Reading & Leeds Festival 2026 is officially underway, bringing some of the biggest names in music to Reading’s Richfield Avenue and Leeds’ Bramham Park over the August Bank Holiday weekend.

The festivals run from August 27 to August 30, with a huge lineup spanning pop, rock, rap, indie and electronic music.

At Reading on Friday, fans can catch Charli XCX, Fontaines D.C., Skepta, Declan McKenna, Geese and plenty more. The official Reading lineup has both Charli XCX and Fontaines D.C. appearing on The Grid on Friday.

But one of the most interesting additions is Royal Blood.

The Brighton duo have announced a surprise Reading Festival set on The Gallery stage at 2pm on Friday, August 28. The appearance comes shortly after Royal Blood announced their fifth album, Dead Company, and released new music.

Over at Leeds, Friday looks very different because the two festivals rotate many of their biggest artists between locations. Leeds has Chase & Status Live and Florence + The Machine among Friday’s biggest names, alongside artists including Role Model, Blossoms and Kneecap.

The wider weekend is stacked too.

Dave, Raye, Florence + The Machine, Chase & Status, Charli XCX and Fontaines D.C. are all among the major names appearing across Reading and Leeds, while the undercard includes artists such as sombr, Gunna, Loyle Carner, Skepta, Kneecap and Geese.

Reading & Leeds has always been particularly good at mixing established festival headliners with artists who are currently exploding online, and the 2026 lineup continues that trend.

And with secret sets already starting to appear, there is every chance there are still a few surprises to come before the weekend is over.