Music: Reading & Leeds Festival

Jeff Hemmings looks ahead to one of summer’s hottest musical line-ups

With roots that go back to 1961 when it was known as the National Jazz Festival, Reading Festival found a permanent home in 1971 (although it was cancelled in 1984-5 when the local council refused to grant it a licence) before expanding in 1998 to include Leeds. Since then it has become one of the most famous festivals in the world, attracting some of the biggest names in music, as well as a massive and high-powered music industry turnout.

This year’s line-up is, once again, a veritable who’s who of the great and good: Biffy Clyro, Nine Inch Nails, Green Day and Eminem are among the headliners, while acts such as System of A Down, Fall Out Boy, Frank Turner, Chase & Status, The Lumineers and Deftones are amongst the many heavyweights on the main stage bill.

The Radio 1/NME stage will feature the likes of Skrillex, Major Lazer, Bastille, Alt-J, Tame Impala, Jake Bugg, Johnny Marr, Azealia Banks, Frightened Rabbit and Haim, while the Dance Stage features Magnetic Man, Knife Party, Fenech-Soler, Sub Focus and A-Trak.

The Festival Republic Stage gives you the chance to see some of the more new exciting acts emerging in the indie world, including Crystal Fighters, Mounte Kimble, Chvrches, Savages, Chape Club, The Strypes, as well as some older favourites such as Kate Nash, British Sea Power and Tim Burgess.

Perhaps licking his woulds after moaning via Twitter that Glastonbury was going to be all mud and he wasn’t being paid enough, grime star Wiley is one of the headliners of the BBC 1Xtra Stage along with Devlin, Wretch 32, Toddla T, David Rodigan, Ms Dynamite, and a host of other grime and hip hop artists
Comedy is always a big part of the festival and this year sees the likes of former Brighton resident (and ex-Latest 7 columnist) Seann Walsh, along with Russell Kane, Mark Thomas, Josh Widdicombe and Rob Delaney.

Reading & Leeds Festival 2013,
Friday 23–Sunday 25 August. www.festivalrepublic.com