Reading and Leeds announce a wealth of entertainment on Alternative Stage

With just three weeks to go Reading and Leeds festivals have announced the Alternative Stage line-up and late night entertainment for the twin festival taking place on the bank holiday weekend, from Friday 22nd to Sunday 24th August.

Returning for its second year The Alternative Stage will once again host spoken word, comedy, cabaret, film and musical collaborations, and late night entertainment once the bands finish. This year the stage hosts a world class line-up of acclaimed performers and some very special moments whilst at Leeds Festival the party starts early with everything starting on Thursday night.

Spoken Word
The headliners include punk poet John Cooper Clarke (Leeds Festival Sunday 24th August, Reading Festival Friday 22nd August), Black Flag vocalist Henry Rollins (Leeds Saturday 23rd August, Reading Sunday 24th August), and American anti-folk singer/songwriter and comic book artist Jeffrey Lewis (Leeds Friday 22nd August, Reading Saturday 23rd August).

Joining them on the bill on Friday 22nd August at Leeds Festival, Saturday 23rd August at Reading Festival are George Pringle, Chris Hicks, and Ross Sutherland.

Announced for Saturday 23rd August at Leeds Festival, Sunday 24th August at Reading Festival is Beans On Toast.

Tim Clare, Byron Vincent, Dockers MC (Reading Only), and Excentral Tempest (Leeds Only) are confirmed to appear on Sunday 24th August at Leeds Festival, Friday 22nd August at Reading Festival.

Comedy
The comedy is headlined by Australian comic Brendon Burns on Friday 22nd August at Leeds Festival, Saturday 23rd August at Reading Festival.

American stand-up comedian Stephen Lynch, and Australian comedian Adam Hills appear on Saturday 23rd August at Leeds Festival, with Adam Hills appearing Sunday 24th August at Reading Festival, and Stephen Lynch appears at Reading on Friday 22nd August.

Appearing at Leeds on Sunday 24th August will be stand-up comic Michael Mcintyre, where as Reading will play host to Phill Jupitus on Friday 22nd August.

Other confirmed acts include appearing at Leeds only on Friday 22nd August are Andrew Lawrence, Jack Whitehall, and Martin Bigpig as MC. More acts exclusively for Leeds on Saturday 23rd August include Milton Jones, Dan Atkinson, Matt Kirschen, and Michael Fabbri, on Sunday 24th August it's the turn of Roger Monkhouse, Mick Ferry, Ben Hurley, and Matt Reed will MC.

Robin Ince, Steve Gribbin, Arnab Chanda, Jason Rouse, Cole Parker, and The Reverend Obidiah Steppenwolf will be performing on Friday 22nd August at Leeds Festival, Saturday 23rd August at Reading Festival.

Alistair Barrie is confirmed to appear on Friday 22nd August at Leeds Festival, and Sunday 24th August at Reading Festival he'll be MCing the proceedings.

Confirmed to appear on Saturday 23rd August at Leeds Festival, and Sunday 24th August at Reading Festival are Doktor cocacolamacdonalds, and Christian Reilly.

Trevor Lock, Rob Rouse, and Mitch Benn appear on Saturday 23rd August at Leeds Festival, and Friday 22nd August at Reading Festival.

Appearing on Sunday 24th August at Leeds Festival, and Friday 22nd August at Reading Festival are Steve Weiner, and Jarred Christmas. With Hugh Lennon, and Pete Johansson also appearing on Sunday 24th August, at Leeds Festival, but on Saturday 23rd August at Reading.

Performing at Reading Festival only on Friday 22nd August Ian Moore, Barry Castagnola, and Rufus Hound as MC. More acts exclusively for Reading on Sunday 24th August are Sean Walsh, Al Pitcher, Adam Bloom, Yianni Agisilaou, and Bullah The Most Dangerous Man In The World.

Film & Music
The late night entertainment has also been announced and includes Darryl's Hard Liquor And Porn, The Tracey Fragments and Pens, Youth Movie Soundtrack Strategies presents Tracey Remixed by Buzzard Buzzard, only at Leeds on Friday 22nd August. Also exclusive to Leeds is A Complete History Of My Sexual Failures, followed by the band Warm Puppies, on Saturday 23rd August, and heading for Leeds for the final day will be Transgressive Records presenting Jeremy Warmsley, So So Modern, Mechanical Bride, and Three Trapped Tigers plus Leeds also sees the return of Halloween.

Entertainment at both sites includes Heavy Metal in Baghdad at Leeds on Thursday 21st August and Reading Festival on Friday 22nd August. Plus at both sites across the weekend will be Fur TV, and Crazy Girl Shorts with Chris Shepherd Shorts showing on Friday 22nd August.

Cabaret & Burlesque
Lucha Britannia appear at Leeds Festival on Thursday 21st August and on Saturday 23rd August at Reading with their late night entertainment. Beginning with a mixture of British world of sport & Mexican Lucha Libre high flying, hardcore wrestling action the show will get stranger and darker with the appearance of Vivid Angels' burlesque, Crazy White Sean, and Syban vs Manticore.

The grown up party games with a difference club night Smash N' Grab appear on Saturday 23rd August at Leeds Festival, and Friday 22nd August at Reading Festival. The Russ Meyer inspired Grind A Go Go appears exclusively at Leeds Festival on Friday 22nd August.

At both sites on the Radio One/NME Stage, when the bands stop the music doesn't as the Silent Disco returns with guests Steve Lamacq, Bethan Elfyn & the Vinyl Vendettas and My Ex Boyfriends Records.

At Leeds Festival Dance to The Radio reprise last year's Thursday night takeover again with a line-up of talent on the BBC Introducing Stage. Artists confirmed include Grammatics, Dinosaur Pile–Up, The Wallbirds, Broken Records and Wintermute who will be playing live from 6.30pm on Thursday night.



The musical line-up at both festivals includes over 150 acts during the weekend on six stages. The Main Stage sees Rage Against The Machine, The Killers, and Metallica headlining. Plus Queens Of The Stone Age, The Fratellis, The Enemy, Biffy Clyro, Bloc Party, The Raconteurs, Editors, Tenacious D, Slipknot, Feeder, Avenged Sevenfold, Dropkick Murphys, Babyshambles, The Wombats, Vampire Weekend, Manic Street Preachers, Bullet For My Valentine, The Cribs, and Pendulum. For the line-up so far of those of the 150 acts over the weekend, stage splits and latest rumours, click here for Reading Festival and click here for Leeds Festival.

Tickets have sold out. The price for a ticket was £155 for the 3 days with camping, day tickets are £65, campervans £10, lockers £15, and early entry tickets £10.

Reading Festival takes place at Little Johns Farm, Richfield Avenue, Reading, Berkshire, and Leeds Festival takes place at Bramham Park, Leeds, West Yorkshire.

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