Reading & Leeds Festivals Announce Two New Stages For 2024

Muse have never been a band to think small. From dystopian concept records and politically charged anthems to symphonic rock epics and stadium-sized spectacles, the Devon trio have spent more than two decades redefining what modern rock can sound like. Now, with the release of their tenth studio album, The Wow! Signal, Matt Bellamy, Chris Wolstenholme and Dominic Howard once again prove they’re unafraid to venture into uncharted territory.

After more than a decade away from solo releases, Brandon Flowers has announced his long-awaited return with THRASHER, his third solo album and first since 2015’s The Desired Effect. The record arrives on 21 August 2026 via Island Records, with its lead single, Plans, available now.

I’ve been attending Download Festival since 2005. Every year, as I walk through those gates, I feel something that can be difficult to explain to people who have never experienced it. For a few days each June, I stop feeling like I’m standing on the outside looking in. I belong.

Rising electro-pop artist SOPHIE GREY. has unveiled her shimmering new single Lunar Highs (Hands Go Up), a euphoric slice of synth-driven pop arriving just ahead of June’s Strawberry Moon and setting the tone for a busy summer of high-profile live performances.

Country music favourites Little Big Town have unveiled their latest single, Sucker For A Sad Song, a heartfelt collaboration with acclaimed singer-songwriter Ashley Monroe, offering another enticing preview of their forthcoming album It’s A Dying Art, due for release on 28th August.

Fresh from an acclaimed appearance at the Isle of Wight Festival, Lucia & The Best Boys arrive at London’s O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire with momentum firmly on their side. Opening for the reunited 4 Non Blondes, the Glasgow quartet seize the opportunity with a commanding seven-song set that feels less like a support slot and more like a statement of intent.

More than three decades after their breakthrough, 4 Non Blondes arrive at London’s O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire not to relive the past, but to redefine themselves in the present. Supported by the excellent Lucia & The Best Boys, the reunited San Francisco outfit make it abundantly clear that this tour is not a nostalgia exercise. Instead, it is a bold statement of who they are now — and whether the audience is willing to come with them.

There are few concert settings in Britain as naturally dramatic as the Eden Sessions. Nestled within a former clay pit and framed by the iconic biomes of the Eden Project, the venue possesses a unique sense of occasion before a note is even played. On this June evening, the Cornish weather appears determined to play its part too. Persistent rain hangs over the site for much of the day, only to disappear almost on cue as Gary Lightbody, Nathan Connolly and Johnny McDaid walk on stage. It feels as though somebody has edited the weather into the evening’s script.