Reading and Leeds Festivals

The Reading and Leeds Festivals, officially called the Carling Weekend, are a pair of annual music festivals that take place in Reading and Leeds in England. The events both happen on the bank holiday weekend in August (on Friday, Saturday, Sunday), and share the same bill (usually with one or two exceptions.)

Related Topics:
Music festival - Reading - Leeds - England - Bank holiday

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They used to be strongly folk-oriented festivals, now more alternative / indie / punk / metal. The festival will typically have the following stages:-

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• Main stage - major rock/indie/rap acts
• NME/Radio 1 stage - less well known and breakthrough acts
• Carling stage - emerging acts
• Radio 1 Lock Up Stage - underground punk/hardcore acts, on Saturday in Reading and Sunday in Leeds
• Dance tent - dance music acts, on the two days that the above stage does not run
• Comedy tent - comedy and cabaret acts

The festivals are run by Mean Fiddler (now controlled by the entertainment conglomerate Clearchannel), and are currently sponsored by Carling. For promotional purposes they are known as the Carling Weekend Reading and the Carling Weekend Leeds.

Related Topics:
Mean Fiddler - Clearchannel - Carling

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In 2005 the capacity of the Reading site was 60,500 and the Leeds site was 57,500. The Reading festival is held at Little John's Farm on Richfield Avenue in central Reading, near the Caversham Bridge. The Leeds event it held in Bramham Park, the grounds of a historic house. Campsites are available at both sites, weekend tickets include camping. Day tickets are also sold.

Related Topics:
Caversham Bridge - Bramham Park

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Reading and Leeds Festivals: Early History ►