Reading Festival 2026: A Triumphant, Rain-Soaked Celebration of Music
Fontaines D.C., RAYE and Chase & Status topped the bill for the 55th edition of the iconic festival.
Photo: @jcrispinphoto
The lineup for this year’s Reading Festival looked as huge as ever and, having been to Leeds Festival for the first time last year but not camped, it was time to face the prospect of camping for three nights to get the full experience at one of the biggest UK festivals. Despite the hot, dry summer, the rain returned in time for the bank holiday weekend to give us the proper festival experience: leaky tents and soggy socks included.
After an arduous train journey to the campsite and taking nearly two hours to pitch the tent in the dark, the weekend got considerably better as the surprise set announcement came through that the London legend Jamie T would be the first act to grace the main stage the following day.
As the crowds began to emerge on Friday, he kicked off the festival in typically rowdy fashion. With only a 30-minute set, there were some slightly surprising song choices like Salvador, but he still managed to play all the crowd favourites, including Sheila, Zombie and Sticks ‘N’ Stones, as well as his new single 3310 that seamlessly fit into the setlist amongst the older material.
James Marriott then took to the main stage, showing off his evolving sound and charming stage presence, as he got the crowd dancing. The skies opened for the first of many times over the weekend, but it didn’t stop the fun and definitely didn’t stop James enjoying himself, particularly for latest single Burn Down The Disco that he delivered with dramatic flair.
It seems strange to say, as someone who remembers when Brazil first rose to fame, but Declan McKenna is now considered a staple in the world of indie rock. Even so, he continuously ups his game, as he proved with his seventh Reading Festival performance. It was a set packed with energy, passion, and entertainment — particularly when he attempted to jump onto the stage and ended up sliding straight back down it (sorry, Declan, but it was impossible not to laugh).
Unsurprisingly, one of the biggest crowds of the weekend formed at the main stage for the king of grime himself, Skepta. As one of the people who helped mould the UK grime scene, his hits That’s Not Me, Shutdown and Greaze Mode are widely known and well-loved, particularly if you’re part of my generation who grew up with his voice soundtracking your youth.
He brought the energy from the start with Shutdown, showing off impressive crowd control that drew one of the most enthusiastic responses of the day. The only slight critique was JME’s verse being skipped during That’s Not Me; we were all hoping for a JME appearance but, failing that, we would have been happy just getting the chance to hear the iconic bars and fill the gaps in ourselves.
We then made the run through driving rain to catch the second half of Geese’s set in The Gallery tent. I’ve never been the biggest fan of Geese, but I have to admit the set was a lot more fun and high energy than I’d been expecting. Au Pays du Cocaine is a song you can’t help enjoying, but other tracks like Taxes and Cobra proved to be highlights too, with frenetic drumming and guitar work complementing Cameron Winter’s expressive vocals.
With her reputation for elaborate set designs and high production shows, it was expected that Charli xcx would bring an incredible live show to the festival. There were a couple of songs which seemed to fall slightly flat at the beginning, but they soon picked up with 2024 hit Apple and Wink Wink, a single from this year’s rock album Music, Fashion, Film.
Her newer material felt at home in an already star-studded setlist. While this latest era marks a deliberate shift toward a rock sound, Charli’s signature style and commanding vocal presence remained front and centre throughout.
Photo: @benmcquaide
Headlining Friday night, Fontaines D.C. returned for their fifth Reading Festival appearance to prove they were apt to headline, with a set that had everyone hooked from the opening riff of Boys in the Better Land.
With a song roster that includes big hits like Starburster, Favourite and I Love You, they also wove in deep cuts that appeased the fans who had travelled there just to see them, alongside some new, unreleased material.
It was a set steeped in emotion, as the band paid tribute to their late manager, Trevor Dietz, who sadly passed away earlier this year. Frontman Grian Chatten showed new hand tattoos spelling ‘Trev’ across his knuckles, and the set ended on a shot of a guitar with ‘Trevor Forever’ written across the side: a fitting end to their first show back since his passing.
Saturday began with a shedload more rain, resulting in the campsite and festival arena becoming a considerably wetter and muddier affair (not good news for people like me, who had failed to bring a rain jacket with a hood). Despite the conditions, the atmosphere remained positive, and JADE soon emerged on the main stage to pick up spirits with her anthemic club hits, complemented by her well-rehearsed dancing. The Little Mix compilation towards the end was a particular crowd-pleaser, even if it did make me realise how little of the lyrics my brain had retained over the years.
sombr then got everyone in a singing mood with his massive hits Homewrecker, back to friends and 12 to 12, before running amok in the crowd, much to the delight of the fans who got close enough to interact with him. The American singer-songwriter won everyone over with his charming Americanisms and by spray-painting ‘I love Reading’ across a flag that he carried into the crowd during one of his laps around the arena.
As the sun began to set, Dave took to the stage and delivered one of the shows of the weekend, having been a dominant force in the UK rap scene for over a decade. He was joined by three special guests: James Blake for Both Sides Of A Smile, Kano for 3 P’s Freestyle and Chapter 16, and Central Cee for their collab Sprinter. We were by the barrier entrance at this point and, judging from the sheer number of people being pulled out of the pit after, it was safe to say the crowd was getting hyped up.
Photo: Andrew Timms
Donning our Niko B t-shirts, it would’ve been rude not to go and see the Milton Keynes legend in action, as he took to The Ballroom in the evening, a stage with chandeliers hanging from the red ceiling. Having already seen him live last year, we knew we’d be in for a fun time, and he was as high-energy as ever, hyping the crowd up and getting everyone involved in his tongue-in-cheek rapping. Early plays of trespass coat and Why’s this dealer? rewarded him with one of the liveliest crowds of the weekend, with the whole tent bouncing along in unison.
An unfortunate clash with headliner RAYE meant we only watched the first 20 minutes of Niko B’s set before dashing to the main stage. The soulful singer’s performance was loud and powerful, with a big backing band complete with brass, rhythm and a backing choir, but her voice still very much took centre stage.
The show swayed effortlessly between old-school jazz, groovy funk numbers and some higher energy dancier tracks, keeping everyone on their toes. She brought the night to a close on a high note, wrapping up the set with last year’s massive single and smash hit WHERE IS MY HUSBAND!.
Sunday began in style, with genre-bending American artist 54 Ultra setting the tone for the final day with his unique blend of Latin-soul, indie pop and R&B getting everyone moving.
Over at The Ballroom, alt-folk rock outfit Westside Cowboy packed out the tent, delivering layered vocal harmonies that culminated in a rousing rendition of In The Morning, as the band huddled around a single microphone to belt out the lyrics with the crowd.
It then fell to hip hop maestro Loyle Carner to keep the crowds entertained on the main stage, amid a rare sighting of the afternoon sun. Having seen Carner live before, I knew it would be an emotional affair, but this set seemed to be especially raw as he opened up to the crowd, shedding tears as he spoke about his son. It was a special moment amongst a very special set, with plays of Damselfly, personal favourite Desoleil and Ottolenghi keeping the crowd in the palm of his hand. The whole set felt like an ‘I’ve made it moment’ for him, as he seemed to be in disbelief at the amount of people who had shown up to sing along to every word.
Such a captivating set was a hard act to follow, but Florence + The Machine proved up to the task, with frontwoman Florence Welch getting everyone on their feet for a party as the rain began once again. An icon in the alternative scene, songs like Shake It Out, Spectrum, and You’ve Got The Love have been staples on radio, playlists and in clubs for years — there was hardly a person in the field not singing along.
Photo: Lillie Eiger
Welch famously dislikes phones being used at concerts and asked the crowd to put them away for everyone to be able to enjoy the moment as Dog Days Are Over began to play. Enjoy the moment we did; collectively experiencing the freedom of jumping in unison to the anthemic track. However, as the song drew to a close, the rain turned torrential, forcing us to run for shelter just as the opening notes of Free rang out.
This marked the beginning of the apocalyptic rain that continued for half an hour or so and, when we emerged from cover, the ground had become a complete swamp, with the water completely covering our boots in some areas. This still didn’t dampen spirits, as shown in the videos that emerged on social media of people bodysliding across the massive puddles.
As the rain finally eased a little, it was time for the weekend to be capped off with a set from legendary D&B duo Chase & Status. The pair have had an incredible career with fifteen UK Top 40 singles under their belt over the impressive 20 years that they’ve been releasing music. The whole set felt like a celebration of their careers from start to finish, with plays of early material like No Problem and Blind Faith from the 2011 album No More Idols mixed in with newer tracks like Baddadan, Liquor & Cigarettes and the colossal 2024 hit BACKBONE.
Giving it more of a celebratory feel, they invited over ten guests to join them on stage in a star-studded lineup that included ArrDee, Clementine Douglas, Flowdan and Tom Grennan. Equally, the set design and lighting were incredibly impressive, featuring strobing laser displays, a car on fire on the stage and regular use of pyrotechnics, which was also appreciated in the cold. With everyone soaked to the skin, the crowd danced with wild abandon and completely immersed themselves in the musical experience.
As a weekend of music came to a close under a shower of fireworks, we chose to call in a rescue lift rather than face another night camping in the waterlogged grounds. But, despite the soggy ending, spirits were still high amongst festivalgoers as we faced the walk back into Reading town centre to be saved.
The 55th edition of Reading Festival was as huge as ever; a triumphant celebration across a wide array of genres in the modern music landscape. It proved that no amount of rain could dampen spirits or curb the joy that live music releases in everyone.
Buy an earlybird ticket for 2027 here.
