Reading & Leeds have announced the “biggest staging and arena overhaul” ever for the festival’s 2026 edition.
This year’s dual bash is set to take place at Little John’s Farm in Reading and Bramham Park in Leeds across the summer Bank Holiday weekend (Thursday August 27 to Sunday August 30).
Up to six stages will be on site at this year’s bash with improvements to the Main Stage now known as The Grid, along with new stages The Gallery and The Warehouse.
Last December, organisers confirmed six headliners – Fontaines D.C., Florence + The Machine, Dave, Charli XCX, RAYE and Chase & Status – along with Kasabian as a Thursday night exclusive for Leeds only. The rest of the initial bill featured Skepta, Sombr, Role Model, JADE, Kneecap, Kettama, Chris Stussy, Geese, Skye Newman, ADELA and KEO.
In March, more names were added to the stacked line-up, including Loyle Carner (Reading only), Violet Grohl, Holly Humberstone, Gurriers, Westside Cowboy, Declan McKenna, Maisie Peters, Paris Paloma, Cruz Beckham, The Lathums (Leeds only), Viagra Boys (Reading only), Florence Road, Men I Trust (Reading only), The K’s (Leeds only), Gunna (Reading only), Overpass, and Duke Dumont.
Last month 13 more acts were added to the bill including Gene Gallagher-led band and NME 100 stars Villanelle, as well as boyband December 10 and London-based pop rock star Beth McCartney.
From 2021-2023 the dual main stage was a revolutionary shift while the Chevron Stage, introduced in 2024, boasted the world’s first outdoor floating LED video sky canopy and was created especially to host dance music, pop and hip-hop acts.
This year’s stages are as follows:
The Grid: The home of the festival’s main stage, The Grid is where the headliners live with the likes of Charli XCX, Fontaines D.C., Dave, Raye, Florence + The Machine and Chase & Status alongside Blossoms and Kasabian, who will appear as the first ever Thursday night headliner of Leeds Festival.
The Gallery: A brand new stage for 2026, The Gallery is described as “an undercover immersive stage with innovative LED screen lights and immersive production running throughout the entire stage”. The likes of Geese, Kneecap and Holly Humberstone will feature in Reading whilst Jamie Webster, The K’s and Rose Gray will appear in Leeds.
The Warehouse: Previously announced, The Warehouse is a brand-new purpose-built home for dance music with viewing platforms in front and behind the decks, plus huge screen production welcoming special sets from Skepta b2b Prospa, Hybrid Minds, Hedex, Silva Bumpa and Rossi.
The Ballroom: For the first-time ever, Reading & Leeds will have a “transformed stage complete with unique chandeliers and draping” that plays host to breakthrough artists.
The Canopy: This stage will usher in new music with a stage dedicated to the likes of Violet Grohl, Villanelle, December 10, Camille Blackman, Kibo, Finessekid, Cruz Beckham and The Breakers and more.
The Yard (Reading Only): The Yard will “bring the industrial edge of alternative club culture”, situated in the open-air with shipping containers. It will “offer something completely different to any other stage at the festival”.
Organisers have also announced the return of LS23.
Exclusive to Leeds, the installation is a late night feature that has become a fixture of the festival over the years – providing a soundtrack after the live performances on the main stages come to a close.
This year’s lineup includes the likes of Lens, Soul Mass Transit System, ZERO, CROSSY, Osmosis Jones and more.
Find any remaining tickets for Reading & Leeds 2026 here.
Speaking to NME at Reading 2025, R&L boss Melvin Benn revealed that there were already significant plans in the works for 2026, saying he was “really confident about the artists” he’d lined up.
“I feel like we’re in a stronger position than I can remember for an awfully long time,” he told us. “I can’t remember when I’ve ever had two of the three nights booked by this stage. We’ve had one booked by this stage, but I can’t remember ever having two of the three.”
