With its second wave of announcements, the look of what Reading & Leeds Festival is planning with its ‘2.0’ rebrand is getting a bit clearer. In terms of names, it’s skewing much closer to rising stars, with established acts being more supplementary. Genre-wise, too, heavier stuff has been scaled way back, with more of an onus on pop, indie and dance. It definitely makes sense given this year’s headline suite, and although the ‘something for everyone’ approach was always nice, this is catering to a bigger market share, at the end of the day. The ‘post-GCSEs party’ tag is still relevant, so it makes sense to bulk out your lineup with the artists you might find through a casual scroll through TikTok.
Of course, there are two big changes even among that, the first being in the introduction of The Warehouse. This is a new, dedicated dance stage, supposedly state-of-the-art and immersive for the acts offered. The same branding, you may notice, was given to The Chevron over its short-lived tenure, so it remains to be seen quite what the purpose in swapping it for this was. Nevertheless, this is your dance stage for the weekend, with the big draw being the second appearance of Skepta on the lineup for b2b sets, with Prospa at Reading and East End Dubs at Leeds. Beyond that, there’s Hybrid Minds, Notion, Bou, Hedex, Alisha, Djammin, Hamdi, IN PARALLEL, [IVY], Jack Marlow, Joss Dean b2b Nafe Smallz, Julian Fijma, Locky, Luuk Van Dijk, Max Dean b2b Luke Dean, Meeshy, Mall Grab, Omar+, Rossi., Saint Ludo, Silva Bumpa, Sota and Tommy Phillips. No doubt you’re intimately familiar with all of those names, so have at it!
The second big change—and what will inevitably be the more contentious one—is the volume of site-exclusive acts. In the past, you might’ve gotten one or two, but it’s been leaned into heavily this year, which isn’t really in the spirit of how these things work. Perhaps there’s a logistical benefit for smaller artists for whom travel and expenses are just unfeasible at this scale, but it’d be nice to feel on equal footing (especially when Leeds typically feels like the afterthought among the two already).
Even so, there are definitely worthwhile exclusives at both, be that in stature or output. At Reading, Gunna feels like a particularly noteworthy get, still carrying one of the more illustrious careers in mainstream trap. Viagra Boys, too, are coming off the back of a fantastic album last year, and one of the most vaunted post-punk shows around. Add on one of UK hip-hop’s most acclaimed in Loyle Carner, the ceaselessly rising indie star of Seb Lowe and Jane Remover’s clashing, abrasive digicore, and Reading’s top-name exclusives make for an impressive bunch. There’s still more to add on, too—indie-rockers Radio Free Alice; the pop of Chloe Qisha that’s due to launch into the stratosphere any day now; and further shades of pop from Fliss, Frost Children and Men I Trust.
Leeds, meanwhile, flexes its indie muscles with its exclusives. The K’s are always a fun get, arguably one of the best in their lane currently around. In a similar vein, The Lathums, The Lilacs, Florentenes, Arkayla and Garage Flower ensure that hookier side of things is well stocked. There’s a bit more going on around that central style, too, as Gurriers tilt a bit further into post-punk and Basht. into garage-rock. The biggest deviation comes from Rose Gray, perhaps best known for collaborating with Kesha on her last album, though with a clear path to something great in pop all of her own.
Even after that, there’s still plenty shared between both Reading and Leeds, even up to the biggest levels. Pop and indie dominate here, the former finding Maisie Peters and Holly Humberstone making some huge capitalisations on their albums to come this year, while James Marriott and Arthur Hill find themselves insulated by built-in YouTube and TikTok audiences. In indie, Declan McKenna is the big one here (his was the name blacked out on the original poster, apparently), alongside Westside Cowboy, overpass, The Guest List and The North, all of whom have been enjoying considerable success, to say the least. Keeping with the more established names, Slayyyter will no doubt benefit from Y2K-pop’s resurgence, adjacent to Julia Wolf and the boost her sadgirl pop-rock is receiving right now. Duke Dumont has been making EDM hits for years, and Clementine Douglas is one of the most in-demand and distinctive voices in that space, currently. Finally, Kingfishr’s folk seems to be doing some real numbers at the minute, and having just come off a tour opening for Florence + The Machine, there’s no doubt that Paris Paloma’s moment is just around the corner.
Might as well address some of the…differently noteworthy names here, too. You might notice a couple of famous surnames, those being Violet Grohl and Cruz Beckham (the latter with his band The Breakers). The temptation to throw out the ‘N-B’ phrase is palpable (especially in the latter’s case, if you’ve actually heard the music…), but they seem to be buried down enough that it could be worse. You may also be tempted to say the same about RAYE’s sisters Absolutely and Amma, but they’ve got enough establishment in R&B to where it feels as though they’re on their own paths right now.
After that diversion, though, let’s wrap up with the rest. In indie and associated branches are Cardinals, Florence Road, Bleech 9:3, Day We Ran, bar italia, People I’ve Met, she’s green and Tooth. In pop, Betty, Mulaa Joans, Ruby Roberts and girl-group Say Now are its representatives, while moving into R&B welcomes Clara La San and dexter in the newsagent. For hip-hop, the names to watch are Niko B and Skepta collaborator Finessekid, who are joined by Pozzy, Raynor, Sade Olutola and YT. Finally, for the outliers, Bassvictim bring an intriguing electro-pop grime; Lamb and Kilu opt for a gentler, folk-centric approach; WHATMORE’s blend of indie, R&B and alternative sounds is all their own; and quite who SPEED are on this lineup for beggars belief, but if you find yourself craving some hardcore, have at it!
Reading & Leeds Festival takes place at Richfield Avenue, Reading and Bramham Park, Leeds from 27th-30th August 2026. For more information, visit www.readingandleedsfestival.com.
Words by Luke Nuttall
