Reading Festival is set to proceed as planned next month after the festival was granted a licence by the local council.

This year’s festival is set to take place from August 27-29, with the likes of Stormzy, Post Malone and Queens of the Stone Age set to headline.

Reading Borough Council had previously raised doubts about this year’s Reading Festival going ahead, but late last week the council granted organisers Festival Republic a licence to hold their festival this summer.

“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,” a spokesperson for the council said.

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“As with all festivals this summer, there will need to be detailed consideration on how Covid-19 risks can be minimised.

“Therefore, should the festival run, we will work with Festival Republic and our partners in the police, fire and ambulance service to ensure our part in the event running as smoothly and safely as possible.”

Festival Republic boss Melvin Benn previously told NME back in May that he was confident that Reading and its sister festival Leeds would go ahead as planned this summer.

“I never lost hope to be honest,” he said. “Will everybody still have to be tested by then? I suspect we will still have to test people, but of course a lot of people will have the vaccination already and that will probably mean they won’t need to be tested.

“We’ll wait and see what the government say but what we will know is that if it’s done properly it won’t increase the spread of the virus.”

WRITTEN BY SAM MOORE FOR NME.COM AND PUBLISHED 12TH JULY 2021. SOURCE