Reading & Leeds Draws More Than 500,000 Fans, Announces 2027 Ticket Sales

Reading & Leeds Festival drew more than half a million attendees across its two sites in 2026, making it Europe’s largest music festival of the summer, according to organizer Festival Republic.

The four-day event featured a headlining lineup made up entirely of artists from the United Kingdom and Ireland for the first time in 26 years. Charli xcx, Chase & Status, Dave, Florence + The Machine, Fontaines D.C. and RAYE topped the bill, while Kasabian served as the first-ever Thursday night headliner at the Leeds festival.

The lineup brought together several corners of the region’s music scene, ranging from pop and rap to alternative rock, indie and electronic music. Additional performers included SOMBR, Skepta, Loyle Carner, Gunna, JADE, Role Model, Declan McKenna, Kneecap, Slayyyter, Adéla, Blossoms, Viagra Boys, Geese, Maisie Peters, Kettama, Chris Stassy, Josh Baker and SPEED.

Organizers also staged several unannounced performances during the weekend. Jamie T, Lola Young and Royal Blood played secret sets, while Arrdee, Central Cee, D Double E, James Blake, Kano, Novelist, Professor Green, Tems and Tom Grennan were among the surprise guests who appeared with scheduled performers.

Beyond the music lineup, Festival Republic introduced the largest overhaul of the festivals’ staging and arena layouts to date. Five new spaces debuted across the sites: The Gallery, The Warehouse, The Ballroom, The Canopy and The Yard.

The Warehouse expanded the festivals’ dance music programming with performances from Max Dean b2b Luke Dean, Riordan, Rossi., Mall Grab, SOTA and Hybrid Minds. At Leeds, the LS23 area continued operating after the main stages closed, extending the site’s late-night entertainment.

The Canopy was introduced as a dedicated platform for developing artists. Its inaugural lineup included December 10, Violet Grohl, Cruz Beckham & The Breakers, The North, Garage Flower, Amma, Finessekid, Day We Ran and Villanelle.

Festival Republic Managing Director Melvin Benn said the revamped sites and British and Irish headliner lineup established a new direction for Reading & Leeds. He also said the organizers would soon share further details about their plans for 2027.

Reading & Leeds Festival will return from August 26 through August 29, 2027. Presale tickets are scheduled to become available September 4 at 10 a.m. BST, followed by the general sale on September 11 at 10 a.m. BST. Fans can register for presale access through the Reading & Leeds Festival website.