Editing Reading and Leeds Festivals (section)

====Council ban====
In 1984 and 1985, the Conservative-run local council effectively banned the festival by designating the festival site for development and refusing to grant licences for any alternative sites in the Reading area.

In 1984, many acts were already booked and tickets were on sale, with [[Marillion]] due to headline. The promoters tried in vain to find a new site but a proposed move to [[Lilford Hall]] in Northamptonshire failed. The proposed line-up was published in ''Soundcheck'' free music paper issue 12 as: Friday 24 August – [[Hawkwind]], [[Boomtown Rats]], [[Snowy White]], the Playn Jayn, [[Dumpy's Rusty Nuts]], Wildfire, Chelsea Eloy, Tracy Lamb, New Torpedoes; Saturday 25 – [[Jethro Tull (band)|Jethro Tull]], [[Hanoi Rocks]], [[Steve Hackett]], Club Karlsson, [[Nazareth (band)|Nazareth]], [[Twelfth Night (band)|Twelfth Night]], [[Thor (band)|Thor]], [[Silent Running]], [[New Model Army]], [[IQ (band)|IQ]], the Roaring Boys, She; Sunday 26 – [[Marillion]], [[Grand Slam (band)|Grand Slam]], [[the Bluebells]], [[Helix (band)|Helix]], [[Clannad]], [[The Opposition (band)|the Opposition]], [[the Enid]], Young Blood, Scorched Earth, and [[Terraplane (band)|Terraplane]]).

After [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour]] regained control of the council in 1986, permission was given for fields adjacent to the original festival site to be used, and a line-up was put together at short notice.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.viator.com/travel-tips/Festivals-and-Fringe|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080616204535/http://www.viator.com/travel-tips/Festivals-and-Fringe|archive-date=16 June 2008|title=Tours, Tickets & Things to do from Tour Operators Worldwide by Viator}}</ref>

The following year saw a record attendance, headlined by [[The Mission (band)|the Mission]], [[Alice Cooper]] and [[Status Quo (band)|Status Quo]].