Reading Festival is once again bringing some of the biggest names in music to Richfield Avenue next weekend.
Charli XCX, Dave, RAYE, Florence + The Machine, Fontaines D.C. and Chase & Status Live are the headline acts for this year’s festival, but some of the most exciting performances could come from further down the bill.
With hundreds of performances taking place across the festival’s stages, here are five acts you might not know yet – but could be worth seeking out.
Violet Grohl
Violet Grohl could be one of the weekend’s most talked-about performers.
The daughter of Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl, she has been building her own musical career and will perform at Reading on Sunday, August 30.
She is scheduled to appear on The Canopy, with her set listed for 5pm.
Her appearance is particularly notable given her musical family background, but this is an opportunity to see Violet Grohl perform in her own right as she continues to establish herself as an artist.
Holly Humberstone
Holly Humberstone is perhaps one of the better-known names on this list, but she remains an artist some festival-goers may not have discovered yet.
The singer-songwriter will play The Gallery on Sunday, with her set scheduled for 1.40pm.
She has already built a substantial following with her emotionally driven indie-pop, making her an early-afternoon option worth catching before the day’s biggest acts take to the main stage.
Geese
New York rock band Geese are another act to have on your radar.
They play The Gallery on Friday at 5.55pm, putting them in a strong position for anyone looking to discover something different before Charli XCX and Fontaines D.C. headline The Grid.
The band are part of a wider alternative and guitar-focused selection at The Gallery, a new stage for 2026 designed around immersive production and LED screens.
Westside Cowboy
Westside Cowboy are one of the newer names worth checking out if you’re looking for an emerging guitar band.
The act will perform on The Ballroom on Sunday at 1.45pm.
The Ballroom has been transformed for this year’s festival and will feature a mix of established and up-and-coming artists, making it one of the stages to explore away from the headline crowds.
Skye Newman
Skye Newman completes the list and is another artist worth catching before the festival’s biggest performances.
She is scheduled to perform on The Gallery on Friday at 4.35pm, ahead of Geese and the later performances from Skepta, Charli XCX and Fontaines D.C.
The five artists offer a snapshot of the depth of this year’s Reading Festival line-up, which stretches well beyond the six headline performers.
With the festival’s new stage setup also introducing The Gallery and The Warehouse, there should be plenty of opportunities for fans to discover their next favourite artist away from The Grid.
Reading Festival takes place at Richfield Avenue from August 27 to 30, with the main music programme running from Friday
