Reading Festival headline more new acts have been added on the bill

Reading Festival headline more new acts have been added on the bill including comedians, spoken word artists and more.

The latest additions, announced yesterday at the festival stage show various alternatives, and Roisin Conaty, Edinburgh Festival last year in the best newcomer award winner, young indie band, Pete and the Pirates Reading and rapper, writer, poet and singer join Dizraeli.

Nirvana 1992 Reading Festival, a comedy set and Beastie Boys Fight For Your Right Revisited will be screened.

Reading Festival" Police given extra powers

At this year's Reading Festival Police have been given extra powers to deal with troublemakers after large fires were started at the 2009 event.

Groups of people set tents, hedgerows and rubbish on fire, while fencing was also ripped up.

Which starts on 27 August, a dispersal order will be used to break up large groups of people outside the site of the three day festival.

Police will also use the powers against "aggressive" illegal ticket touts.

Police signed the dispersal order with Reading Borough Council, which is also running a hotline to help with residents' concerns.

A council spokesperson said: "Experience from other festivals and events shows that crime drops significantly when a dispersal order is put in place."

Following on from last year's disorder, festival promoters Festival Republic warned last month that they will seek to prosecute any troublemakers.

A new scheme which restricts when fans can bring alcohol on to the site will also be piloted this year. Thames Valley Police is also drafting in extra officers.

By Guns N' Roses this year's event will be headlined, Arcade Fire and Blink 182 and there will also be an appearance from the re-formed Libertines.

Reading Festival Tackling Crime

One of the first major tasks facing Reading's new police chief will be night time commander at the Reading Festival next month.
Superintendent Stuart Greenfield said: “Last year saw an escalation in violence on the Sunday night where too many people had too much to drink, they were lighting fires which presented a very actuall safety risk to other campers on that site.
“Most people go to the site and are there purely to watch the music for a good time 95%, it’s the small minority.
“However the issues that presented themselves last year on the Sunday night were quite significant and presented a real risk to public safety, to the other festival goers, staff on the site, to my officers and to the fire service.
“We can’t ignore that and have worked very hard in the planning stages for this year’s festival with the organisers themselves, Festival Republic and partners in the community safety team and licensing at the council.
“Festival Republic has trebled its number of stewards and has footed the bill for an increased number of police officers onsite.”
Supt Greenfield added: “This year, for me, is about having a more proactive response.
“I want my officers to be engaged with the festival goers selling crime prevention messages.
“It’s a test year almost, a lot more policing, a lot more stewards, we will look what effect that has and that will dictate our resourcing next year.”
Policing around the rest of the town will continue as normal, he said.