Bring Me The Horizon frontman Oli Sykes has spoken to NME about what’s in store for their headline set at Reading & Leeds 2025, as well plans for new material and what the future holds.
Last week, it was announced that the Sheffield metal pioneers would be returning to top the bill at the twin-site festival alongside Chappell Roan, Travis Scott, and Hozier. While veterans of the festival, the band’s only headline appearance so far was for their stellar set back in 2022, when they shared top-billing with but played before Arctic Monkeys.
Having already promised “hands down the greatest show of our careers”, Oli Sykes has spoken to NME about capping off the second era of their ‘Post Human’ series, following ‘Nex Gen‘ – named as one of NME‘s Best Albums Of 2024 – as well as why the band need to take a considerable amount of time off. Check out our full interview below, where he also told some home truths about the evolution of festivals with the likes of Chappell Roan.
NME: Hello Oli. Christmas time is nearly here. Are you feeling festive?
Oli Sykes: “Yeah. We’re in Argentina at the moment so it’s quite warm and not very Christmassy vibes at all.”
Will you be going back to Sheffield for Christmas?
“We’ll be in Brazil [country of his wife Alissa Salls, AKA Alissic]. It’s really hot and the food’s a bit different – it’s more like potato salads and they eat a lot of meat, but for me there’s some really good food. I’m usually more on the beach and shit like that rather than in the snow.”
What a way to end the year – by announcing your return to R&L 2025. How does it feel to be headlining again?
“It’s pretty nuts. I know we’ve done it before, but it was when there were two headliners each night, and it was obvious that Arctic Monkeys were really headlining. It feels nice to be coming back in a fully-fledged headline slot.”
You say that, but still threw the kitchen sink at it last time with a full-on sci-fi epic production and an Ed Sheeran guest spot…
“Yeah, well, there’s always someone closing and that time it was Arctic Monkeys. Now it feels a little more exciting and like there’s a little more pressure because there are no ifs-and-buts about it. We’re the last band on that day and once again we’ve got something to prove.
“It’s also cool because the last time was where we revealed the show that we’ve been working with for this campaign run: the full ‘Nex Gen’ immersive experience. We’re still running with that vibe, but it’s evolved so much. That evolution is going to reach its apex for Reading & Leeds. It will reach full-circle.”
It had already evolved so much by the time you headlined Download 2023 too, right?
“Yes. We were going off the same idea, but just adding to it and seeing what we could do better. Going into that last Reading & Leeds, I didn’t know that the idea of having this AI overlord narrator going across the whole show would become such a huge part of what we’re doing now – with the album and the story of all the music.
“Download was us going even harder with that. Every tour has had something new added to it. We just played to 50,000 people in Sao Paulo, so we had the opportunity to go even harder. Now the show is everything I’ve been dreaming about. I’ve always been thinking: ‘I can make this slicker, I can help people understand this more’. Then I stood back and watched the show in Sao Paulo the other day in rehearsals and thought, ‘Mate, I’m finally so happy with this’.
“There are still things I want to do and I’m working on, but I honestly believe we have one of the best live shows in the world.”
Is there anything you can tell us about where the live show will be at by next August?
“We very recently started taking on what I believe will be the next stage of live entertainment by doing stuff with augmented reality and simulated visuals. So far we’ve done has been really fucking cool, but it’s just the start and I’m pretty certain that even between now and eight months time, there will be so many more advancements. My imagination has been blown wide open. It’s been like being in a kid in a candy store to see the things that could be possible soon. It’s come on leaps and bounds even since our arena tour this year.
“For Reading & Leeds, we’ll just be taking that further and pushing ahead. I’m hoping the band will have a few new songs as well. Not a new album or anything, but some new material for the set. These will be our only shows in the UK next year, and our final shows before we go away for maybe quite some time. This is will be the conclusion of the ‘Nex Gen’ run for sure.”
To headline Reading & Leeds with an augmented reality show sounds pretty historic?
“I guess that’s kind of the band we want to be. We’re obviously very inspired by Nine Inch Nails, Radiohead and those that really push what it means to be a band with the fusion of music and technology. That’s how we want to be viewed in 10 or 20 years time. We want to use all these things to tell a story and to heighten the music and the experience.”
Are the new songs you mentioned for part three of the ‘Post Human’ series or another part of the narrative?
“Well, they don’t actually exist yet! There’s a little bit more of the ‘Nex Gen’ story to tell through music. We’ve a lot of ideas and loose ends, and there are enough there that there could be an extended version of the record. I’ve been going flat-out for the last few years, so I’m not trying to make any promises. If it doesn’t happen then it doesn’t happen, but there is some music that our fans would love and would be cool to get out. It’s on the to-do list.”
The last time we spoke, you mentioned how the next part of the ‘Post Human’ arc involved a sense of departure – spiritually, mentally, physically. Are the band not ready for that yet? Do you need to properly slam the brakes on first?
“I think so. We need time to recharge our batteries and have that time away, because we haven’t. The last time we stopped was when we were forced to for lockdown. Even then, we were still going and making stuff. It doesn’t feel like the band has had a significant amount of time off. It’s going to get to a point where it starts to effect the band and its creativity.
“I went off and worked with some producers on some stuff for the new record, and I’m just so fried from ‘Nex Gen’ and in that world that I really need to have a proper cut-off point to let the dust settle a bit. Now it’s not just about the music: the story and the lore have become so integral and meaningful. If I don’t stop to try and zoom out and get the bigger picture, then it will effect all of that stuff.
“These records need to be very clear and separate records, otherwise there’s a risk of each bleeding into one another too much. To me, ‘Nex Gen’ has a very different sound to ‘Survival Horror’ [2020] and I want the next one to be a complete new era aesthetically, sonically, and in every respect. It’s important that we let Bring Me The Horizon go away for a bit.”
Do you think 2026 sounds like a likely time to release a new album?
“Yeah, I dunno. We haven’t really figured it out yet. It could be a bit longer than that. It’s hard to say at this point.”
What do you think of the rest of the Reading & Leeds line-up? You’re one of the biggest bands in the world, but you’re also the only band headlining?
“It’s all a bit beyond me now. I’m proper out of touch with what kids are listening to. It’s scary for us if I think about it. We still feel like the underdog and I’m constantly looking out thinking, ‘Is anyone going to come and see our band?’ It’s not Download, and it feels a bit more like each day of the line-up is aimed at a different type of listener. I have no idea if that’s a good thing or a bad thing, but R&L must know what they’re doing. I hope there will be more rock bands and artists from our scene on our day just to put my pessimistic mind at ease!
“It’s hard for us to imagine ourselves as a band that everyone will come and see, but I guess we’re there. What do you think about it?”
It’s healthy for festivals to take risks and book new headliners and different sorts of artists to prevent line-ups from getting stale and just being a carousel of the same heritage acts.
“I totally agree with that. I do really back Sleep Token headlining Download. You see some people moaning (probably the same people moaning when we headlined), but I’d rather see this new, innovative band. How many times do you need to see Metallica? No offence to them, but promoters and music fans need to understand that we need to be making new headliners. All the bands from the older generation aren’t going to be around forever. In 10 years, they won’t be young enough to play.
“At one point, someone went ‘Fuck it, let’s put Slipknot/Biffy Clyro/whoever on as a headliner. It wasn’t a sure thing, but over the last 10 years so many promoters have been scared to take that leap. When Stormzy headlined Glastonbury, a lot of people were like, ‘Is he there yet?’ We’ve got to put these people there to do something different. Chappell Roan has just blown up, but she’s been around for ages, has incredible songs and she’s a brilliant artist. She’s never going to be the next Kate Bush if people don’t take a chance on it and just go, ‘Fuck it, let’s just book Kings Of Leon again’. I fully back it, and I’m so stoked that these artists are getting this opportunity rather than the ‘safe’ option of a band who have been around for ages.”
Reading & Leeds returns the August Bank Holiday weekend between Thursday 21 – Sunday 24 August 2025 at Richfield Avenue in Reading and Bramham Park in Leeds. Visit here for tickets and more information.
