Reading and Leeds festival booker Neil Pengelly is to hand over his duties at Festival Republic after almost 20 years working with the company.

Pengelly has booked around 2500 bands since starting as a London promoter in 1990. After booking the comedy and second stage at Reading, he took over booking all music stages at the festival in 1994 along with Leeds.

He then spent 19 years at the creative helm of the festival, which in 1994 was selling around ...