2024 Festival

[Guest]

2 minutes ago, Andre91 said:

It stuns me. In 2015 they were headlining the FR tent and now look at them! What happened between then and 2019/2020 for them to become as big as they are now? Nobody cared in the early part of the last decade. It’s mental. 

Tbf I remember at the time them headlining the FR was a big booking for that tent, especially against Metallica and Rebel Sound, anyone into indie music would have obviously gone to see them. I wasn't there, but friends that did said it was rammed.

[gfa]

22 hours ago, Dukey said:

If they stick with the current format: 

MSE - Muse / Travis Scott / Mumford & Sons

MSW - Fred Again / Kasabian / Yungblud 

No way are mumford getting booked for a MSE slot. maybe MSW ala imagine dragons stinker slot but they aren't wasting a MSE slot on them

they did victorious this year as their only uk fest they defo aren't MSE

19 hours ago, Dukey said:

If they return to the old format…

Main

Fred Again // Travis Scott

Muse

Olivia Rodrigo 

BIG TENT

AJ Tracey

Chase & Status (live) 

The Wombats 

 

 

Travis Scott isn't co-headlining and AJ Tracey would be ridiculous in the tent. Acts like him and wombats are made for like 6-7pm main stage kind of time

18 hours ago, Dull Tools said:

I am not sure if I would want the big tent back or not.

I guess the big benefit is that you get back the bands who are not quite big enough for main stage who are on their way up.

For next year - I was wondering what is the chance of a Tame Impala or Haim? Both are headlining festivals now.

For the older rock band type - how about The Strokes? Could they do the Main Stage East?

Strokes would be MSW now i think or co in 3 stage format

18 hours ago, NoBuses said:

Phoebe Bridgers would attract a huge crowd and could easily do MSW imo. She's literally a god to a large portion of the Reading audience

A god to some, completely unknown to others with no festival headline experience solo...

11 hours ago, Andre91 said:

I’m going offer my views on the staging and some examples of the sort of acts I could see being booked for some of the stages (I don’t know enough about Dance music to offer up headliners): 
 

I’d like them to go back to one Main Stage and I think after MB’s vague response to a direct question about them could be telling. Headliners: Post Malone, Travis Scott & Blink-182. If Post Malone is at Wireless, Paramore. 
 

The NME/R1 tent needs to return in all its glory. Headliners: IDLES, The Wombats & Headie One (Andy C closing one night). 

I definitely think the 1Xtra should make way. I don’t think its needed nor attended well anymore.

The dance stage could probably stay but be scaled down because it is half empty most of the day.

The FR should stay and book a mixture of heavier rock and indie bands. Headliners: Pale Waves, Skindred & Ashnikko. 

The BBC Introducing will stay. 

I don't think Headie One is that big anymore / ever was even

11 hours ago, Benj said:

Interestingly the dance tent was pretty rammed all day in the old format

Im not into dance enough to know if the lineups were better back then or if it was just another symptom of people spending more time in the arena pre two main stages

just chuck shite dnb on it and uni house and it will be busy enough

3 hours ago, On The Blend said:

I think Hellfest did something like this where acts swapped from side to side, but imo it looks very strange and I don’t see it happening.

Several fests do this and its much prefered to the R&L way of opposite stages. I'm pretty sure someone said this wouldn't be feasible at leeds though?

[gfa]

Regarding an act that has headlined in the past 10 years as much as everyone here clearly wants Blink, I reckon RHCP are far more likely

It will have been 8 years by then and they would be popular even if they are sh*t. Far more well known too across the board

[Andre91]

4 minutes ago, gfa said:

Regarding an act that has headlined in the past 10 years as much as everyone here clearly wants Blink, I reckon RHCP are far more likely

It will have been 8 years by then and they would be popular even if they are sh*t. Far more well known too across the board

I can’t see it. Blink makes all the sense in the world. They would still bring the punters in, especially after that tour sold out as quickly as it did. 

[Dull Tools]

Another act to put in the mix - Burna Boy. Not sure he is really a Reading person but he sold out the London Stadium this year.

[Dull Tools]

2 minutes ago, Andre91 said:

I can’t see it. Blink makes all the sense in the world. They would still bring the punters in, especially after that tour sold out as quickly as it did. 

Blink were one of my favorite bands growing up but don't think they would excite we anymore.

 

 

[Benj]

4 minutes ago, Andre91 said:

I can’t see it. Blink makes all the sense in the world. They would still bring the punters in, especially after that tour sold out as quickly as it did. 

After what happened with Fender, Killers and Eilish I think they’ll be v wary about booking supposedly big draws who’ve toured extensively in the U.K. recently

RHCP have done 5 stadium dates in the U.K. since 2022, there’s not going to be many throbbing to see them in 2024

Blink would seem o have more untapped demand at this stage

[Guest]

10 minutes ago, gfa said:

Regarding an act that has headlined in the past 10 years as much as everyone here clearly wants Blink, I reckon RHCP are far more likely

It will have been 8 years by then and they would be popular even if they are sh*t. Far more well known too across the board

I don't think RHCP are still gonna be touring next summer. They've been about pretty extensively the past 2 years, think they'll take a break.

[gfa]

37 minutes ago, Andre91 said:

I can’t see it. Blink makes all the sense in the world. They would still bring the punters in, especially after that tour sold out as quickly as it did. 

Their tour was not particularly big though, would be quite worried if a headliner couldn't sell that out quickly its only about 100k total

Not gonna lie a stumbling block might be if they would even get booked for MSE .. I don't see them accepting MSW? This year's 3 were all stadium acts doing tours far bigger than Blink's.

35 minutes ago, Dull Tools said:

Another act to put in the mix - Burna Boy. Not sure he is really a Reading person but he sold out the London Stadium this year.

I reckon probably one for Wireless

31 minutes ago, Benj said:

After what happened with Fender, Killers and Eilish I think they’ll be v wary about booking supposedly big draws who’ve toured extensively in the U.K. recently

RHCP have done 5 stadium dates in the U.K. since 2022, there’s not going to be many throbbing to see them in 2024

Blink would seem o have more untapped demand at this stage

Blink have definitely left demand behind with a pretty short uk tour - although definitely a smaller act to begin with

31 minutes ago, SomeoneListeningIn said:

I don't think RHCP are still gonna be touring next summer. They've been about pretty extensively the past 2 years, think they'll take a break.

Probably true

Edited August 30, 2023 by gfa

[Andre91]

Blink-182 with Tom DeLonge are a Main Stage East headliner. It’s not even up for debate. 

Edited August 30, 2023 by Andre91

[gfa]

Blink would be a solid MSW headliner but an underwhelming MSE one after this year's trio i think - and certainly not an act the school leavers will give a sh*t about.

I could see Melvin Benn sending them to Finsbury Park instead

[gfa]

Just now, Andre91 said:

Blink-182 with Tom DeLonge are a Main Stage East headliner. It’s not even up for debate. 

tour is nowhere near the size of this years trio and its hardly like they'd be getting the boost from the young audience

I just cannot fathom how they would be anywhere near the first choice

[Andre91]

3 minutes ago, gfa said:

tour is nowhere near the size of this years trio and its hardly like they'd be getting the boost from the young audience

I just cannot fathom how they would be anywhere near the first choice

Not ever Main Stage headliner needs to be a stadium selling band. There aren’t that many of them. They weren’t last year, they weren’t the year before. 
 

A band selling over 100,000 tickets on their tour in a matter of seconds is a Main Stage East headliner. This is as bad as some of the Download folk who only think that stadium acts are worthy headliners. 
 

They would be first choice because they are a band with a legacy at the festival who are a proven ticket shifter.

Edited August 30, 2023 by Andre91

[gfa]

4 minutes ago, Andre91 said:

Not ever Main Stage headliner needs to be a stadium selling band. There aren’t that many of them. They weren’t last year, they weren’t the year before. 
 

A band selling over 100,000 tickets on their tour in a matter of seconds is a Main Stage East headliner. This is as bad as some of the Download folk who only think that stadium acts are worthy headliners. 
 

They would be first choice because they are a band with a legacy at the festival who are a proven ticket shifter.

Proven ticket shifter to their own tour - not proven for Reading and Leeds in 2024 lol

How can you say with a straight face they are going to sell tickets to 16 year olds

On reflection not much different to RATM though

Edited August 30, 2023 by gfa

[Andre91]

Also, their tour is closer to 130,000. Two nights at the Hydro, two at the O2, two at Manc arena and one in Brum. Anyone who thinks that those aren’t Main Stage East headline numbers is simply incorrect. 
 

[nathanh]

This debate over the headline status of Blink just goes to prove that despite how bad this forum believed it to be, they killed it with the headliners this year.

 

Whilst yes, Blink might not sell many tickets in the teenager early 20s demographic like myself, they would help bring in the audience such as this forum who didnt go this year, who are a consistent and profitable audience if you give them atleast something they like.

[nathanh]

Just now, nathanh said:

Whilst yes, Blink might not sell many tickets in the teenager early 20s demographic like myself, they would help bring in the audience such as this forum who didnt go this year, who are a consistent and profitable audience if you give them atleast something they like.

I also believe that if the tent does come back that is an attempt to claw back some of that audience after that being the main criticism on here in recent years

[Andre91]

Day tickets for Blink would fly out after hundreds of thousands of people missed out on tickets to this tour. You get a Post Malone or a Travis Scott in too, there’s your headliner for the 16 year olds. 

[Benj]

6 minutes ago, gfa said:

Proven ticket shifter to their own tour - not proven for Reading and Leeds in 2024 lol

How can you say with a straight face they are going to sell tickets to 16 year olds

On reflection not much different to RATM though

 Its clear from their recent study with Ticketmaster into why this year didn’t sell and subsequent loyalty scheme idea is that what they’ve lost is repeat visitors. 

16 year olds are not the demographic they need to 

A. They come anyway

B. they cause mischief

C. They want people with money spending at the bars etc.

They need to appeal to a wide demographic. Blink will be a huge draw for many 25–50 year olds who they want back at the festival 

[nathanh]

I really think that the loyalty scheme speaks volumes for what demographics went away causing it to not sell out. It seems a very conscious effort will be made to get them back on side for 2024.

[Andre91]

4 minutes ago, Benj said:

 Its clear from their recent study with Ticketmaster into why this year didn’t sell and subsequent loyalty scheme idea is that what they’ve lost is repeat visitors. 

16 year olds are not the demographic they need to 

A. They come anyway

B. they cause mischief

C. They want people with money spending at the bars etc.

They need to appeal to a wide demographic. Blink will be a huge draw for many 25–50 year olds who they want back at the festival 

Blink still getting booked would be for the same reasons as an MCR still getting booked, or a Green Day, or a Muse, or a RHCP, or a Foo Fighters or even a Killers. They need to target people other then teenagers who will spend money, like you have said. The way to do that is to book one of these legacy type acts.

Edited August 30, 2023 by Andre91

[On The Blend]

1 hour ago, Dull Tools said:

Any chance they get RATM back after they cancelled last year?

Honestly, I’m not sure if Europe are going to get them back, nevermind R&L…

Also, seems Pendulum are about next year, would be a good booking for some kind of big canvas covered stage.

[gfa]

5 minutes ago, nathanh said:

This debate over the headline status of Blink just goes to prove that despite how bad this forum believed it to be, they killed it with the headliners this year.

 

Whilst yes, Blink might not sell many tickets in the teenager early 20s demographic like myself, they would help bring in the audience such as this forum who didnt go this year, who are a consistent and profitable audience if you give them atleast something they like.

 

2 minutes ago, Andre91 said:

Day tickets for Blink would fly out after hundreds of thousands of people missed out on tickets to this tour. You get a Post Malone or a Travis Scott in too, there’s your headliner for the 16 year olds. 

Both fair points - especially on the headliners this year by nathan

----

@Benj

This is an interesting point - I do agree to an extent, although if they keep having shockers the 16 year olds will stop going, just have to look at how well Boardmasters and the Superstruct fests sold this year. Boardmasters which is probably Reading's main competition sold out very very early

I wasn't on site but i'd be interested to know if it felt like just as many young people were there and the older ones were lacking, or if it was proportionally like similarly fewer of both

Although - if they wanted people spending at bars / not burning tents etc I think they'd reconsider entirely. The festival would operate much better at about 2/3 the current size or just one site with almost as stacked lineups funded mostly by the increase food, bar, glamping sales

[gfa]

1 minute ago, On The Blend said:

Honestly, I’m not sure if Europe are going to get them back, nevermind R&L…

Also, seems Pendulum are about next year, would be a good booking for some kind of big canvas covered stage.

Or at 5pm on MSW like bicep lol

[Andre91]

Pendulum have third down main written all over them.