Reading & Leeds Festival free food and drink offer explained

Melvin Benn the Reading & Leeds Festival organiser, said back in March to 6 Music News that he wanted to reward all those who buy a weekend ticket with a free burger and a beer every day of the twin festival. Now full details of the offer of a free bap and beer or soft drink for weekend ticket holders for each of the three days have been unveiled.

The festival organiser said in a radio interview broadcast that he realised that we were in hard economic times and that whilst he can't alter the ticket price, in order to help the finances of those who have had to buy weekend tickets, he wanted to implement a system where "every weekend ticket buyer would get a free burger and a beer on each day of the festival". He added that he was hoping to find a sponsor who would shoulder the cost to do this, but if not he would consider paying out of his own pocket, and was looking at how it could be implemented at this year's festival.

Today it has been confirmed that vouchers for the food will be sent out with the tickets from today (Monday 6th August). The vouchers can be presented to 'Food for Campers' vendors in designated locations in the campsite until midday on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

One food voucher will be valid for each day. In the case of the free beer (proof of age will be required) or soft drinks these can be collected once through wristband exchange.

Managing Director of Festival Republic, Melvin Benn explained, "Beer and Burger (B&B) has become Beer and Breakfast Bap (B&BB).

"Of course it was never intended to be only beer as soft drinks were always going to be on offer and that will remain.

"The mechanics are simple. For the food element every weekend ticket holder will receive their food vouchers at the same time as their ticket, with a per day voucher that can be redeemed at specially created 'Food for Campers' locations in the campsite, offering either a bacon, sausage or a scrambled egg and mushroom bap. The breakfast bap will be available between 7am and 12 noon Friday, Saturday and Sunday and only the voucher for that specific day can be redeemed. Although no sponsor has come forward to support this in any real way our pals at Heinz have been kind enough to donate enough sauce to make us all very happy!

"The beer is even easier! As you walk out of wristband exchange for the first time a team of festival volunteers will be waiting to give every weekend wristband holder a bag with three cans of beer or soft drinks, one for each of the music days. What's even better is that the bag is a recycling bag, which you can fill with empty cans to get even more free beer!

"It's on us so I hope you enjoy it!"

The twin festivals take place on the bank holiday weekend, from Friday 24th to Sunday 26th August. Reading Festival takes place at Little Johns Farm, Richfield Avenue, Reading, Berkshire, and Leeds Festival takes place at Bramham Park, Leeds, West Yorkshire.

The line-up includes headliners The Cure, Kasabian, and Foo Fighters. Also confirmed are The Maccabees, At The Drive-In, Justice, Metronomy, Paramore and The Black Keys with their only UK festival appearances, Florence + The Machine, Kaiser Chiefs, Bullet For My Valentine, All Time Low, The Gaslight Anthem, Bombay Bicycle Club, You Me At Six, Crystal Castles, Angels & Airwaves, Coheed & Cambria, Cancer Bats, Deaf Havana, The Vaccines, Enter Shikari, The Shins, OFWGKTA, Mystery Jets, Blood Red Shoes, Eagles Of Death Metal, Band Of Skulls, Pulled Apart By Horses, Foster the People, The Courteeners, The Cribs, Billy Talent, Miike Snow, Two Door Cinema Club, The Horrors, SBTRKT, Katy B, Azealia Banks, and Jaguar Skills.

The festivals will feature a full line-up of over 150 acts over the weekend on six stages. For the line-up details, and stage splits, where available, please click here for Reading and here for Leeds.

General sale tickets are on sale now priced at £197.50 for a weekend ticket. Early entry tickets enabling festival goers to get into the site on the Wednesday are also available priced at £15, with campervan passes priced at £60, and lockers £15. Day tickets will be £85 for any day. Over 18's wristband will be optional, but allow those that look young to not have to carry ID around all the time.

Tickets are limited to a maximum of four per person and per credit card for those booking online. U16s (15 & under) must be accompanied by an adult at all times.

Children under 13 (12 and under) are admitted free but MUST be accompanied by a ticket holding adult. Please note there is no separate children's area at this event, and eFestivals considers this an event not really suitable for small children.

To buy tickets for Reading from Seetickets - click here.

To buy tickets for Reading from Ticketline - click here.

To buy tickets for Reading from Gigantic - click here.

To buy tickets for Reading from Ticketmaster - click here.

To buy tickets for Leeds from Seetickets - click here.

To buy tickets for Leeds from Ticketline - click here.

To buy tickets for Leeds from Gigantic - click here.

To buy tickets for Leeds from Ticketmaster - click here.

Coach travel with combined festival tickets can also be purchased. To buy coach tickets for Reading Festival with National Express click here. To buy coach tickets for Leeds Festival with National Express click here.

Make sure any tickets you buy are legitimate. eFestivals always links to official ticket outlets (and doesn't host adverts for unofficial outlets unlike other festival websites!) so you can be sure that any ticket bought via eFestivals will get you into the festival of your choice. Do not purchase tickets from unofficial or secondary ticket outlets or auction sites as they often are unable to supply the tickets, and might not even give you a refund - there's lots of dodgy operators out there!

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