Reading and Leeds Festival 2018 boss responds to 'worst lineup ever'

'The ticket sales tell me that we're doing the right thing'

(Getty Images)

Reading and Leeds Festival organiser Melvin Benn has defended this year’s line-up, described by fans as “appauling” and one of the “worst ever”.

Headliners include Fall Out Boy, Kendrick Lamar, and Kings of Leon, while prominent spots have gone to Travis Scott, Panic! At The Disco, and The Courteeners.

“The key thing about any festival is that you don’t stand still,” Benn told the BBC News.

“I’m very clear on that. You can’t keep drumming up the same acts and expect people to continue to come and see them. Festivals have to be a reflection of what the public are listening to.”

The festival recently added a new wave of acts, including The Vaccines, The Kooks, and The Horrors, improving some sentiments towards the line-up.

“The ticket sales tell me that we’re doing the right thing,” Benn added.

Benn was also questioned about the new PRS Foundation initiative that 45 festivals have signed, pledging to work towards achieving a 50/50 gender balance by 2022.

Reading and Leeds has been criticised for lacking female musicians — the festival has not had a female headliner since Paramore in 2013 — and are not taking part in the initiative.

“Is that the right way to go about it — to say it’s got to be 50/50? I don’t know that it is,” he said.

Benn — who acts as director of Festival Republic, who are behind Reading and Leeds, Latitude, Wireless, and Download — has launched ReBalance, a project that which will see 36 female artists given one week’s studio recording time over the next three years with an aim to “create a bigger pool of female acts” for festival organisers to choose from.

“So actually, I do support the principle of it [gender equality],” Benn said. “I’ve chosen a slightly different way to go about it, but with the same principal aim.”

Female acts to play this year’s Read and Leeds include Wolf Alice, Dra Lipa, Annie Mac, and Hannah Wants.