"Reading Ireland" next year in Stradbally, Co. Laois

skyway

Does anybody have any idea when this festival will be held next year?

I know it was headlined by Metallica in the RDS in August but the plan is to make it a 2/3 day, 5 stage, camping festival at the Stradbally Hall estate in Laois. It is being twinned with the Reading/Leeds festival.

It'll be great to have Witnness, Slane & Laois to look forward to next year.

Dermo

if you go by the dates this year and the fact that Reading and Slane are promoted by two different companies they could clash.
I don't think mean fiddler/aiken promotions will move the whole Reading/Leeds/Ireland festival so they won't clash with Slane as they will probably have the pulling power, but it is likely that mcd, in their usual stubborn selves will have it happening in the middle of the Stradbally festival.
so you could be faced with that choice, but mcd will probably be forced to move Slane rather than the other way around.
so Reading/Leeds/Ireland should happen on August bank holiday weekend and Slane the week after or week before

honru

The Reading and Leeds festivals are held annually on the second last week of August. Unless it changes, in 2004 it will be held 20/21/22 and the Irish leg will be twinned with that date range.

Also interestingly, Slane is anually held during that period aswell, so MCD will have steep competition there. They were even trying to prevent Reading Ireland (god, I hope thats not the final name) being held during that weekend.

Thats basically all that is known now, you'll have to wait till next spring for the official confirmation. While an early rumour, The White Stripes have been asked to headline Reading/Leeds in 2004 after pulling out of this year's event.

Dermo

it will definatly happen the only problems are mcd and the fact that they only have permission for a 2 day festival at the moment, they are trying to get it to a 3 day at the moment
but mcd don't have any ground to stand on after the Kells disaster, mean fiddler wanted to hold the festival in Kells, Co. Meath but mcd didn't want that so they put in a bid for the same place and when it came down to who got it mcd got chosen and once mean fiddler backed out there interest in having the festival in Kells, mcd pulled all there plans for kells leaving the place with nothing in the end!

Atomic Pineapple

well if they did clash slane would have to have a pretty good line up to keep me away from laois! slane was good this year but was terrible the year before

honru

The Reading and Leeds sites have been updated. Next years festivals will actually be held 27/28/29 of August (and Reading Ireland will be within that date range).

Interestingly enough, this is the oppisite of what we thought; the Reading/Leeds festivals have been moved instead of Slane. Also, it has been a while since the Reading/Leeds festival dates have been changed. Still, it does indicate something and gives me anticipation.

therecklessone

Originally posted by f®eak s©enery
The Reading and Leeds festivals are held annually on the second last week of August.

You sure? I was always led to believe the Carling Weekend always coincided with the UKs August Bank Holiday, which this year fell on the 25th (its a Monday). That was the last Monday in August by the way. So the "change" to 27-29 August for next year's festival would make more sense if its to coincide with the last Monday in August (i.e. 30th).

honru

Oh really? I was unaware of the bank holidays changing every so often. Explains the move then.

therecklessone

Originally posted by f®eak s©enery
Oh really? I was unaware of the bank holidays changing every so often. Explains the move then.

http://www.dti.gov.uk/er/bankhis.htm

Taken from that link...

1971 - Whit Monday in England, Wales and Northern Ireland (which could fall anywhere between 11 May and 14 June) was formally replaced by a fixed spring holiday on the last Monday in May. The last Monday in August was formally made a bank holiday in place of the first Monday in August in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. In both cases, this followed a trial period of the new arrangements between 1965 and 1970

See http://www.hintsandthings.co.uk/library/bankhols.htm for a list of bank holidays in the UK.