Annie Mac ‘Disheartened’ By The Lack Of Women On The Reading And Leeds Lineup

For thousands of UK teenagers, attending Reading and Leeds festival is a rite of passage. Typically falling straight after GCSE results are released, whatever your results are, it’s an excuse to drink underage in a muddy field filled with your mates. Yesterday it was announced that Stormzy, Liam Gallagher and Rage Against The Machine were topping the bill - but this year’s line-up is lacking one notable thing: women.

To make the point clear, the line-up - with the men removed - started circulating on Twitter yesterday. Look below at the two posters below - and the comparison is clear. There’s only 19 acts which are/include women.

Following the announcement, Radio 1 DJ Annie Mac{ =nofollow}shared her disappointment at the line-up, writing on Twitter that young girls shouldn’t feel discouraged from performing. ‘Feeling so disheartened about this Reading and Leeds line up at the blatant lack of want to represent women,’ she wrote on Twitter. ‘For all the 16 year old girls going to their first festival at Reading and Leeds 2020. Just know that you DO belong on those stages.’

Writingpreviously for the Debrief{ =nofollow}, Annie explained why the gender imbalance in live music happens. 'The problem is not that women need to "step up",' she said. 'It’s that the music industry is inherently skewed to favour men. All the major record labels are run by men. All the major festivals (with the exception of Glastonbury and Emily Eavis) are booked by men.'

Grazia have contacted a Reading and Leeds spokesperson for comment.

READ MORE: We Asked Festival Organisers To Explain The Lack Of Women On The Line-Ups

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