Reading and Leeds Festival has reportedly unveiled a major overhaul as organisers look to move away from its long-standing reputation as a destination mainly for under-18s and teenagers, according to the BBC.
BBC Newsbeat spoke with festival-goers to gauge whether the proposed changes are likely to succeed in attracting a wider and older demographic to the event, which has traditionally drawn large numbers of younger attendees, many of whom treat it as a rite-of-passage trip after finishing school exams.
What’s changing
According to the report, festival organisers are looking at a range of measures as part of the overhaul, though the full scope of the changes was explored through conversations with attendees rather than a single official statement. The focus of Newsbeat’s reporting was on gathering reaction from festival-goers themselves as to whether such changes could realistically alter public perception of the event.
Reading and Leeds has for years been associated with school leavers and college-age crowds, with the festival’s image often tied to end-of-exams celebrations and a younger crowd dynamic compared with other major UK festivals. Organisers appear keen to challenge that perception and appeal to a broader range of music fans, though it remains to be seen how effective the changes will be.
Mixed reaction from festival-goers
Newsbeat’s interviews with people who attend the festival suggest a mixed picture on whether an overhaul can genuinely shift the event’s image. Some attendees reportedly expressed scepticism that changes to programming or format alone would be enough to change long-held perceptions of Reading and Leeds as a young person’s festival, while others were said to be open to the idea that a refreshed approach could draw in older or more diverse crowds over time.
The festival, which takes place simultaneously at sites in Reading and Leeds each August Bank Holiday weekend, is one of the UK’s biggest music events and regularly attracts major international acts across multiple stages.
For more details on the overhaul and reaction from festival-goers, read the full BBC News report.
