Reading Festival Bans Fan Flags

If you've ever had your view of the headliners at a festival spoiled by someone flying their colours, you may be pleased to read Mean Fiddler, the promoters behind the Reading/Leeds festivals, have banned flags from this month's festival.

Flying the flag -- be it Welsh, Western Samoan or Wallachian -- is a rite of passage for many UK festival-goers, up there with their first hog roast, pre-lunch pint or cheering campfire made from polystyrene food packaging. But the man at Mean Fiddler, he say no more.

The festivals' website reads: "Flags won't be allowed in the arena. They restrict the view of people behind."

According to Efestivals, the UK's leading music festival website, this is the first time such a rule has been imposed.Getting a flag past the powers that be is obviously harder than trying to smuggle in your own beer or, say, rolling tobacco papers, especially as the only point in having one is to unfurl it energetically in the direction of whoever is playing.

The potentially unobstructed view of the Reading/Leeds stages will allow this year's punters to see headliners Kings of Leon, Arctic Monkeys and Radiohead, while the likes of Vampire Weekend, Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Glasvegas also play the weekend.

Reading/Leeds-based sellers of flags and other emblematic paraphernalia, we feel for you. We really do.