Festival entrance fee is scrapped

The Womad Festival used to attract 40,000 people to Reading

The entrance fee for a major new music festival in Reading has been scrapped amid claims of poor ticket sales.

The two-day Heavenly Planet Festival is seen as a replacement to the Womad Festival which attracted 40,000 people a year before moving to Wiltshire.

Organisers insisted they were "not unhappy" after selling less than 1,000 tickets out of a maximum 15,000, ahead of the July event.

A full refund has been promised to current ticket holders.

Reading Borough Council is expected to back the move at a meeting on 16 March.

'New experience'

The event, aimed at families and young festival-goers, will take place on the site of the Reading Festival on 10 and 11 July, 2009.

It will be ticketless and open to all.

The council said it hoped about 15,000 people would attend in the first year, with this figure rising as it became established.

Organiser Thomas Brooman said: "With five months to go we had sold under 1,000 tickets but it was still a significant start, we weren't unhappy.

"We are completely committed to establishing this new festival for the people of Reading and we are keen for as many people as possible to come along and help to create this new festival experience.

"The way that we know will create the biggest impact and the best possible future for the festival is to present it free of charge in its first year."

Councillor Graeme Hoskin added: "Making the festival free, this year, will enable the whole community to get involved, making it a truly all-inclusive event.

"Local businesses will benefit from the increase in visitors and Reading's reputation as a premier festival town will be further enhanced."

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