The Reading and Leeds festivals are two of the UK’s most popular music festivals. These events, which take place every year in August, are famous for their eclectic mix of independent and mainstream artists. These two music festivals attract hundreds of thousands of music fans each year with a range of performance styles and genres not usually seen together at one event. The line-up for both events is always kept secret until a few weeks beforehand to avoid ticket touts finding out in advance. The locations also change almost every year to throw ticket buyers off the scent. Both events provide visitors with an opportunity to see some of the most exciting new bands on the current music scene while also giving them a chance to see established acts in an intimate setting. Although separate entities with different organisers, they are usually held on the same weekend and so are commonly referred to jointly as ‘The Reading and Leeds Festivals’.
History
The first festival was held at the end of August 1970 at Windsor Racecourse, Berkshire. It was organised by music impresario and entrepreneur Stanley Dance who had previously tried to organise a festival in the late 1960s with little success. The festival was inspired by the growing trend for music festivals in America, particularly the two-week Woodstock Music and Art Festival, held in New York State in 1969, which attracted an audience of over half a million people and featured a range of acts from jazz, blues, folk and rock to world music, and the three-day Newport Folk Festival that took place in Newport, Rhode Island, from July 23–25, 1969, which featured artists from the burgeoning folk rock movement.
Reading Festival
The Reading Festival is the older and more established of the two festivals. It attracts a younger, alternative audience while the Leeds Festival tends to attract a slightly more mainstream rock audience. Held at Reading’s rugby stadium, the festival was originally held over a two-day period but was later extended to three days to make it more competitive with the new Leeds Festival. The festival used to take place in August on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday. In 2016 it was moved to the last weekend in July to avoid clashing with other major music festivals, and so that it could avoid being affected by the possible bad weather in August.
Leeds Festival
The Leeds Festival was launched as an attempt to broaden the appeal of the Reading Festival and to create a second major music festival in the south of England. It was first held at Temple Newsam, near Leeds, in August 2003. Its line-up included The Strokes, Basement Jaxx and The Smiths Experience. The festival was originally planned to be a one-off event but proved more successful than expected and so was repeated the following year. In 2006, The Carling Weekend Leeds Festival was added to the existing festival weekend. This event took place on the same site as the existing festival but was aimed at a younger audience and featured a different line-up of bands. It was later renamed the Carling Weekend: Reading and Leeds Festival.
When is Reading and Leeds?
Although the Reading and Leeds festivals are held annually in August, the specific dates are not always the same from year to year. In recent years, the festivals have been held over the weekend that falls between the last Friday and the first Sunday in August. The specific dates for the next couple of years have not yet been confirmed but can be found online. The Reading Festival is generally held on the first or second weekend in August and the Leeds Festival is held on the weekend following the Reading Festival.
Reading and Leeds Tickets: How to get them?
Reading and Leeds festival tickets are always in high demand, so it’s advisable to book as early as possible and always use a reputable website. These ticket websites offer a range of payment options to suit all budgets and most allow you to book your tickets in advance so you don’t have to worry about missing out on tickets if the event sells out. Many ticket websites will offer you the option to sign up for an email notification or ‘ticket alert’ service so you can receive an email as soon as tickets go on sale for the festival you want to attend. These services are free and can help you to avoid missing out on tickets and being left disappointed.
Who’s Playing at Reading and Leeds?
Although the full line-up for the Reading and Leeds festivals is always kept secret until just before the event, it is possible to predict with a reasonable amount of accuracy which bands will be appearing at the festival. These predictions are based on the bands’ touring and release schedules, as well as interviews with band members and their management. This information, combined with rumours and gossip in the music press, can give us a good idea of who will be playing at Reading and Leeds.
Final Words
The Reading and Leeds festivals are among the most important dates in the music calendar. They give fans the chance to see their favourite artists live in an intimate and relaxed setting. Attendees can also discover new music and discover which new bands may be set to break through to the mainstream in the coming year.
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