A partnership between Universal Music Group UK and The Reading Agency that encourages children to read for fun during the summer holidays is set to open for sign-ups.
Starting with tomorrow’s (July 4) Super Sign-Up Saturday, families will be able to sign up to the 2026 Summer Reading Challenge at their local library or online.
UMG UK has co-created this year's theme – Read To The Beat – to celebrate the connection between the power of reading and music's ability to inspire, connect and engage young people.
A launch event, delivered in collaboration with UMG UK, was held at the British Library on June 17, and featured a line-up of performers, including CBBC presenter Andy Day and cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason, celebrating the power of reading and its importance in children's lives.
UMG UK and The Reading Agency also previously partnered with pianist Lang Lang and his International Music Foundation to bring music to UK libraries for the annual Challenge.
The scheme is part of UMG’s ongoing work in education alongside its Sound Generation initiative, built in collaboration with Camden Music Service.
By signing up to the Challenge, families and children across the UK will have the chance to find more moments of excitement, creativity, and inspiration in the school holidays
Sharlotte Ritchie, Universal Music Group
Sharlotte Ritchie, senior director of global impact & communications at Universal Music Group, said: “Reading and music provide a gateway to new worlds and emotions that spark curiosity and imagination. Universal Music Group UK and The Reading Agency are bringing both together for the 2026 Summer Reading Challenge.
"By signing up to the Challenge, families and children across the UK will have the chance to find more moments of excitement, creativity, and inspiration in the school holidays.”
The 2026 Summer Reading Challenge has been billed as a "flagship moment" within the government-backed National Year Of Reading and forms part of the Go All In campaign, a nationwide movement bringing together libraries, schools, publishers, charities and cultural organisations in a bid to inspire a new generation of readers.
It follows research from The Reading Agency, which found that nearly two-thirds (64%) of parents say their children can feel bored during the summer holidays and 44% worry about their child’s wellbeing.
Our research shows that reading can play a powerful role in supporting children’s wellbeing during the holidays
Karen Napier, The Reading Agency
Book titles featured in this year’s challenge include Space Band by Tom Fletcher, Lil’ Muffin by Romesh Ranganathan and Put Your Records On by Corinne Bailey Rae. Throughout the summer, authors, musicians and celebrity ambassadors will visit libraries across the UK for free family events, readings and activities linked to the initiative.
“Our research shows that reading can play a powerful role in supporting children’s wellbeing during the holidays,” said Karen Napier MBE, chief executive of The Reading Agency. “Getting lost in books and stories boosts their confidence and mood, sparks imagination and helps them feel connected to the world around them.
“The Summer Reading Challenge gives families a fun and accessible way to make reading part of their summer, while discovering everything their local library has to offer. We’d love to see more parents visiting their local library and joining the challenge during Super Sign-Up Saturday.”
One family will also win a weekend at Camp Bestival 2027 – including tickets, travel and food vouchers – by completing The Reading Agency's family survey on what they've read and listened to over the summer.
