Reading & Leeds is the most attended festival

The August bank holiday weekender outstrips all other festivals in terms of attendance.

Surrounded by 50,000 like-minded fans, festivals are the place to make memories that last a lifetime. From crowd-surfing in a bathtub (no, really!) to whole crowds singing the same song late into the night, there’s nowhere else on Earth that matches the feeling of festival life.

Amongst the eyebrow-raising festival memories revellers shared with us as part of our State of Play research were: Star Wars-themed fancy dress, a couple renewing their vows 25 years after meeting at the same festival, unexpected elderly festivalgoers in bright colours partying the night away and bathtub crowd-surfing at Reading Festival.

Of all the memories shared though, our favourite had to be that feeling when you wake up on the final morning, look around at all the people and realise that you’ve been a part of all those amazing moments that will never be able to be recreated.

Our research shows that Reading & Leeds is the festival that most people across the country have attended, closely followed by behemoth Glastonbury.

Also in the Top 10 are London festival Wireless, as well as alternative outing Download, August bank holiday weekender Creamfields, and international festival Coachella.

It is Reading & Leeds Festival though that has proved to attract the most individuals across the UK, having in recently years welcomed the likes of Green Day, Metallica, Biffy Clyro, Eminem and Kendrick Lamar to headline the main stage.

Showing no signs of slowing, this year the festival will host The 1975, Foo Fighters, Post Malone and Twenty One Pilots to the top of the bill.

Return to State of Play: Festivals

Header photo by Matt Eachus/Leeds Festival