Guns N' Roses and Libertines top festival bill - VIDEO

They will be the last band to play this year's three-day festival, which ends on Sunday, August 29, with Arcade Fire and Blink 182 headlining the two previous nights.

In a major coup, The Libertines, the band that launched the career of wayward singer Pete Doherty, are to reform to play Leeds, which along with its sister event in Reading will be their only festival appearances.

The news of the reunion of The Libertines brings to an end speculation among fans over whether they would ever play together again.

The Bramham festival site will remain mostly unchanged with the exception of a decision to move the main stage slightly, though it will remain in the same area.

That decision has been made to try to make it easier for visitors to move in and out of the main stage area between acts.

The event is billed as "the world's greatest festival" by organisers and tickets went on sale last night. If last year's experience is repeated, most will have sold within 24 hours.

Festival director Melvin Benn said this year's line-up was "hard to believe", though Yorkshire's musical talent gets less of an airing.

While last year saw the Arctic Monkeys and Kaiser Chiefs both with main stage slots, this year it is left to the Cribs from Wakefield to represent the county.

Other big names for the weekend include pop star Dizzee Rascal, rock bands You Me at Six and Biffy Clyro, and alternative music acts Klaxons and Enter Shikari.

For a company keen to reduce its carbon footprint, Festival Republic has added public transport firms National Express and train operator Cross Country to its long list of sponsors.

They will also continue to support Martin House Children's Hospice in Leeds, which is launching a talent competition for schools, with the winners getting to play on the festival's emerging talent stage.

Over the next three years, it is hoped that contest will raise 100,000 for the charity.

Launching the event last night, Mr Benn revealed the hidden story behind the last appearance of Guns N' Roses at the Leeds Festival in 2002 when the event was still held at Temple Newsham.

"What most of you won't know is that I had the manager by the throat in my office because they didn't actually start their performance until their curfew had finished," he said.