Reading and Leeds owner submits plans for three-day festival in Luton

This article was updated on January 23, 2023, with confirmation from Luton Borough Council.

Reading and Leeds festival operator Festival Republic has submitted plans to launch a new festival in Luton.

In documents submitted to seen by Luton Today, Festival Republic managing director Melvin Benn has applied for a premises license from Luton Borough Council to hold a three-day long event at the 100 hectare Stockwood Park across the May bank holiday weekend.

This license if granted would allow the event to take place as well as allow alcohol to be sold on the premises.

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In the documents, Benn has also outlined that the festival would have "noise level monitoring", staff regularly walking around the site and "a noise hotline" available during the festival, if approved.

Benn’s application form to the licensing authority also adds “funfair and sponsor activations” for the event, as well as system sound checks ahead of each day’s entertainment on top of rehearsals the day before the festival launch.

Luton Borough Council has confirmed to Mixmag that the license has been granted to Festival Republic.

The statement from Luton Borough Council to Mixmag reads: "The licensed applied for by Festival Republic was granted by the council’s licensing sub-committee on Monday 22 January 2024. The application was granted with minor amendments."

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The headliners for both Reading and Leeds festival 2024 have been announced, and include Fred Again.., Lana Del Rey, Blink-182, Liam Gallagher, Catfish and the Bottlemen, Gerry Cinnamon, Raye, Skrillex, Spiritbox and Digga D.

Melvin Benn’s Festival Republic will also host Michael Bibi’s 45,000-capacity One Life event at Finsbury Park, and Skepta’s debut festival Big Smoke Festival.

[Via: Leeds Today]

Becky Buckle is Mixmag's Multimedia Editor, follow her on Twitter