Reading Festival bans flags

The move was announced quietly on the official website's 'General Information' section under the heading 'No Flags'.

It reads: “Flags won't be allowed in the arena. They restrict the view of people behind.”

No other reason has been given and no such announcement has been made regarding sister festival Leeds.

Flags have a permanent fixture at festivals such as Reading and Glastonbury for years, with many fans waving the flag of their country or favourite football team or a slogan aimed at their favourite band.

It is believed this is the first time such a move has been made at a European festival.Reading Festival Tickets takes place at Richfield Avenue, Reading between 28-30 August and features headline sets from Kings Of Leon, Arctic Monkeys and Radiohead as well as appearances from Faith No More and The Prodigy.

Both Reading and Leeds are sold out, but there are passes available from the festivals' official secondary outlet Viagogo. We've teamed up with the company to offer you 10% of off Reading tickets.

READING FESTIVAL 2009

Originally a jazz and blues event back in the 1960s, Reading has since left both genres in the past and is now widely regarded as one of the most essential rock festivals of the UK season. The August Bank Holiday weekender rotates its line-up with Leeds Festival, so those up north don't miss the action either.

With the event fully focused on the music organisers regularly pull out all the stops to deliver a monster line-up that mixes the world's biggest names alongside plenty of emerging talent.

Rage Against The Machine, The Killers and Metallica were all booked on English festival exclusives in 2008, so expect more coups for Reading 2009 as a healthy fill of top indie, punk, ska, hip hop, dance and comedy on the five smaller stages.

The campsite has a legendary reputation for hard drinking and partying after the main arena closes, though others may wish to stay in the luxury of a pod pad, which are available to rent over the weekend. Visit www.podpads.comless

Bridgewater to Reading Festival set for Sept. 19

Now that the Super Summer Reader Night at TD Bank Ballpark is behind us, we're gearing up for our Reading Festival on Sept. 19 at the Barnes & Noble in Bridgewater.
The festival will feature some special event, including a book character costume competition and the announcement of the winners of our short story competition. For details on both events, see MyCentralJersey.com/ssreader.We also will be distributing Barnes & Noble certificates to club members who have been arbitary selected to receive them based upon the reviews written and drawn that they have sent in to us. We have two more weeks left to the program, and allowance more certificates to share, so please send us your reviews. And remember that all age levels, including adults, are eligible to receive gifts.The 21st annual Super Summer Reader Club is presenter by the Courier News, the Home News Tribune and MyCentralJersey.com. Pledge coupons appear in the newspaper every Saturday and Sunday.

Co-sponsors include the Somerset County Education Association, the Somerset Patriots, Applebee's restaurants, Learning Express of Hillsborough and Branchburg, Barnes & Noble and the Somerset County Library System.

Reading Festival To Ban Flags?

Reading Festival have understand taken the unprecedented step of banning flags from this year's event. With the colourful cloth of this festival based standards reaching critical mass at this year's Glastonbury, Reading has become the first major festival in the UK to ban the items.
“Reading Festival Flags won't be allowed in the arena. They restrict the view of people behind." There appears do not be allowed in the similar statement on the Leeds site, however.
The most loyal and volatile fans of Reading Festival, so it's thought that news won't be taken well from a crowd that famously "bottled off" 50 Cent after his appearance at the 2004 didn't go down too well with the rock faithful.
The festival takes place over the weekend of August 28 to 30 and features Kings of Leon, Arctic Monkeys and Radiohead all with an unrestricted view.

Capacity Increase in Festival

Councillors backed organisers' plans to boost this year's capacity of 78,500 ticketholders and 4,999 guests to 82,000 next year and 85,000 from 2011.Resident groups had raised concerns over an increase in noise and a condition to ensure levels are "adequate" has been included.This year's event, from 28-30 August, will feature Arctic Monkeys.Organiser Melvin Benn also won agreement for the number of "early arrivals" permitted to be increased from 7,500 to 20,000.These allow festival-goers to enter the site at 1800 BST on the Wednesday instead of Thursday.

Saturday 29th August at The Reading Festival

NOAH AND THE WHALE are ready to start rise to prominence. you can listen to their music previews at – www.noahandthewhale.com.The information tent is now located on Piccadilly Circus it will be open 24 hours from 2pm on wednesday till 1pm .Weekend tickets include camping and cost £175.Day tickets do not include camping and cost £70.

Reading Festival, this line-up rocks!

Wow! This year’s Reading Festival line-up is one of the best I’ve seen in years.

See below for the line-up so far

Nashville’s Kings of Leon have enjoyed a few penultimate headlining stints on the main stage in the past, but after winning two Brit awards this year the sons of Pentecostal evangelical preacher Leon are hitting the headlining slot.

Arctic Monkeys take their Sheffield social realism to Saturday’s headlining slot, starting life at Reading Festival back in 1995 on what was known as the Carling Stage. Already back then the small tent, reserved mainly for breaking bands, was rammed and spilling out from all sides. And, for once, Sunday’s main stage line-up is one I can’t resist.

Normally the home of the hard rock element to the festival, this year sees Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Bloc Party and then the mighty Radiohead headline. Last playing in 1994, securing Radiohead highlights that organisers Festival Republic are really pulling out all the stops – perhaps in competition to Glastonbury, or perhaps to encourage punters to fork out £175 in this economic climate. It’s clearly worked, as weekend tickets are sold out.

It’s also good to see White Lies already confirmed on the bill. BBC Radio Berkshire has a bit of a connection with the band as Maggie Philbin’s daughter is dating the lead singer. Glasvegas used to play the tiny Rising Sun Arts Centre as part of Club Velocity, so it’s great to see the Scots billed on the Radio One/NME stage too. Of course the stage I’ll be most excited about is the BBC Introducing one, showcasing the best of the bands who are unsigned, undiscovered and under the radar.

The line-up so far

Main stage

Friday

• Kings Of Leon


• Kaiser Chiefs


• Placebo


• Fall Out Boy


• Deftones


• Funeral for a Friend

Saturday

• Arctic Monkeys


• The Prodigy


• Maximo Park


• Ian Brown


• The Courteeners


• Enter Shikari


• Eagles of Death Metal

Sunday

• Radiohead


• Bloc Party


• Yeah Yeah Yeahs


• Vampire Weekend


• Brand New