Reading and Leeds to be broadcast by the BBC

The twin Carling Weekend: Reading & Leeds Festivals are to be broadcast this year by the BBC.

The event will be shown live on BBC Three from 7pm each evening over the August Bank Holiday, with the main bands and highlights from the Reading leg of the festival being shown on BBC2 each night over the weekend. Along with the music, they'll be live reports from around the sites plus some behind the scenes footage.

The coverage will also have interactive elements, with digital viewers able to press the red button to see a choice of different performances. The BBC TV coverage will be complemented by live broadcasts, reportage and coverage on BBC Radio 1 over the course of the weekend.

Melvin Benn, Managing Director of Festivals, Mean Fiddler said “I could not be happier. I have worked alongside BBC TV for the last four years at Glastonbury and seen the extraordinary coverage achieved there and I am delighted that the best music festivals in the world are now to be screened by the best TV broadcaster in the world.”


The Reading and Leeds festivals have a line-up that includes Franz Ferdinand, Muse, Pearl Jam, Kaiser Chiefs, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Arctic Monkeys, The Streets, Feeder, Placebo, My Chemical Romance, Slayer, Primal Scream, The Raconteurs, Maximo Park, Dizzee Rascal, Coheed & Cambria, The Rakes, and loads more, with many more still to be confirmed. For the full line-up to date, click here for Reading or here for Leeds.

Tickets are on sale, but all weekend tickets are sold out. Day tickets cost £60 for any day (no camping) at either Reading or Leeds. To buy, click here.

The Carling Weekend: Reading Festival takes place at Little Johns Farm, Richfield Avenue, Reading, Berkshire, and The Carling Weekend: Leeds Festival takes place at Bramham Park, Leeds, West Yorkshire. Both festivals happen on Friday 25th to Sunday 27 August.

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