various events over the next year, with all money raised shared with community groups that she was involved or interested in.

“I’m helping him with a charity gig at The Face Bar in the summer.”

A very busy 48 hours for Dave and the Are You Listening? team has seen Reading done proud with a music festival it can call its own. What memories will he take away from the event?

“It’s amazing when you walk into a venue, whether it’s the afternoon or the evening, and people are having a great time.

“They have a walk around the town with a little timetable and a wristband, like a little army just exploring the town. It’s great to see and it really brings the place alive.

“It’s roughly six months work, and a lot of hours – especially when you get near to the event – but it’s amazing to see the town buzzing when it’s on.”

He continues: “Someone came up to me and said they had been to all the Are You Listening? events which is pretty incredible. And there are quite a few people who have been over the years and they’ve brought more friends and more friends. That’s great.

“Are You Listening? doesn’t really belong to us anymore. It belongs to the Reading community and music scene here.”