Important changes to this year

[5co77ie]

There's a few alterations for 2009

The arena is to be extended at the Western end to create more space for the Radio One tent, make room for an extra block of loos and improve the levels of music on site, without increasing the disturbance off site for residents.

A new policy on Crowd Surfing. The policy has been revised and if attendees come over the barrier for fun, they will be put back onto road G4 and made to walk back down to the arena entrance to come back into the arena that way, the long way

The Arena Entrance has moved, the layout will change this year to ease the flow in and out.

Campsite toilets have been rearranged within the campsites, the site map when available will show this.

There are to be NO aerosols (over 100ml) or gas canisters. If you want to cook outside your tent you bring bring disposable barbecues only. Anyone seen with canisters or cylinders will be ejected from site.

There will be no Indigo Zone this year. What was indigo last year will revert back to brown and purple.

[frankie boy]

I noticed it said about wednesday night tickets only avalable when you get a coach package... now is this me and my friends not understanding very well or is this actualy the case???

[beLIEveR]

Good spot that frankie. I have early entry tickets from the pre-sale, but even so I've read that a few times and came to the same conclusion. Being in a position to be totally selfish, I can see the logic in them wanting all the early entries to fill the coaches, and simply have more coaches.

Firstly, you have the obvious financial gains from filling the coaches. But secondly, what's easier to police, 10,000 groups of four people from all corners of the globe travelling to a few dozen major train stations staggered through wednesday, or 40,000 people all wanting to get to Reading station at 6pm on Wednesday? If they simply say "if you want to get here early, get on the coach", coupled with "there is no box office", there won't be a repeat of last year. And if they have enough coaches to meet the early demand, Thursday won't be much worse either.

[TalkShow Bob]

The main reason they try and get everyone on coaches is because of the traffic in town. The people of readings major objection to the festival always used to be the traffic it caused, you couldn't move across town on the days it was on the whole place was gridlock. However now they moved all the parking off site and have coaches to bring a large percentage of the people to site it itnt that bad anymore.

[Paul ™]

What you make of the arena changes Bob?

[TalkShow Bob]

What you make of the arena changes Bob?

[Lewis2804]

Arena, what that?

I hear more detailed stuff about the changes to the campsite a while ago and they all sound good...

With the arena, any expansion is good. I wonder where they are going to expand it into though? Im guessing if they are moving the arena entrance they will expand into the bit of yellow that used to be camper vans? Then reposition the arena entrance so it faces the radio 1 tent? That would be a pitty though because its quite cool to come into the arena facing the main stage like you do. However the entrance is a massive bottle kneck and it would be good to sort that out. Then again its allways going to be a massive bottle kneck where ever you put it...

[TalkShow Bob]

Hey, im new to reading and was checking the website and it says no alchahol to bring inside. does this mean you cant bring drink into campsite, as if not, it means have to buy drink there which will obviously be a rip off?

appreciated if you could tell me,

Lewis

Edited March 29, 2009 by TalkShow Bob

[Lewis2804]

You can bring as much booze as you can carry* into the campsite. However it must not be in glass bottles. Cans or plastic bottles are fine just no glass. So if you want to bring sprits make sure you decant them into a plastic bottle and if you bring beers make sure you bring cans.

You cannot take your own booze into the arena, where the bands play. There are bars in there, but the prices are quite steep (unless you live where I live and then they look pretty reasonable... I need to move house!)

*Within reasonable limits, if you have too much people may think your trying to flog it.