Here Comes The Sun Festival 2022

After an absence over the last two years, Reading’s biggest summer house party is back for 2022!

Here Comes The Sun is a one-day festival of music and arts that sees the whole of the Rising Sun Arts Centre transformed into a vibrant celebration of all the things the Centre and its volunteers hold dear. Bunting, fake grass, lots of colour and a glorious programme of arts all over the building!

This year is going to have to be a little different, but there will still be lots of live entertainment outside, wonderful live music in the main room and – for the first time – the upstairs will be an explosion of visual arts. Plus plenty of the food, drink and kids activities you’ve come to expect from Here Comes The Sun!

As always, Here Comes The Sun is our biggest fundraising event of the year – and you know that all the money from the festival will be going back into the Centre so we can continue to offer a creative haven for artists, audiences and groups of all shapes and sizes.

Stage Times

The Sun Stage

Compere: Damien A. Passmore

3:00        DR SATSO - 4-piece indie-psych band. Angular on the outside, sludgy on the inside.

4:00        Lee Switzer-Woolf - Dark indie pop folktronica. Stripped back lyric-focused songs and simple electronic beats.

5:00        Grae J. Wall & Los Chicos Muertos - Country, blues, folk and chanson, with an extra drop of murder ballads and caustic skiffle.

6:00        Dreading Slam Collective - A rapid-fire poetry showcase from regular performers at our monthly Dreading Poetry Slam.

7:00        Dakorra - Electronic tinged alt-rock and ambient electro-pop from Ocena Ruins’ Kate Herridge.

8:00        Jopy - A special two-piece performance from this energetic take on shoe gaze.

9:00        elucidate - Fusing elements of punk, pop and garage rock into one explosive, yet refined, ball.

10:00     The Mark II - Time to party with the sweet soul and Motown sounds of this excellent party band!

The Tree Stage

Compere: Big Jay The Drag Artist

2:30        Jamie Larbalestier - Intricate melodies. Complex chord structures. Individual folk.

3:30        ZAP! Comedy + Daemons & Diseases - Our in-house comedy team bring another hilarious sketch, followed by ZAP alumnus Cameron’s new band.

4:30        Ellis Ballard - Emotional story-telling + intricate guitar-playing

5:30        RASPO (Reading All Steel Percussion Orchestra) duo - Here Comes The Caribbean Sun courtesy of Reading’s top steel pan players.

6:30        Jen Berkova - Soul, R&B, and heartfelt lyrics delivered with an edge, creating her own unique sound.

The Sky Studio

A selection of artist films from Beth Seymour, Real Time, Open Mind, Ollie Musson/Sheer Obsession, Mister Frank and Zap! will be on display throughout the day.

There’ll also be a cosy corner to relax and take a break from the excitement of the rest of the festival.

Activities

2-3          Help give Bob the Giant a drag makeover – we’ll then pop their head back on their body for everyone to see your work!

3-9         There’ll be a making space where you can design your own makeup looks!

Tickets

Book in advance via WeGotTickets

Adult Day Ticket - £10 (+ £1 booking fee) in advance  / £15 on the door

Under 14s go free but please book in advance at the same time as buying your adult ticket.

Capacity is 150 persons in total - one third of tickets GONE

Line-up so far

The first acts to be announced this year include new names and familiar faces. Reading’s homegrown soul and Motown covers crew The Mark II will bring the party to the main room – aka the Sun Stage! They’ll be joined by alt-rock four-piece Elucidate, the “psychedelic rage” of DR SATSO, and a returning Grae J. Wall & Los Chicos Muertos, who blend country, folk, chanson and skiffle! We’ll also see new project performances from festival favourites – Lee Switzer-Woolf (Launch Control, Seasons In Shorthand) bringing his new take on folktronica, and electronic tinged alt-rock from Dakorra, the new project from Ocean Ruins singer Kate Herridge.

The second wave of artists and artistes includes some of the creative communities and groups that call the centre home: quickfire poetry from the Dreading Poetry Slam poets, a Rising Sun Drag Showcase led by the centre’s own Big Jay, The Zap! Comedy Team – for people with learning disabilities – with another hilarious comedy sketch, and Zap! alumnus Cameron Chung will also sing a few songs with his new band. Plus, the centre’s Visual Arts Team will present a unique installation in the renamed-for-2022 Sky Studio.

But it’s not only our in-house entertainers who’ll be performing for you – we’ve got some more fantastic names to share who’ll all be performing on the Tree Stage. There’ll be “intricate melodies and complex chord structures” from folk artist Jamie Larbalestier, soulful vocals from a returning Jen Berkova and emotional story-telling + intricate guitar-playing from Ellis Ballard.

PLUS! Two more wonderful acts have joined the line-up, each one offering a special two-person performance - there's Jopy ("making very loud and fun noises on guitar") and some steel pan sunshine courtesy of players from RASPO (Reading All Steel Percussion Orchestra).