Reading Festival may have only just come to an end, but attention is already turning towards next year’s event.
The festival will return to Richfield Avenue from 26 to 29 August 2027, with organisers yet to announce any acts for the bill.
The 2026 festival saw Charli XCX, Dave, RAYE, Florence + The Machine, Chase & Status and Fontaines D.C. headline across Reading and Leeds.
So who could be next?
Here are five names Reading Today thinks could be in contention for 2027. None of the artists below have been confirmed.
Dua Lipa
Dua Lipa would represent another major pop booking for Reading, following Charli XCX and RAYE’s headline appearances in 2026.
The global superstar has the catalogue and live-show credentials to headline one of the UK’s biggest festivals, while her mixture of pop and dance music would fit comfortably with Reading’s increasingly broad line-ups.
Dua Lipa has also been identified among the major names being speculated about for the 2027 festival circuit.
Harry Styles
Perhaps the biggest name on the list.
Harry Styles is already firmly established as a stadium-sized artist, making him the kind of booking that could dominate the announcement when the 2027 line-up is eventually revealed.
Styles is currently undertaking his 2026 world tour, but speculation about further dates has already begun.
A Reading Festival headline appearance would also give the festival another huge crossover pop star capable of attracting audiences well beyond its traditional alternative and rock fanbase.
Billie Eilish
Billie Eilish has already conquered some of the world’s biggest stages and would be another blockbuster addition to the Reading headline roster.
She has also been a Reading headliner before, appearing at the festival in 2023.
A return four years later could make sense if organisers are looking for an established international name who can headline the Main Stage while still appealing strongly to the festival’s younger audience.
Sam Fender
Sam Fender feels like one of the more natural potential Reading headliners.
The North Shields singer-songwriter has developed into one of Britain’s biggest live performers, with songs including Seventeen Going Under and Hypersonic Missiles capable of producing the kind of huge festival singalongs Reading is known for.
He has already headlined Reading and Leeds in 2023, but another appearance could be on the cards as his profile continues to grow.
Olivia Rodrigo
Olivia Rodrigo could be another major pop-rock booking for Reading.
The singer-songwriter’s combination of pop hooks, punk influences and guitar-driven live performances makes her a particularly strong fit for a festival traditionally associated with younger music fans.
She is also currently scheduled to tour into 2027, with her Unraveled tour running through May.
If Rodrigo’s touring schedule eventually brings her back to the UK later in the summer, a Reading headline appearance would be a major possibility.
Who will headline Reading in 2027?
For now, all five names remain speculation and there has been no official announcement about next year’s line-up.
But after a 2026 festival dominated by British and Irish headliners, organisers have plenty of options as they look to put together another major bill for Richfield Avenue.
And with Reading Festival 2027 already confirmed for 26-29 August, the wait for the first names has begun.
Who would you like to see headline Reading Festival in 2027?
