Flag ban imposed on Reading and Leeds attendees

Flag ban imposed on Reading and Leeds attendees

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Tuesday, 25, Aug 2009 02:17

By Lewis Bazley.

Music lovers attending the Reading and Leeds festivals this weekend will be banned from bringing flags to the arenas, it has been announced.

Organisers of the Glastonbury festival are considering a similar restriction, it has emerged, after festivalgoers were prevented from gaining a full view of their favourite acts.

Festival promoter Melvin Benn, who organises Reading and Leeds and works with Michael Eavis on the running of Glastonbury, said the popularity of tall flags had become "a nightmare".

"The people behind them - not immediately behind them, but 20 or 30 rows behind them - can't see," he explained, adding that security guards would confiscate flags at the arena gates.

"I'm doing everything I can to ban flags this year. For some reason those that buy a flag want to be closest to the stage."

Though flag sellers have claimed the tall banners are part of the festival experience, Mr Benn said they were beginning to mar the events for many attendees.

"You couldn't see the acts [at Glastonbury]," Mr Benn said. "The flags were everywhere. There have always been flags but not to the level that there has been. And the flags have become very long and tall."

The Reading and Leeds crackdown will also include a punishment for crowd-surfing with fans forced to walk back to the main site entrance should they be passed over the audience.

"Reading borough council health and safety team consider it quite dangerous and we will endeavour to try and limit the amount of times people will do it," Mr Benn commented.

"They won't be ejected from the festival but they'll be ejected from the arena. What that will result in is probably around a 20-minute delay before they get back into the arena. It will certainly delay their ability to get back in to watch the band."

This weekend's Reading and Leeds festivals will be headlined by Arctic Monkeys, Kings of Leon and Radiohead.