The London Blues Festival is proud to showcase a new venue with some of the greatest music legends as the headliners of a festival full of the best of blues and classic rock. The Reading and Leeds Festivals are a pair of annual music events that take place in Reading and Leeds, England. Over the years, the festival has gone through several musical phases, but since the current two-venue format was adopted in 1999, rock, alternative music, indie, punk and metal have been the main genres featured in the lineup. In 1999, due to increased demand, a second venue was added at Temple Newsam in Leeds, which had previously hosted the V Festival in 1997 and 1998. The following year, a second stage (the Marquee Stage) was added, but when the festival moved to Sunbury in 1968, it reverted back to a single-stage format. That same year, the Reading Fringe Festival was created in Reading, with venues in the city that welcomed artists with the aim of attracting the public and figures from the biggest festival industry.
The Reading Festival is held at Little John's Farm, on Richfield Avenue, in downtown Reading, near the Caversham Bridge. By the mid-1990s, the festival had begun to regain its former status as open-air festivals in the United Kingdom became more popular. When Labor regained control of the city council in 1986, permission was granted to use fields adjacent to the original festival venue and a lineup was organized on short notice. The Reading Festival, originally known as the National Jazz Festival, was conceived by Harold Pendleton (founder of the Marquee Club of London in 1995) and was first held at the Richmond Athletic Ground in 1961. The line-up for the first two years consisted exclusively of jazz artists, but in 1963 rhythmic blues groups were added to the list, including the Rolling Stones, Georgie Fame and Long John Baldry. By 1965 these groups had become dominant and jazz sessions were reduced to Saturday and Sunday afternoons.
In 1998, the Reading Festival absorbed the failed Phoenix Festival, leading to a dispute on stage between the Beastie Boys and The Prodigy over the song Smack My Bitch Up. In 1984 and 1985, under conservative leadership of local council, effectively banned the festival by designating its venue for development and refusing to grant licenses for any other venue in Reading area. On a day full of adventures at Bluesfest London, you can explore one of its independent fashion stores or any of its 7 vibrant settings at Brockwell Park. Attend panels and hands-on workshops or simply enjoy some of its classic rock and blues music. There are special discounts or promotions available for local residents attending this amazing festival.
