If you’d been quietly sitting on the fence about this year’s festival, consider this your sign to get off it. Pepsi MAX presents Reading and Leeds Festival has just dropped its biggest lineup announcement yet for the 2026 edition, adding well over 60 new acts to a bill that was already looking pretty formidable.
Running across the August Bank Holiday weekend — 27 to 30 August 2026 — this year’s festival builds on a headline lineup of Charli xcx, Chase & Status, Dave, Florence + The Machine, Fontaines D.C. and RAYE. And now, with this wave of additions, the full picture is really starting to take shape.
The New Names You Need To Know
Leading the charge in this latest announcement is Gunna, who joins the Reading-only lineup. The Atlanta rapper is no stranger to the UK and seems genuinely excited about it too — calling London “like a second home.” He’ll be joined at Reading by Loyle Carner, Men I Trust, and Viagra Boys, all confirmed for the one site only.
Across both weekends, the additions are just as strong. Declan McKenna, Maisie Peters, and James Marriott bring some serious homegrown energy to the bill, while Duke Dumont, Holly Humberstone, Paris Paloma, and Clara La San round out a wave of additions that feels genuinely well-curated rather than just names on a page. Kingfishr and Slayyyter are worth keeping an eye on too — both are acts that feel right for this moment.
Leeds gets its own exclusives in the shape of The Lathums and The K’s, two bands who’ve built fiercely loyal followings and will no doubt bring it on the main stage.
The Warehouse: Reading & Leeds’ Boldest New Move
Perhaps the most exciting announcement isn’t an artist at all — it’s a stage. The Warehouse is a brand-new, purpose-built home for dance music making its debut at Reading and Leeds 2026, and it sounds like nothing the festival has done before. Think cutting-edge sound, state-of-the-art lighting, and a fully immersive club experience dropped right in the middle of a field. We’re intrigued.
The lineup it’s already pulled together is no joke either. Skepta headlines the concept with back-to-back sets — alongside Prospa at Reading and East End Dubs at Leeds — while Hybrid Minds, Mall Grab, Omar +, Hedex, and Rossi. all feature across the weekend. Luuk Van Dijk, Hamdi, Bou (Reading only), and a host of others fill out what’s shaping up to be a proper destination stage in its own right.
The Ones That’ll Have People Talking
A few names on this lineup deserve a special mention — not necessarily for their profile, but for the story behind them.
Violet Grohl is making her very first festival performance at Reading and Leeds 2026. Yes, that Grohl. Whatever your expectations, a debut festival set is always a moment, and this one will be watched closely. Cruz Beckham and The Breakers also appear, adding another famous offspring making their mark on their own terms.
Then there’s Absolutely and Amma — RAYE’s siblings — joining the bill, turning what is already RAYE’s headline year into something of a full family affair. It’s a lovely touch.
Elsewhere, bar italia, SPEED, Kneecap, Lamb, and Overpass all sit within the wider announcement, making this a lineup with genuine depth beyond the household names.
The Full Reading & Leeds 2026 Lineup So Far
Here’s the full A–Z of everyone confirmed so far — new additions included:
Absolutely · Adéla · Alisha (Leeds) · Amma · Arthur Hill · bar italia · Basht. (Leeds) · Bassvictim · Betty · Bleech 9:3 · Bou (Reading) · Cardinals · Charli xcx · Chase & Status · Chloe Qisha (Reading) · Clara La San · Clementine Douglas · Cruz Beckham and the Breakers · Dave · Day We Ran · Declan McKenna · dexter in the newsagent · DJ EJ · Djammin · Duke Dumont · Finessekid · Fliss (Reading) · Florence + The Machine · Florence Road · Fontaines D.C. · Frost Children (Reading) · Garage Flower (Leeds) · Geese · Gunna (Reading) · Gurriers (Leeds) · Hamdi · Hedex · Holly Humberstone · Hybrid Minds · IN PARALLEL · [IVY] (Leeds) · JADE · James Marriott · Jane Remover (Reading) · Josh Baker · Julia Wolf · Kasabian (Leeds) · Kilu · Kingfishr · Kneecap · Lamb · Locky (Leeds) · Loyle Carner (Reading) · Luuk Van Dijk (Reading) · Maisie Peters · Mall Grab · Max Dean b2b Luke Dean (Reading) · Men I Trust (Reading) · Mulaa Joans · Niko B · Notion · Omar + · Overpass · Paris Paloma · People I’ve Met · Pozzy · Radio Free Alice (Reading) · RAYE · Riordan · Role Model · Rose Gray (Leeds) · Rossi. · Ruby Roberts · Saint Ludo · Say Now · Seb Lowe (Reading) · she’s green · Silva Bumpa · Skepta · Skepta b2b Prospa (Reading) · Skepta b2b East End Dubs (Leeds) · Slayyyter · Sota · SPEED · The Guest List · The K’s (Leeds) · The Lathums (Leeds) · The Lilacs (Leeds) · The North · Tommy Phillips (Reading) · Tooth · Viagra Boys (Reading) · Violet Grohl · Westside Cowboy · WHATMORE · YT · + many more still to be announced
Tickets & Dates
Reading & Leeds Festival 2026 runs 27–30 August 2026 at Richfield Avenue (Reading) and Bramham Park (Leeds). Tickets are on general sale now.
- 🎟️ Reading: www.readingfestival.com
- 🎟️ Leeds: www.leedsfestival.com
With more names still to come, the lineup is only going to grow from here. We’ll be keeping this updated as announcements drop.
