the end of the Carling Weekend

After nine years, the Reading and Leeds festivals are ending their partnership with Carling, who will no longer be the headline sponsor or official lager of the Reading and Leeds festivals. Following a successful long-term partnership, it was by mutual agreement that both parties felt the time was right to pursue new opportunities.

This marks a happy turning point in the festival’s history with Reading Festival reclaiming its name after the Carling Weekend association. The festival first arrived in Reading in 1971 and has been hosted on the same site on the banks of the river Thames ever since.

Festival Republic’s Melvin Benn took over Reading in 1989 from NJF, when attendance was at an all time low. The festival underwent a serious shake up and opened with a stellar line-up including New Order, The Pogues, The Mission, The Wonder Stuff and The Sugarcubes, that would put Reading back on the music fans radar and cement the future of the festival.

This draws to the close a pinnacle year for Festival Republic, the promoters of Reading, who in August had a massive overhaul, restructured the company, changed their name from Mean Fiddler and are forging forward with more than a few hints of new festivals up their sleeves for 2008.

Festival Republic would like to thank Carling for all their efforts over the years, and wish them success in the future.

This year's Reading and Leeds festivals will happen as usual over the August Bank holiday weekend, from Friday 22nd to Sunday 24th August. We'll of course have all the details when formally announced, expected sometime in March.

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