If a line up headlined by Smashing Pumpkins, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Razorlight, Ash, Klaxons, Jimmy Eat World and Unkle across a variety of stages isn't enough, yet another stage has been brought into the mix for the 2007 Reading and Leeds Festivals.

The debut of The Alternative Stage at both sites this year will feature a host of unique musical and multi media collaborations, top name comedy and cabaret and audience Q & A's.

The action gets underway a day early in Leeds on Thursday night, with a very special production called Dream Of An Opium Eater. A unique collaboration featuring Ben Calvert from Killing Joke, Ivar S. Peersen from Enslaved, Reuben Gotto from Twin Zero / Johnny Truant and Julia Ruzicka from Million Dead, the quartet will revise the old silent movie tradition of a pianist accompanying films, by improvising a soundtrack of intense metal to accompany horror shorts. There will also be a very rare showing for cult classic 'American Hardcore'. The film that documents the US underground punk scene from 1980 to 1986 and features the legends that are Black Flag, Bad Brains, The Replacements and a host of others has never gained a general release in the UK.

Friday in Leeds (Saturday Reading) is a Trangressive Records night, featuring audio visual sets from the Trangressive roster, including the much tipped Battle and Jeremy Warmsley alongside Absentee, 3 Trapped Tigers, Noah And The Whale, Beans On Toast, Lucy And The Caterpillar and Mechnical Bride, these are one-off performances created for the festival and promise to be very special indeed. Able support will come from Trangressive Djs.

Elsewhere over the weekend will be Youthmovie Soundtrack Strategies, who are renowned for one-off live performances, including backing Saul Williams, playing live film soundtracks, and performing as an 11 piece improvisational 'jazz' group. At Leeds, they visit their hardcore roots to perform a set alongside Minor Threat live video footage from 1982 whilst at Reading, they create their latest one-off, teaming up with various members and friends from other bands playing across the weekend: Expect on-stage action from Blood Red Shoes, The Scare, Foals, The Young Knives and Lethal Bizzle.

Then there's Shitmat, described as a one man cyclone of musical strangeness, with influences ranging from Burberry to The Archers to Rolf Harris to ragga breakbeat – all in the same song!

Comedy acts this year include Simon Amstell, Ed Byrne and Tim Minchin, plus Russell Kane (leeds only), Junior Simpson, Paul Tonkinson (formerly Big Breakfast, X FM Manchester and now X FM London), Radio 4 comedy regular Milton Jones and Matt Blaize.

Last year Dirty Sanchez came to the Leeds site and packed the tent for a show that saw the now traditional abuse of themselves for other people's entertainment. Now, the Reading site gets a world premiere of their new show late night on the Friday.

Leeds will get Tim Ten Yen aka The Sensational Singing Salaryman. With only a smoke machine, the Sinister Cat and some fancy dance moves, Tim leads you through a fun-packed music mini-metropolis.

Taking things into a darker realm at both sites are the Fire Tusk Pain Proof Circus, whose Lucifire and Dave Tusk thrill and amaze with feats of pain endurance, fireplay and suspension spectaculars in the darkest cabaret and burlesque show you will see all year. On the other extreme there's a festival debut to Beeny Royston & Jadell. From the mean streets of Jamaica (perhaps) and the meaner streets of Richmond (allegedly), the duo reinvent hip hop, ragga and various other musical forms in their own unique way with serious lyrics about toilet behaviour and girls.

Earlier on during the day there will be a debate on Climate Change accompanied by Live Earth short films, a debut for the NME Q & A with writers from the title and a band answering your questions and debating the world of music, and the Vox n Roll Music Quiz to test your music knowledge.

The alternative Stage runs from 12 PM until the early hours.