The first batch of tickets for Reading & Leeds Festival 2022 will be released later today (September 1).

While there is still no news about who will be playing the 2022 events, organiser Melvin Benn has told NME that “three of the six headliners are in place”, adding that “some of them have guitars” and one of them has definitely headlined before.

“We started as a rock festival but we didn’t stay there,” said Benn. “We will always intend to be relevant to an incredible audience. We don’t rest on our laurels, we don’t book for the sake of booking, we book for the sake of what works for our audience. The direction moves wherever music goes.”

As for whether Arctic Monkeys will make their overdue return to Reading & Leeds Festivals having reportedly been at work on a new album, Benn told NME that the band “are a law unto themselves and when they decide next to play live is beyond me, if I’m honest.”

Reading & Leeds 2022 takes place August 26 – 28. The first release of tickets go on sale from 12 today (September 1) and will be available here for Leeds and here for Reading. You can catch up with all the action from the 2021 event here.

Reading & Leeds 2021 took place last weekend (August 24-26) and for the first time, had six headliners across two main stages with Liam Gallagher, Stormzy, Post Malone, Catfish and The Bottlemen, Biffy Clyro and Disclosure all topping the bill.

“It feels like a collective mission to shake off any pandemic blues and make all of this feel reassuringly, defiantly normal,” said NME’s overall review of the event. “It’s glorious, moving, and means everything.”