Reading and Leeds hints at special guests set

With two weeks to go until Reading and Leeds kicks off, fest booker Jon McilDowie has dropped a big hint at a potential special guest.

Speaking to XFM about the festival, Mcildowie confirmed that he’d had offers to have an ‘arena sized band’ appear at the fest.

“We always get calls about a month before the festival from bands saying, “You know how we said we didn’t want to play your festival, well now we’re available and we really do,” he said to the station. “I’ve had about seven of those this year, including a couple from bands that are arena acts who want to do secret shows or do last-minute things.”

Asked whether any of these acts would appear at the festival, he said: “One of them will… It’s going to be a surprise.”

Headliners for this year’s Reading and Leeds festival arrive in the form of Paramore, Queens of the Stone Age, Arctic Monkeys and Blink-182. It takes place on 22nd-24th August.

Out today (8th August), the new issue of DIY is a Reading & Leeds special. Find a copy in our stockists or read online from 12pm GMT.