Reading & Leeds 2026: A Festival Weekend Poised For Pop, Punk, And Everything In Between

The first wave of names for Reading & Leeds Festival 2026 has landed, and it promises a bank holiday weekend that’s as diverse as it is exhilarating. Running from Thursday 27th August to Sunday 30th August 2026 across Reading’s Richfield Avenue and Leeds’ Bramham Park, the lineup balances chart-topping pop, hard-hitting rock, rap, and genre-bending newcomers, ensuring that every festival-goer finds their moment.

Charli XCX @ Wembley Stadium

Charli XCX @ Wembley Stadium (Kalpesh Patel)

At the heart of the announcement, Charli XCX brings her hyper-pop theatricality and stadium-ready energy, likely to light up the main stage with a spectacle of glittering synths and confessional hooks. Meanwhile, Dave returns to the twin festivals, promising a set brimming with razor-sharp lyricism, socially conscious narratives, and audience participation that turns each song into a shared experience.

Fans can also expect the visceral post-punk intensity of Fontaines D.C., the emotional yet danceable pop of RAYE, the epic, grandiose arrangements of Florence + The Machine, and the unrelenting drum-and-bass force of Chase & Status — a lineup designed to appeal to every corner of the musical spectrum.

Florence + The Machine @ Theatre Royal

Florence Welch of Florence + The Machine @ Theatre Royal (Kalpesh Patel)

Beyond the headline sets, the festival continues its commitment to rising talent and underground scenes. Names like Skepta, Jade, Kneecap, and Geese indicate late-night thrills, mosh-pit anthems, and unexpected discoveries that have become a signature of Reading & Leeds.

Adding an extra layer of excitement, the festival’s lineup posters feature a blanked-out placeholder, teasing that another big name is yet to be revealed. With the headliners locked in and several emerging acts announced, this blank spot has already set social media buzzing with speculation. Festival-goers are left wondering who will join this already formidable roster, adding a tantalizing element of surprise for August.

Chappel Roan @ Reading Festival 2025

Chappel Roan @ Reading Festival 2025 (Luke Dyson)

The strength of this announcement is not only in its star power but in its diversity. Whether you want to scream along to a stadium-ready anthem with Florence + The Machine, dive into Fontaines D.C.’s edgy guitar fury, sway to RAYE’s confessional pop, or lose yourself to the relentless beats of Chase & Status, Reading & Leeds 2026 promises a festival that feels both intimate and monumental.

Raye @ Glastonbury Festival 2023

Raye @ Glastonbury Festival 2023 (Kalpesh Patel)

Those looking for discovery are well catered for too — smaller tents will feature artists from the first wave alongside yet-to-be-revealed names, ensuring that late-night surprises, underground grooves, and genre-crossing sets are part of the DNA of the weekend. Other acts announced so far include: Skye Newman, Keo, Josh Baker, sombr, Adéla, Chris Stussy and Kettama.

This first announcement already signals a Reading & Leeds that is confident in its identity, willing to embrace both the homegrown and the global. With the blanked-out slot still up for speculation, the festival has created the perfect mix of certainty and anticipation.

Tickets for the 2026 edition are no sale now. With headliners confirmed, plus the promise of more surprises to come, this summer’s Reading & Leeds is shaping up to be unforgettable.

Reading Festival 2025 – Saturday: Sunburn, Lasers, Cameos, And A Headliner Victory Lap

Avalanche Fire Up Debut Era With Riotous New Single ‘On The Bags Again’

Australia’s hard-hitting rock ’n’ roll upstarts Avalanche have unleashed their most unapologetically wild track to date with On The Bags Again, a rowdy new single lifted from their forthcoming debut album Armed To The Teeth, due for release on 13th February.

Mark Daly Unleashes New Single ‘In The Dark’ Following North American Tour With The Darkness

Rising Irish rocker Mark Daly has kicked off 2026 with the release of his brand-new single In The Dark, a high-energy rock anthem that marks a bold new chapter in his rapidly growing career. Fresh from completing a 27-date tour across the US and Canada supporting The Darkness, Daly returns with a track that balances arena-ready hooks with deeply personal storytelling.

Public Service Broadcasting @ Latitude Festival 2025 (Kalpesh Patel)

Public Service Broadcasting Announce Alexandra Palace Headline Show Celebrating ‘The Race For Space’

Public Service Broadcasting have announced their biggest headline live show to date, set to take place at London’s Alexandra Palace on 26 September 2026. The landmark performance will celebrate 10 (+1) years of the band’s acclaimed second album, The Race For Space, marking a full-circle moment at the venue where the record was first launched.

Knumears Announce Debut Album ‘Directions’ And Share New Single ‘Fade Away’

Los Angeles-based screamo revivalists Knumears have announced their long-awaited debut album Directions, set for release on 3rd April. Alongside the announcement, the trio have shared a powerful new single, Fade Away, featuring guest vocals from Jeff Smith of genre pioneers Jeromes Dream.

Architects Unleash Cinematic ‘Broken Mirror’ Video As UK Festival Date Confirmed

Architects have released the official music video for Broken Mirror, the latest single taken from their current album The Sky, The Earth & All Between. The track captures the band at their most dynamic, balancing moments of vulnerability with towering heaviness and massive, arena-ready choruses.

Cowboy Hunters Announce New EP ‘EPeepee’ And Share Raucous Single ‘Have A Pint’

Glasgow duo Cowboy Hunters have announced their forthcoming new EP EPeepee, set for release on 20th March, alongside the arrival of its latest single, Have A Pint. The track offers a feral and immediate introduction to the band’s world, blending their tongue-in-cheek cowboy-slaughter mythology with the gritty reality of Glasgow’s pub culture.

Slaughter To Prevail @ O2 Academy Birmingham (Nick Allan)

Slaughter To Prevail Level Birmingham On The Grizzly Winter Tour

Slaughter To Prevail’s Grizzly Winter tour rolled into a sold-out O2 Academy Birmingham and delivered a show that was as visually imposing as it was sonically brutal. Known for their uncompromising approach to modern deathcore, the Russian heavyweights arrived armed not only with a crushing setlist, but with full-scale production that underlined just how far the band have risen in recent years.

Robert Smith of The Cure @ Glastonbury Festival 2019 (Kalpesh Patel)

The Cure, Gorillaz And Moby To Headline New Bulgarian Festival PhillGood

Bulgaria is set to make a major statement on the European festival circuit next summer with the launch of PhillGood, a brand-new three-day music festival taking place in Plovdiv from 17th–19th July 2026. Headlined by The Cure, Gorillaz and Moby, the inaugural event brings some of the most influential names in modern music to one of Europe’s oldest and most culturally rich cities.