Today marks the start of one of the biggest and final weekends in the UK's summer festival calendar, with over 100,000 Brits** packing their tents and heading for a weekend of live music and late nights at Pepsi MAX presents Reading Festival.
- Over half (57%) of young people are heading to a festival this summer, leaving family behind for the ultimate weekend of independence.
- While the majority of parents trust their kids to make good decisions at festivals, most (65%) admit to feeling nervous about them heading off for the first time.
- ‘Chipping in’ to help festivalgoers stay connected with their families and keep parents reassured Vodafone, Official Connectivity Partner of some of the UK’s most loved music festivals, launches the first ever ‘Check-in & Chips’ experience at Reading Festival this weekend.
- Launched today with beloved TV presenter Zoe Ball, the Check-in and Chips experience will be serving up free chips in exchange for young people sharing a quick video message home – powered by 5G+, Vodafone’s fastest and most reliable network experience, on Vodafone’s next generation 5G Standalone (5G SA) technology.
- With Vodafone on the Nation’s Network* festivalgoers can share every moment as it happens and stay in touch with loved ones even from the festival field.
New research from Vodafone, Official Connectivity Partner of some of the UK’s most loved music festivals, has revealed the role festivals play in marking the big moments for young Brits.
Over half (57%) of those surveyed said they headed to a festival this summer to celebrate milestones such as finishing exams or marking the time before starting university or securing their first job. And for nearly a third (29%) of 16-18-year-olds, 2026 marks the first time they attended a festival without their family as they waved goodbye to home comforts for a taste of freedom.
Vodafone’s research reveals that, while young people are having a ‘field’ day, parents are keeping a close eye on the clock, with nearly three quarters admitting to spending the festival weekend eagerly awaiting updates (74%). Despite nearly all parents and guardians (92%) trusting their kids to make good decisions at festivals, two thirds (65%) admit to feeling nervous about them attending.
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Vodafone is ‘chipping in’ to help make those all-important check-ins easy, so parents can feel a part of the festival experience too. With the launch of its first-ever ‘Check-in & Chips experience’, Vodafone is turning a quick video message home into a win-win.
Parents get the reassurance they’re looking for and festivalgoers get the chance to enjoy a fun scribble and photobooth experience (festivalgoers will write a message while a camera records them live to create a short video) alongside a complimentary tasty portion of chips – music to parent’s ears.
Vodafone has recruited broadcaster Zoe Ball to help launch the experience. A self-confessed festival veteran, Zoe knows how easy it is to get swept up in everything festival season has to offer. As a mother of two, and with her daughter Nelly attending the festival this weekend for the first time, she’s also well acquainted with the nerves parents and guardians face when their child heads to their first festival without them.
Zoe Ball, British Broadcaster and Festivalgoer said: “I’ve been going to festivals for years and absolutely love them, there’s nothing quite like that feeling of heading off with your mates, seeing your favourite bands and having a brilliant weekend. Now Nelly’s doing it, I’m experiencing festivals from the other side as a mum!
“You want them to go off, have the best time and enjoy that independence… but you also really, really want that little message home to know they’re having an amazing time and all is well. Having a great signal makes that so much easier, although actually getting your teenager to use it and check in is another matter!
“I love Vodafone’s Check-in & Chips idea because, frankly, if a video message home comes with free chips, everyone’s a winner. They get fed, we get our update. Perfect!”
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Rob Winterschladen, Consumer Director, VodafoneThree said: “Connectivity is now a huge part of the festival experience — whether you’re sharing unforgettable moments, checking in with loved ones or finding friends in the crowd. On Vodafone, the nation’s biggest network***, we help people stay connected to the moments that matter.
“This weekend, we’re excited to showcase the power of Vodafone 5G+, showing how next-generation connectivity on Vodafone, on the Nation’s Network*, can unlock new experiences and give festivalgoers fun, engaging ways to connect.”
As Official Connectivity Partner of Pepsi MAX presents Reading and Leeds, Vodafone has enhanced its 5G network across the festival sites, delivering what customers care about most: increased capacity, with faster speeds, over a wider area. This means more reliable connectivity and better performance when the network is busiest.
Following the merger between Vodafone and Three in June 2025, Three customers can also now enjoy the same seamless connectivity, ensuring they have the coverage and connectivity they need to check in with friends and family or just share the best bits on their socials. As the UK’s biggest network, and the only mobile operator committed to investing £11bn, VodafoneThree is set to deliver high-quality connectivity to 99% of the UK population by 2030, and 99.96% by 2034.
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At Pepsi MAX presents Reading festival, Vodafone and Three customers can also enjoy access to Vodafone’s Viewing Platform, complete with free ice cream, complimentary phone charging and incredible views of The Grid on a first come first serve basis. And those heading to Leeds can drop into Vodafone’s Connect & Charge area to power up and connect to free WiFi when taking a break between sets.
Fans can also head to Vodafone’s Power Banks stations to buy fully charged power banks, before and during the event. When these are out of charge, they can easily be exchanged for a new one each day, so fans have enough power to capture their favourite moments throughout the weekend.
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-Ends-
Notes to Editors:
Festivalgoers at Pepsi MAX presents Reading Festival can get their hands on a free portion of chips after checking in at Vodafone’s Check-in and Chips experience located outside White Camping from Thursday, 27th August to Sunday, 30th August, 2026. Music fans can also recharge their phones (and social batteries) within the space too, ensuring there is no excuse not to check in. ‘Free chips’ subject to availability and opening hours (11am-3pm, Thursday to Sunday).
* (The Nation’s Network is the combined Vodafone and Three network) The Nation’s Network: means the biggest mobile network infrastructure created by VodafoneThreeHoldings Ltd through the merger of Vodafone & Hutchison 3G UK. VodafoneThree has committed to spend £11bn to build world-class nationwide, digital infrastructure by 2034 . Verification: Vodafone.co.uk/tnn.
** The estimated number of people attending Reading Festival based on previous attendee numbers.
*** The UK relies on Vodafone as a network provider as it powers critical national infrastructure, see more information here: Vodafone network | Vodafone UK.
Vodafone’s 5G+
5G+ is Vodafone’s next generation 5G Standalone (5G SA) technology. For the purposes of this activation, a local network slice was configured on the Vodafone 5G Standalone network to provide assured speeds of 80 Mbps Downlink and 20 Mbps Uplink.
With 5G+, customers can enjoy quality when it matters – they’ll experience faster speeds and instant connection that’s reliable in busy places. It’s powered by our new 5G core network, which is referred to as ‘5G Standalone’ (5G SA) in the industry. 5G SA is available on eligible plans.
All festivalgoers at the Check-in & Chips activation will get a chance to experience Vodafone’s 5G+ network slice. Plus, 5G+ will be available across the site for Vodafone to enjoy next level connectivity at the festival.
5G+ is powered by Vodafone’s fastest and most reliable network experience – on Vodafone’s next generation 5G Standalone (5G SA) technology, with superior speeds and capacity compared to other major network providers. CrowdSource testing between January 2026 (W1) and June 2026 (W24), sourced by Accenture, compared 5G+ speeds on major network providers, and found that Vodafone had 2.6x faster speeds than EE, and 1.80x faster speeds than O2.
This is because Vodafone’s 5G SA infrastructure is optimised for improved performance, using a larger proportion of higher-frequency spectrum that has higher capacity and faster speeds than other major networks who rely on lower-frequency spectrum. Vodafone’s 5G SA network uses a split of frequencies that is optimised for device capabilities to achieve higher speed versus other major networks. For further details please see: www.vodafone.co.uk/network/5G
Vodafone’s 5G+ Local Slicing
5G+ Local Slicing delivers a private high-performance network lane built around the needs of business and public sector customers. Operating on VodafoneThree’s 5G Standalone network, 5G+ Local Slicing brings guaranteed performance across a defined site or local area up to 5km2.
Network slicing allows the creation of different virtual networks on the public infrastructure, each dedicated to a particular service, ensuring performance is not impacted by other users’ demands.
Crucially, the performance capabilities of each slice can be customised to different use cases, combining low latency and high bandwidth to unlock endless opportunities.
Research methodology
Research conducted by Censuswide with 1,000 parents aged 31+ of children aged 16-25 who have attended or are planning to attend a festival and 1,000 16-25 year olds who have attended or are planning to attend a festival. The data was collected between 06.08.2026 – 11.08.2026. Censuswide is a member of the Market Research Society (MRS) and the British Polling Council (BPC), and a signatory of the Global Data Quality Pledge. We adhere to the MRS Code of Conduct and ESOMAR principles
Top five things young people are most excited about ahead of their first festival:
1. Hanging out with their friends (45%)
2. The festival atmosphere (39%)
3. The headline acts (27%)
4. Wearing festival outfits (25%)
5. Meeting new people (25%)
Vodafone eSim trial at Pepsi MAX presents Reading & Leeds Festival
For those looking to upgrade their connectivity while at Pepsi MAX presents Reading & Leeds festival, festivalgoers can activate a free trial of Vodafone’s network. Non-Vodafone mobile customers simply scan the QR code, available at both festivals, and install the eSIM via the My Vodafone app. This will give festivalgoers the chance to experience the festival on the Nation’s Network free for seven days, with 50GB of data, 500 minutes and 500 texts included. All that’s needed is an eSIM and a compatible smartphone. Full T&Cs apply.
Vodafone Power Banks
Available as one swap per day, and Vodafone and Three customers get an additional 2 free swaps across the weekend on a weekend hire only. Cost for a one off hire is £15, all weekend hire is £30. Any purchase, requires a £10 deposit, refunded upon return of power bank. Full T&Cs apply.
About VodafoneThree
VodafoneThree is the UK’s largest mobile network operator serving the fixed and mobile market, formed following the merger of Vodafone UK and Three UK in June 2025.
Through an unprecedented £11 billion investment, VodafoneThree will build the UK’s best network. The network will deliver reliable, quality connectivity to all nations and regions, creating as many as 13,000 jobs and laying a digital foundation for the country’s growth ambitions.
VodafoneThree is the only mobile network operator with a fully funded, regulated and guaranteed network build plan, reaching 99% 5G Standalone population coverage by 2030 and 99.96% by 2034. From big cities to small towns, and everywhere in between, the company’s mission is to build the UK’s best network.
VodafoneThree encompasses all businesses and assets, including Vodafone UK, Three Mobile, VOXI Mobile, SMARTY and Talkmobile.
www.vodafonethree.com
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