Reading Festival has been granted a licence for its 2021 event

12 July 2021, 17:31 | Updated: 12 July 2021, 18:31

Reading Borough Council have strengthened hopes of the festival taking place by granting the event its licence for 2021.

Reading Festival has had a major breakthrough in its status when it comes to going ahead this year.

The music event - which takes place on August Bank Holiday Weekend alongside its twin event, Leeds Festival - is set to take place this year, but was still waiting for its licence to be granted by the local council.

Now, as reported by NME, the Reading Borough Council announced late last week that it had indeed granted Festival Republic a licence to hold the festival this summer.

A spokesperson for the council said: "Festival Republic have had their licence approved and given the recent Government announcement that Covid restrictions will cease from 19 July, we would anticipate the festival will go ahead".

READ MORE: Which festivals are going ahead in 2021?

Reading and Leeds Festivals are set to go ahead with headliners in Stormzy, Liam Gallagher, Post Malone, Catfish And The Bottlemen, Disclosure and Queens of The Stone Age.

2021 will be unusual as each day of the festival will feature TWO main stages - meaning SIX headliners. The festival organisers have responded to worries that there will be clashes between artists on the main stages: "The good news is there won’t be any. Yeah that’s right, 2 main stages, 6 headliners and no clashes between the headliners. We repeat NO CLASHES!"

READ MORE - Reading & Leeds Festivals 2021: dates, tickets, headliners, line-up & more

Melvin Benn, Managing Director of Festival Republic said: "After an absence of a year we are delighted to announce the 2021 return to Reading’s Richfield Avenue and Leeds’ Bramham Park in 2021 with our most epic plan yet. Two main stages, six headliners, the best line up of acts 2021 will see and 200,000 fans are going to celebrate the best music in the best music festivals in Britain."

Other artist set for the festival include Gerry Cinnamon, Sam Fender, Wolf Alice, Two Door Cinema Club and more.

READ MORE: Which small and boutique festivals are taking place in 2021?