Confirmed so far: The Darkness, The Offspring, Ash, The Hives (Friday Reading/Saturday Leeds), White Stripes, Morrissey, The Libertines, Franz Ferdinand (Saturday Reading/Sunday Leeds) with Green Day and 50 Cent (Sunday Reading/Friday Leeds). Other confirmations include Lostprophets and The Streets.

The Carling Weekend Reading and Leeds Festival takes place over the weekend of August 27-29 at Richfield Avenue, Reading and Bramham Park, Wetherby, West Yorkshire. Tickets cost £105 (weekend) or £45 (day), plus booking fee, and postage. Only weekend tickets include camping.

Only two of the acts announced so far (50 Cent and Morrissey) have NOT played at the event in recent years. The regular soap opera of confirmations and cancellations is expected to follow over the coming months.

Multi-platinum selling rapper 50 Cent, was caught out at the recent Brit Awards after sending his security to sort out someone nearby who was teasing him. It turned out to be famed gangster, Dave Courney. Upon realizing that it was Mr. Courtney (who owns the security firm they work for), the guards greeted the London murderer and left him alone.

DiScuss: Is there a sense of déjà vu about this line-up? Who do you want to play Reading and Leeds? What did you think of the new Leeds site? What improvements can be made for a better event this year?