Reading and Leeds Festival confirms it will go ahead in August 2021: ‘Let’s go’

Reading and Leeds Festival has confirmed that it will be going ahead this summer.

Following the government’s announcement on Monday outlining plans for England to be eased out of lockdown by the end of June, organisers told fans they ‘can’t wait to get back in the fields’ via the festival’s official Twitter page.

Alongside a clip sharing footage from the festival from past years, their tweet read: ‘Reading and Leeds 2021. Following the government’s recent announcement, we can’t wait to get back to the fields this summer. LET’S GO.’

Reading and Leeds is set to take place at the end of the summer, between 27 and 29 August and bossed have already confirmed its headliners, with Stormzy and Liam Gallagher headlining.

Other artists and bands confirmed are Post Malone, Catfish and the Bottlemen, Lewis Capaldi, Disclosure and Queens of the Stone Age.

After bering forced to cancel its 2020 festival due to the coronavirus pandemic, organisers revealed plans for Reading and Leeds to go all out on its return in 2021, with two main stages and six headlining acts.

Fans seemed divided over confirmation of the festival taking place, with some sharing their excitement at getting to attend and others skeptical on whether it will definitely go ahead.

‘Honestly I cannot wait to be back in that field,’ tweeted one fan, while another eager festival-goer posted: ‘OH MY GODDDDDD.’

One commented: ‘I’m still not confident lad yano,’ as another shared their doubts by responding: ‘I bet ya two tickets this doesn’t go ahead.’

Others were seen quizzing festival-goers on what health and safety protocols will be in place, asking if Covid testing will be taking place on entry to the festival.

News the festival will be taking place – at Richfield Avenue in Reading and Bramham Park in Leeds – comes after the government outlined its plans to ease lockdown restrictions by June.

Stage five of Boris Johnson’s road map to ease restrictions is hoping to see hospitality and nightclubs reopening, legal restrictions lifted and large events, including festivals, to be given the green light to go ahead with full crowds.

In order to do so, England would need to pass four tests regarding the continued success of the vaccine deployment, evidence that the jabs are sufficiently reducing hospital admissions, the level of threat for new Covid variants and low infection rates.

The coronavirus pandemic wreaked havoc with festival season in 2020, leading to pretty much all major music festivals in the UK pulling their scheduled events, including Reading & Leeds and Glastonbury on what would have been their 50th anniversary.

Fans questioned whether festivals would be able to return in 2021, given that lockdown restrictions were reinforced in January and Glastonbury announced that it’s been forced to cancel its festival plans once again.

A statement from Glasto’s founders Michael and Emily Eavis read: ‘With great regret, we must announce that this year’s Glastonbury Festival will not take place, and that this will be another enforced fallow year for us.

‘In spite of our efforts to move Heaven & Earth, it has become clear that we simply will not be able to make the Festival happen this year. We are so sorry to let you all down. As with last year, we would like to offer all those who secured a ticket in October 2019 the opportunity to roll their £50 deposit over to next year, and guarantee the chance to buy a ticket for Glastonbury 2022.

‘We are very appreciative of the faith and trust placed in us by those of you with deposits, and we are very confident we can deliver something really special for us all in 2022! We thank you for your incredible continued support and let’s look forward to better times ahead.’

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