THE Carling WEEKEND: Leeds Festival - UPDATE!

A limited number of coach travel and weekend ticket packages FOR THE LEEDS SITE ONLY are still available through SEE tickets - www.seetickets.com although these are selling fast.  A limited number of day tickets, priced £60 subject to booking fee are still available. Check with individual outlets for availability.  WEEKEND tickets for this year's Carling Weekend: Reading and Leeds Festivals sold out in record time. WEEKEND tickets for both sites sold out within one hour of going on sale through internet outlets yesterday evening whilst tickets at HMV stores sold out within minutes of the doors opening this morning with some stores reporting queues from 2am this morning.

THE CARLING WEEKEND : READING AND LEEDS FESTIVALS 2006

If you thought last year was amazing, then this year’s Carling Weekend: Reading and Leeds Festival is already looking like the best ever and there’s plenty more names to come. Organisers MEAN FIDDLER have spent the time since last years festivals ended scouring the music world for the biggest and best bands and the newest and most talked about acts to create the best festival bill you could ever imagine. Across this year’s initial announcement are three of the biggest bands in the world, all making EXCLUSIVE UK FESTIVAL PERFORMANCES and demonstrating between them the depth of music and talent that has become the hallmark of the festivals.

This year sees a very special moment at the twin sites as PEARL JAM return to the UK after a six year absence to play THEIR FIRST EVER UK FESTIVAL SHOWS. One of the biggest bands in the world, with a huge fanbase and masses of critical respect, THEIR ONLY UK FESTIVAL PERFORMANCES are clearly the event of the summer. With album sales over their 15 year career comparable to the biggest names in rock ever, the twin sites will be a very special place to be over the weekend as PEARL JAM take their rightful place amongst the names that have headlined the Main Stage. MUSE return to the festival as headliners of the Main Stage for the first time following an amazing three years since the release of their platinum selling album, "Absolution" that has seen them become one of the world’s biggest live acts for THEIR ONLY UK FESTIVAL APPEARANCES. FRANZ FERDINAND step into their headline slot with a clutch of huge selling singles, two massive albums and a host of BRITS and NME Awards to their name to play THEIR ONLY ENGLISH FESTIVAL SHOWS to further confirm their position as one of the UK’s best loved and most popular acts.

Joining our Main Stage headliners are a host of the biggest names and most talked about acts to create the ultimate festival bill. ARCTIC MONKEYS have already hit the headlines and the record books with the fastest selling UK album ever for their debut following last year’s packed out Carling Stage performances. KAISER CHIEFS are sitting pretty with over 1.6 million sales of debut album "Employment" and a host of already classic Top 5 singles. With both bands heralding the renaissance of Yorkshire’s music scene Leeds looks forward to welcoming back their conquering heroes for two storming sets on their home turf. PLACEBO bring a catalogue of huge hits to the Main Stage on the back of current album "Meds" for what is sure to be a timely reminder of the brilliance of one of the world’s most popular and prolific acts. 2004’s Main Stage headliner with White Stripes Jack White joins with his good friend Brendan Benson to bring their new act, THE RACONTEURS to the festivals to headline the RADIO ONE / NME STAGE for THEIR DEBUT UK FESTIVAL SHOWS. In addition to these exclusive performances, Mike Skinner, aka THE STREETS, steps on to the Main Stage with critical adulation for his forthcoming album from all quarters and another huge hit single for current release "When You Wasn’t Famous".

And that’s just the start of this years CARLING WEEKEND: READING AND LEEDS FESTIVALS. Still to come are more bands on the MAIN STAGE and the RADIO ONE / NME STAGE, the full line-up for THE CARLING STAGE and THE COMEDY AND CABARET STAGE alongside TWO DAYS of THE LOCK-UP STAGE due to popular demand and THE DANCE STAGE.

As ever, organisers MEAN FIDDLER are making improvements to ensure that this year’s festival is the best ever. More details on the acts playing and the other additions to this years entertainment will follow in the coming weeks. Details of the bill so far and information on each band follows.

THE MAIN STAGE HEADLINERS

Friday 25th August at The Carling Weekend: Reading Festival

Saturday 26th August at The Carling Weekend: Leeds Festival

With millions of records sold across the world FRANZ FERDINAND are one of the biggest names in the world at the moment. From smash hit second single, "Take Me Out", Franz have gone from Glasgow arthouse secret to multi platinum global artists in the short space of 2 years and picked up a Nationwide Mercury Prize (for debut album, "Franz Ferdinand") and two BRITS in 2006; for Best British Band and Best Rock Act. Having made one multi platinum record, the four then returned within a short space of just over a year with second album, "You Could Have It So Much Better" and another huge hit single in the form of "Do You Want To". The band ended 2005 with a huge arena tour across Europe, culminating in four sold out shows at London’s Alexandra Palace which, if you saw them, will have you salivating at the prospect of this EXCLUSIVE UK FESTIVAL HEADLINE PERFORMANCE.

Saturday 26th August at The Carling Weekend: Reading Festival

Sunday 27th August at The Carling Weekend: Leeds Festival

MUSE return with their fourth, as yet untitled new album in 2006. It follows 2003’s "Absolution" which sold nearly 3 million copies worldwide, saw the band play to over 1.5 million around the world on a mammoth tour that included America, Japan and Europe. With headline appearances at Glastonbury, T In The Park and V2004 the band ended the year (and the tour) with two explosive sell-out shows at London’s Earls Court. MUSE have cemented their position as one of the UK's greatest live acts, "Muse are an awesome live band, putting on the kind of arena show that other bands are too shackled, by lack of imagination or too much uptight cool, to even attempt." (The Guardian Guide), recognition of their achievements coming in the form of the BRIT for Best Live Act in 2005, Q’s Best Live Act Award in both 2005 and 2006, NME Best Live Band in 2005 and MTV’s Best International Act and Best Alternative Act at last year’s ceremony. MUSE will embark on another incendiary world tour in May of this year before touching down for these headline performances at the twin sites, THEIR ONLY UK FESTIVAL APPEARANCES THIS YEAR.

Sunday 27th August at The Carling Weekend: Reading Festival

Friday 25th August at The Carling Weekend: Leeds Festival

It's been six years since they last toured Europe, so it's no great surprise that organisers Mean Fiddler are overjoyed to announce that PEARL JAM will be here to headline the Main Stage at the twin sites of Reading and Leeds. This will be PEARL JAM’S ONLY FESTIVAL APPEARANCE IN THE UK THIS YEAR and, as such, is sure to be one of the most talked about and highly anticipated sets of the year, never mind the festival. From first arriving on UK shores in 1991 with huge hit single, "Alive", the band have gone on to sell over 60 million albums worldwide and attract a huge fanbase from Europe to Australia and all points in between. With new material due in the form of limited edition single, "World Wide Suicide" (April 24th) and eighth studio album, "Pearl Jam" (May 1st), this year's headline performances will re-affirm PEARL JAM's standing as the pre-eminent voice of US alternative rock.

ON THE MAIN STAGE

Friday 25th August at The Carling Weekend: Reading Festival

Saturday 26th August at The Carling Weekend: Leeds Festival

When KAISER CHIEFS played the Carling Stage in 2004, few could have predicted the monumental rise to stardom that awaited them although anyone who heard first massive hit single, "I Predict A Riot" may have hazarded a good guess. Debut album "Employment" currently stands at a UK sale of over 1.8 million copies, the band are the owners of three BRIT Awards (Best Group, Best Live Act and Best Album), one NME Award (Best Album) whilst lead singer Ricky Wilson is a guest presenter on BBC’s "Never Mind The Buzzcocks". KAISER CHIEFS even managed to fit Live 8 into their packed schedule last year, opening the US leg of the event, the only British band on the US bill. After two years of amazing success, the Leeds lads come home for one day of the weekend and take to the Reading Main Stage for the first time also in what is THEIR ONLY UK FESTIVAL APPEARANCES. With work currently underway on tracks for their second album, these shows may be a first chance to hear what comes next.

When word spread that three of the greatly missed Rage Against The Machine were working with former Soundgarden singer, Chris Cornell, the rock world rightly held it’s breath. Then in 2002, AUDIOSLAVE released debut single "Cochise" and all the anticipation was justified at a stroke. Blending Cornell’s stunning rock voice with the groove of Rage and Tom Morello’s unique guitar stylings, the eponymous debut album that followed was rightly acclaimed as one of the great rock records of the year. In 2005, the band returned with second album, "Out Of Exile" and made history by being the first US band to play in Cuba, thus continuing a history of political activism and engagement that had been a hallmark of all the individual members in their previous bands. With million selling records, a fanatical fanbase and a recent decision to play highlights from both Rage and Soundgarden history alongside their own songs, AUDIOSLAVE’s ONLY UK FESTIVAL PERFORMANCES are a guaranteed highlight of the weekend.

One of the UK’s best loved bands, FEEDER are classic festival favourites, and this year with the release of ‘The Singles’ in May their set is sure to be full of all the sing-along hits everybody knows and loves. With a clutch of Top Ten singles including "Tumble and Fall", "Just The Way I’m Feeling" and "Buck Rogers", and current brand new track ‘Lost & Found’ all over radio FEEDER are rightly recognized as a band of the people. Over 5 studio albums (plus debut mini album "Swim") the band have grown from an early constant touring schedule into a stadium sized rock band and sold over 3.5 million albums. The band are currently working on album number six for early 2007 so will possibly be giving some new tracks a first time airing.

It is a great pleasure to welcome BELLE AND SEBASTIAN to the twin sites for the first time. Following 2004’s Trevor Horn produced "Dear Catastrophe Waitress", the band with the biggest cult following in the UK have become a mainstream concern and this years stunning follow up, "The Life Pursuit" is sure to further their appeal. Initially put together by front man Stuart Murdoch for a college music project in Glasgow, the band’s 1996 debut "Tigermilk" became one of the word of mouth successes of that year and the release of second album "If You’re Feeling Sinister" later that year confirmed that here was a band that would go on to write their own unique story. Fiercely independent, BELLE AND SEBASTIAN won even more friends when they triumphed over Steps at 1997’s BRIT Awards due to their fanatical online fanbase to win Best New British Act much to the chagrin of Pete Waterman. Over six studio albums, countless EP’s, a film soundtrack and various superb B side and rarities collections, BELLE AND SEBASTIAN have proved themselves one of the UK’s most vital bands and these performances are just as vital; a must see.

Recent Kerrang cover stars FALL OUT BOY look all set to join the big leagues this year. Their major label debut, ‘From Under The Cork Tree’ has now gone multi platinum, a new version of the album has just been released on Mercury Records and features five extra tracks. The first single from the album, ‘Sugar, We’re Goin’ Down’, entered the UK singles chart at # 8, a second single ‘Dance, Dance’, follows on April 17th. FALL OUT BOY are all set to be the new saviours of American rock and can even count Jay-Z, who brought Beyonce to their New York show, as a fan. Having seen the band live, he said that the crowd were "like a cult". Surely it’s time to join yourself?

PLEASE NOTE, FALL OUT BOY ARE PLAYING READING ONLY

It’s been an incredible year on both sides of the Atlantic for THE SUBWAYS. Having already made a huge impression in the UK with the release of debut album "Young For Eternity" via a punishing touring schedule, the trio have been making waves in the USA with a live appearance on David Letterman’s show and a special guest appearance on the current series of "The OC". Signature tune, "Rock ‘n’ Roll Queen", is currently familiar to all as the theme of the Kate Moss Rimmel advert whilst they have recently taken possession of gold albums in the UK. From their first headline grabbing appearance at Glastonbury in 2004 as an unsigned act to the highest rated chat show in the US and gold albums in two short years; for a band barely out of their teens it seems the future is THE SUBWAYS for the taking.

Brace yourself for one of those Carling Weekend: Reading and Leeds Festivals moments as PANIC! AT THE DISCO come to the festivals for the first time. Already attracting a large amount of attention due to their Number 1 position on the MySpace chart (no mean feat given the amount of bands on the site), tours with labelmates Fall Out Boy (who actually signed the band to their Decaydence / Fueled By Ramen label) and good notices across the UK media. Every year a clutch of bands go stellar after coming to the twin sites and PANIC AT THE DISCO look likely candidates for 2006. With debut album, "I Write Sins Not Tragedies" now on street and picking up fans on a daily basis, these are performances that shouldn’t be missed by those looking for the big names of the coming years.

ON THE RADIO ONE / NME STAGE

If you were looking for a history of cutting edge British music in the last twenty years then PRIMAL SCREAM would pretty much answer all your questions. Appearing with the wonderfully brief "Velocity Girl" on the NME’s seminal C86 compilation in 1986, PRIMAL SCREAM went on to make a sleazy rock record in 1989 ("Primal Scream") which spawned an Andrew Weatherall remix in the form of "Loaded" that pretty much is the benchmark of the second summer of love that was 1990. Through landmark album "Screamadelica", whose collaborators read like a who’s who of the acid house and dance scene to working with Memphis Horns on 1994’s "Give Up But Don’t Give Out" and on to the recruitment of first Mani, of Stone Roses fame and Kevin Shields, My Bloody Valentine Godhead, PRIMAL SCREAM have been consistent sonic innovators and, live, put bands half their age to shame with a show that can only be described as sonic assault of the best kind. Returning on May 22nd with new single "Country Girl" from new album "Riot City Blues", all of which was recorded live in 10 days, PRIMAL SCREAM are one of those bands that are always a must see and these shows are no exception.

ON THE MAIN STAGE

Saturday 26th August at The Carling Weekend: Reading Festival

Sunday 27th August at The Carling Weekend: Leeds Festival

If there’s one band above all others that have captured the attention of pretty much the whole of the UK this year, then that band is ARCTIC MONKEYS. Their performance last year on the Carling Stage was one of the busiest ever seen and so it is right and proper that this year they make the leap to the Main Stage. With the fastest selling UK debut of all time in the form of Number 1 album "Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’ Not" and two attendant Top 5 singles, "I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor" and "When The Sun Goes Down", this is likely to be a set that everyone wants to see. Expect mass sing-a-alongs, singer Alex Turner’s sardonic humour and the opportunity to say that you too have seen the most exciting UK band of the moment.

With new album, "The Hardest Way To Make An Easy Living, Mike Skinner, aka THE STREETS, seems sure to continue his inexorable rise to superstardom. When "Original Pirate Material" heralded the arrival of THE STREETS in 2002, going on to win the Nationwide Mercury Prize, Mike Skinner saw himself compared to Dostoevsky amongst others. 2004’s "A Grand Don’t Come For Free" continued the high critical praise but also delivered a Number One album and Number One single in the form of "Dry Your Eyes", a song that seemed tailor made to soundtrack England’s departure from that year’s European Championship and sold in excess of 3 million albums whilst also being nominated for an Ivor Novello alongside multiple BRIT Awards. Firmly established as the voice of the real middle England, of Barratt Homes and Barcardi Breezers rather than cricket and tea, Skinner returns on April 10th with "The Hardest Way To Make An Easy Living", already being heralded by the press as one of the greatest albums of any year, never mind 2006. With it’s lurid tales of life in the maelstrom of fame, THE STREETS third album is also their finest to date and these performances are a sure fire must see for those who understand the pivotal importance of Mike Skinner and his band in the UK music canon.

Recent NME cover stars and holders of "the most anticipated album release" award, YEAH YEAH YEAHS have, in their short career, become a byword for creativity and innovation in the alternative music scene. Debut Ep, "Bang" was a particular favourite of Radio One’s Zane Lowe and debut album, "Fever To Tell", was released to hyperbolic reviews on both sides of the Atlantic, cruising past the gold mark in both the UK and the US. First noted for not having a bass player, the YEAH YEAH YEAHS story has grown considerably, lead singer Karen O’s mesmerising stage presence and Nick Zinner’s guitar alchemy welding to drummer Brian Chases’ steady presence to create one of the most visceral and exciting bands of recent years. With new album, "Show Your Bones" already heralded by NME as "the greatest American album this year", YEAH YEAH YEAHS are set to become a huge global band and justifiably take their place on the Main Stage for a clear contender for set of the weekend.

DIRTY PRETTY THINGS are understandably known as much for Carl Barat’s former band The Libertines as much as for their own work at this point. However, that is sure to change this year as Barat’s new band have stormed into the year with a clutch of frenetic gigs, including a recent headline slot on MTV’s Brand Spanking New Music show in Birmingham which reminded many of the sheer excitement and energy of the early days of his former band. Debut single, "Bang, Bang You’re Dead", is already a fixture on MTV2 and Radio One and is sure to be a big hit on it’s release on 24th April. With the band working on a debut album for release later in the year, it seems that Carl and drummer Gary Powell have shrugged off the bad times and, in concert with former stand in Libs guitarist Anthony Rossomando and ex Cooper Temple Clause bassist (and local Reading lad) Didz Hammond, are all set to lead the UK’s alternative scene all over again.

Currently gearing up to the release of their second studio album, THE FUTUREHEADS come to the festivals on the crest of a wave. With 250,000 copies of their eponymous debut album sold in the UK, the band find themselves very much at the forefront of a UK music scene in rude health. From debut single, the infectiously jittery "A to B", through to their unique and brilliant cover of Kate Bush’s "Hounds Of Love", THE FUTUREHEADS toured the UK spreading an infectious brand of agit pop to eager audiences throughout 2005, also supporting the Godheads of the respective alternative camps in the form of Oasis, Pixies and Foo Fighters in the last year. With a new single, "Skip To The End" released on May 15th and second studio album, "News And Tributes" to follow on May 29th, THE FUTUREHEADS are a sure fire bet for even greater success second time round.

With four Top 30 singles last year and critical acclaim for their second album, "The New Fellas" THE CRIBS are rightly becoming one of the UK’s big names. Currently on tour in the US with Franz Ferdinand and Death Cab For Cutie, the Wakefield trio have spent two years of hard gigging including supports with big fans The Ordinary Boys and Kaiser Chiefs amongst a host of others in the UK. Building a fanbase through word of mouth, that hard touring is paying off whilst lead singer Ryan made an extra special impact at this year’s NME Awards, celebrating his default win of the Best Live Award (‘proper’ winners Franz Ferdinand weren’t there so the award ended up in Ryan’s hands courtesy of Kaiser Chiefs) with a somewhat dangerous dive across a glass packed table. With a live show that is every bit as energetic and sometimes as dangerous, THE CRIBS are guaranteed a huge crowd for these shows and more Top 30’s and critical acclaim seem assured.

WOLFMOTHER were the biggest act to emerge from the US South By South West festival and one of the best new live rock bands in the world; The Carling Weekend: Reading and Leeds Festivals awaits the calling of "The Wolf". With fans as diverse as Foo Fighters, Flaming Lips, Iron Maiden, DFA 1979, White Stripes & Franz Ferdinand their massive sound drives crowds into a frenzy. Lazy comparisons are made to Sabbath, Zeppelin and White Stripes but as demonstrated by their last release and Zane Lowe single of the week - 'Mind's Eye' - their sound is resolutely their own. One definitely to watch.

ON THE RADIO ONE / NME STAGE

Playing their first UK festival shows, old friends Brendan Benson and Jack White bring their band, THE RACONTUERS to the twin sites. As two of the most talented songwriters around, the combination of Benson and White on paper was a mouth watering prospect to those who know their music but the proof, in the form of debut single, "Steady As She Goes" and debut album, "Broken Boy Soldiers" (May 15th), exceeded the most optimistic expectations. A recent show at London’s Astoria was received in suitably hysterical fashion whilst a late addition to MTV2’s Brand Spanking New show at Birmingham’s Barfly club nearly brought the roof down. Whilst THE RACONTEURS may have had a long gestation period since the four members first got together to write "Steady As She Goes", that time has undoubtedly been worth the wait and these shows, like many other appearances on this year’s bill, are a special moment in the history of the festivals.

ON THE MAIN STAGE

Sunday 27th August at The Carling Weekend: Reading Festival

Friday 25th August at The Carling Weekend: Leeds Festival

Over the last ten years PLACEBO have steadily become one of the biggest UK bands in the world. With albums from 2000’s "Black Market Music" through 2003’s "Sleeping With Ghosts", the trio that sprung to UK attention in the midst of the ‘laddisms’ of Britpop with the sexual ambiguity of "Nancy Boy" and "Bruise Pristine" in 1994 rose to become a global act in the biggest sense of the word. Hand in hand with such phenomenal success has been a life spent on the road, playing huge shows across the world and making PLACEBO into one of the most dynamic and compelling bands of the current time. With over 6 million albums sold worldwide, recently released new album "Meds" features guest vocals from VV of The Kills and good friend Michael Stipe and looks guaranteed to continue the worldwide sales pattern that saw last album "Sleeping With Ghosts sell 1.5 million across the globe. PLACEBO continue to steadfastly resist the vagaries of the UK music scene to create classic music that speaks to fans worldwide and these performances are sure to further increase their enormous appeal.

With over 2 million copies of their debut album, "Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge" sold across the world, MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE are one of the biggest bands in the world right now. Despite such colossal sales, this is a band with their feet firmly on the ground, as NME noted at a recent South By South West show, "for all the planet felching hugeness their ride has involved, they’re still as punk rock as any of the bands that have played on flat bed trucks this week". With a recently released special 3 disc DVD, "Life On The Murder Scene" for old fans to relive their favourite live moments and for new fans to bring themselves up to date whilst these performances at the festivals are sure to be greeted with mass excitement from their phenomenal fanbase. With hints of new material before the end of the year, the continued rise of MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE seems assured.

ON THE RADIO ONE / NME STAGE

Fresh from a headlining slot on this year’s NME Awards Tour, MAXIMO PARK come to the festivals in the best of shape. Recent single, "I Want You To Stay" continued to raise the band’s profile to the stratosphere as debut album, "A Certain Trigger" climbs it’s way to platinum certification. Debut single, "Grafitti" / "Going Missing" now changes hands for upwards of £50 and, in the short space of under 2 years, the Newcastle five piece have gone from virtual unknowns to one of the biggest UK bands of the moment. Much of this is down to singer Paul Smith’s unique take on the world and striking stage performances, alongside some of the snappiest alternative pop songs of recent memory. With rumours of a second album on the way, these first festival headline shows for the band are yet another marker on their way to a guaranteed long stay in the premier league of UK bands.

THE RAKES have spent the year in some rarefied company. Supporting fellow festival attendees Franz Ferdinand on their UK tour at the end of the year, the band who lit up the year with classic singles such as "22 Grand Job", "Retreat" and "Strasbourg" have gone from London’s favourite live band to one of the UK’s most popular alternative bands. Recent single, "All Too Human", demonstrated that there is plenty more to come from the band. With hopes for new material before the end of the year, these shows could be a first chance to hear what follows debut album, "Capture / Release".

With a Top Ten debut album ("Inside In / Inside Out") and hit singles in the form of "Sofa Song", "You Don’t Love Me" and current Top 5 "Naïve", THE KOOKS look set to make 2006 their own. Emerging from Brighton last year, the five piece started to pick up a lot of media attention with a string of small shows across the country towards the end of 2005. A deliberate and stated reaction to the bands who "siphon a career out of the middle eight of ‘Love Will Tear Us Apart’", THE KOOKS shows and tracks are a glorious pop explosion that brings to mind the greatest moments of British music through the ages. Still in their early twenties, this is a story that is very much at its beginning. Catch the highlight of the opening chapter.

STILL TO COME....

THE MAIN STAGE – More of the biggest names and exclusive performances

THE RADIO ONE/ NME STAGE – The bands as they break, future Main Stage headliners and classic performances that will enter Reading and Leeds folklore.

THE LOCK-UP STAGE– The best of the punk, ska and skate scene take over for one day as ever. Always packed from noon to night and for the first time ever, at both sites for two days by popular demand.

THE DANCE STAGE – The best and biggest names in the dance and hip hop world.

THE COMEDY STAGE – The best comedy, cabaret and outright strangeness to complement the bands and also offer late night entertainment.

THE CARLING STAGE – The cream of the new bands, the "ones to watch". There for you to watch on one stage for three days.

BOOKING INFORMATION

THREE DAY WEEKEND TICKETS ARE NOW SOLD OUT FOR BOTH SITES

A limited number of weekend tickets with coach packages are available via SEE Tickets 0870 060 3775 or www.seetickets.com

A limited number of day tickets, not including camping and parking, are priced £60 each subject to booking fee and are available from selected outlets. See below.

Car parking passes (subject to booking fee) must be booked with event tickets. One pass is available per household.

National Credit Card Hotline: SEE Tickets, Wayahead: 0870 060 3775

Online:

DAY TICKETS ONLY - Tickets available from:

www.meanfiddler.com, www.readingfestival.com, www.leedsfestival.com, www.seetickets.com

In Person: DAY TICKETS ONLT

Tickets can be bought at face value, when paid for in cash, at all Mean Fiddler Box Offices. Please note that picture ID may be requested at the time of booking.

Mean Fiddler Box Offices:

The Astoria, 157 Charing Cross Road, WC2

The Garage, 20-22 Highbury Corner, N5

Mean Fiddler Head Office, 16 High Street, Harlesden, NW10

In person at HMV:

DAY TICKETS ONLY

Tickets are also available from selected HMV stores: (subject to booking fee, in person only, maximum two tickets per person, whilst stocks last, subject to availability, at participating stores only):

Reading tickets:

Bath, Basingstoke, Bracknell, Bristol (Broadmead), Guildford, Kingston, Newbury, Oxford, Portsmouth (Commercial Road), Reading (Oracle Centre), Reading (Friar Street), Slough, Southampton, Staines, Swindon, Trocadero Centre, Winchester, Windsor, Woking.

Leeds tickets:

Barnsley, Birmingham (High Street), Bradford, Doncaster, Grimsby, Huddersfield, Hull, Leeds (Birstall), Leeds (Headrow Centre), Leeds (White Rose Centre), Liverpool, Manchester (90 Market Street), Newcastle, Rotherham, Scunthorpe, Sheffield (High Street), Sheffield (Meadowhall), Wakefield, York, York (Monks Cross).

Tickets are strictly limited to a maximum of eight per household - for those booking by telephone or online - or a maximum of four per person for those purchasing tickets at the Mean Fiddler booking offices.

Children under 13 (12 and under) are admitted free but MUST be accompanied by a ticket holding adult. Please note there is no seperate children's area at this event.

ON SITE FACILITIES INCLUDE:

Bars, Cash Points, First Aid & Paramedics, Food & Non Food Stalls, Information Tent, Left Luggage, Meeting Point, Market Stalls, Merchandise, Showers, Welfare Tent.

DISABLED FACILITIES

Mean Fiddler produces a guide to Disabled Access and Facilities for all it's festivals, which includes details of the 2-for-1 ticket scheme. Applications for the Reading 2-for-1 scheme must be received by Friday 29th July

Please request a booklet and application form on 020 8961 5490.

Mean Fiddler Information Hotline (Mon-Fri 10am - 6pm) 020 8963 0940

THIS YEAR’S RADIO SPONSOR

RADIO ONE

Radio 1 will be broadcasting a host of shows live all weekend from the Reading site and recording all the amazing music to be played out across the weekend. They'll be a Lamacq Live special on Monday 28th August and once again the NME/Radio 1 stage will feature many fantastic acts. Colin Murray will host the main stage in Leeds, Huw Stephens will do the honours in Reading and Mike Davies will host The Lock Up stage.

THIS YEAR’S TITLE SPONSOR

CARLING

Carling has been supporting live music through an extensive music programme for many years now via a whole host of unique music events from Carling New Kings to Carling Sessions to Carling Live 24 through to the ultimate festival experience. Last year Carling introduced Cold Beer Amnesty to both festival sites and following the success, it will be back even bigger and better this year. Carling’s Cold Beer Amnesty ensures that warm beer is a thing of the past by replacing ANY unopened can of warm beer with a cold can of Carling. The Carling Stage will be returning to the festival for the 8th year running and will again host the best collection of up and coming talent.

THIS YEAR’S MUSIC PRINT SPONSOR

NME

The NME signing tent will once again be the most rock ‘n’ roll place to hang out at this years Carling Weekend Reading and Leeds festival. Giving music fans the chance to meet the hottest acts from this years line-up, bands will be signing autographs throughout the weekend at both the Reading and Leeds site. NME is the official music magazine of the festival and together with NME.com, will be the first with all the latest festival gossip, official line-ups and festival news all summer.

THIS YEAR’S ONLINE SPONSOR

TISCALI

Tiscali UK, one of the largest broadband providers in the UK, is the Official Online Partner for the CARLING WEEKEND: READING AND LEEDS FESTIVAL 2006. Through its award-winning website Tiscali has always had a commitment to stream the best entertainment online. In 2002, Tiscali launched the first European legal music download site with the TISCALI MUSIC DOWNLOADS. In 2004 the TISCALI SHOWCASE began offering a platform for the best unsigned and emerging bands to perform - showcasing over 60 top acts in the last 18 months to both a live and online audience. 2005 saw the ground-breaking website cement its position in pioneering online music content by launching TISCALI SESSIONS at the CARLING WEEKEND: READING AND LEEDS FESTIVAL 2005, as well as webcasting 11 acts from the mainstage over the course of the festival weekend. A series of exclusive sets, by recognised acts from around the world in the backstage TISCALI VIP TENT.

More more information on Tiscali and their commitment to music please visit www.tiscali.co.uk/music/

FESTIVAL SITES

The Carling Weekend: Reading Festival is at Little John’s Farm, Richfield Avenue, Reading

The Carling Weekend: Leeds Festival is at Bramham Park, Leeds

FESTIVAL FACTS

It takes 3 weeks to prepare the Reading and Leeds Festival sites and 2 weeks to take them down again

Each site is built by over 150 crew

10 million watts is required to power each festival site

Artists drink over 9000 bottles of water and over 13000 cans of lager over the weekend.

The festival produces over 300 tonnes of rubbish, which it takes 2 weeks to clear after the event finishes.

Thanks to the festival goer we recycled over 7000 bags of rubbish in 2004 through the onsite Litter Exchanges.

Over 3500 people work during the festival weekend at each site

More than 100 trucks with thousands of tons of equipment are used

There are over 800 toilets on each site

10,000 metres of cable are used

O’Malley Alley at Reading Festival is named after a member of the festival medical team who worked on the festival crew for many years who has passed away now

In Reading, Henrys Gate is named after a tractor driver who works on the site during the festival

In Reading, Reapers Bridge is named after one of the stage manager’s called the Grim Reaper

In Leeds, Out of Harm’s Way is named after Harmony who runs the production office

There are 90 food traders onsite, selling a variety of food, from burgers to pasta, doughnuts and even salad! More than a quarter of a million burgers and hot dogs were eaten over the course of the weekend.

2 million pints of lager are drunk during the festival.

There are 80 market stalls onsite selling a variety of products including clothing, footwear, jewellery, camping accessories, blankets and newspapers.

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