Carling Weekend: Reading and Leeds festivals set to kick off

Bands from around the world and thousands of music fans have descended on the Carling Weekend: Reading And Leeds Festivals this morning (August 24) as the biggest event in many music fans’ calendars is set to kick off.

On the Reading site The Pipettes will open affairs on the main stage, with Gym Class Heroes cutting the tape on the Leeds site main stage.

Moving into the afternoon at the Reading site, the likes of The Long Blondes, and Gogol Bordello will be performing on the main stage, with The Horrors and The Enemy playing the NME/Radio One Stage.

Elsewhere in Reading, the afternoon will see NME.COM favourites Blood Red Shoes bringing the minimalist rock to the Carling Stage, before 1990s and Reverend And The Makers indie things up later on.

Over in Leeds it’s rock day on the main stage, with The Used and Funeral For A Friend playing afternoon slots. Hadouken!, New Young Pony Club and The Maccabees will be gearing things up in the NME/Radio One Stage.

The Hold Steady are set to headline the Leeds Carling Stage, playing after the likes of Maps, Kate Nash and .

Into the evening at Reading on the main stage, Maximo Park, Interpol and Kings Of Leon will be packing the arena, before a headlining slot from Razorlight.

Meanwhile the rock theme continues in Leeds with Lostprophets and Nine Inch Nails playing, before bring the music to a close.

NME.COM will have blogs, news reports, gossip and pictures from both sites throughout the days and evenings all weekend (August 24, 25 and 26). Keep checking back to stay in the loop with everything that’s going on.