Reading Festival The council has played down suggestions Reading Festival will go ahead this summer. Reading Festival has confirmed its intention to go ahead with the event this August, but a Reading councillor has cautioned that no decision has yet been made. Festival Republic, organisers of Reading and Leeds Festival made an announcement on Wednesday, February 24, tweeting: “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 #RandL21”. And Festival Republic director Melvin Benn told The Guardian “We’re enthusiastic, we’re excited, and we’re certain that it’s going to go ahead”.