Festival success 'comes from being ever-evolving'

Organiser of Reading and Leeds Festival Melvin Benn said festivals had to adapt

The organiser of major music festivals including Reading and Leeds has said success for such events comes from being "ever-evolving".

Festival Republic also runs Wireless, Latitude, Wilderness, and events in Finsbury, Gunnersbury, and Crystal Palace Parks in London.

Managing director Melvin Benn said Reading Festival was in decline and had only about 8,000 attendees when he took it over in 1989.

"You lose your way if you don't get the music right," he said.

"Music is ever-evolving and it doesn't stand still, and therefore we can't stand still."

'People want more'

He said it was this willingness to adapt that had led Reading Festival to change from being a rock festival to "a multi-genre festival".

"We represent what young people are listening to and that's why we continue to do well," he said.

And he said it was not just music that festivals needed to adapt to.

"That generation [that have just got their GCSE results] and the generation a little older, they want more," he said.

"They want more than what I did when I was 16 and 17.

"We've got these new campsites, campsites for people that come on their own, campsites for people that want a calmer experience when they finish watching the bands all day."

Improving accessibility, forming close ties with local authorities and following up with complaints were also key to festivals' longevity, he said.

Chappell Roan is headlining this year's festival

The 2025 Reading and Leeds festivals were headlined by Chappell Roan, Hozier, Bring Me The Horizon, and Travis Scott.

Mr Benn said "being able to open the gates" to festival attendees "as happy as they can be" was always a highlight - but that the headliners would "always do well".

Referencing Chappell Roan's hit song he added: "I'm really happy the Pink Pony Club's here."