Reading and Leeds festival return to the UK again next week for another four days of music, drinks and festival antics. The festival is a firm student favourite, attracting around 100,000 people each year. The line up is usually versatile and gives a little something for everyone. This year it includes huge acts such as Arctic Monkeys, Bring Me The Horizon and Dave.
The festival line up has faced a few last minute changes this year. On Tuesday, Leeds and Reading released a statement announcing that Jack Harlow and Maneskin would no longer be performing at the festival. It stated: “We are saddened to hear that Jack Harlow and Maneskin have decided to perform at an award show the same weekend they were confirmed to play Reading and Leeds.”
Both acts have pulled out of the festival to perform at the MTV VMAs instead. They will join artists such as Lizzo, Panic! At the Disco and Nicki Minaj. Yesterday, Reading and Leeds announced via Instagram that Charli XCX and AJ Tracey would now be joining the line up.
Festival-goers took to Twitter to express their annoyance. One user tweeted: “Maneskin and Jack Harlow cancelling Reading and Leeds last minute to perform at the VMAs is so unprofessional.”
Another user was unhappy with the replacement acts, responding to the festival’s announcement: “So the Sunday at Reading and Friday at Leeds are just essentially pop days? Never going to this festival again no matter who you say you’ve booked.”
Not the first time
This isn’t the first time that the festival’s line up has changed. Last week, headliner Rage Against The Machine were also forced to pull out of the festival. The band canceled Reading and Leeds, as well as the remainder of their European tour, due to frontman Zack de la Rocha sustaining a leg injury.
The festival replaced Rage Against the Machine with 2019 headliner The 1975. This received mixed reviews, with some fans being in favour of the change while others were not happy. The acts are vastly different genres of music which has led to frustration from festival goers.
Some ticket holders have been requesting refunds or trying to sell their tickets as a result of the multiple last-minute line up changes. Reading and Leeds festival are currently not offering refunds to ticket holders as a result of the changes. Users across Twitter have been tweeting the festival and Ticketmaster in an attempt to be refunded. One user wrote: “Maneskin AND Rage Against The Machine have pulled out of Reading and Leeds Fest?! I need a refund this is a joke.”