Reading Festival’s first full day gets under way on Friday, with a packed programme of major names, rising stars and two surprise sets giving festival-goers plenty to look forward to at Richfield Avenue.
The arena opens at 11:00, with performances beginning across the stages from lunchtime as thousands of fans arrive for the first full day of the 2026 festival.
The Grid, the festival’s main stage, begins with a surprise set from Jamie T at 12pm, then Beth McCarthy at 13:00, followed by Keo at 13:55.
James Marriott is next at 15:05, before Declan McKenna takes to the stage at 16:15.
McKenna’s performance is one of the afternoon highlights, with the singer-songwriter bringing his distinctive indie-pop sound to one of Reading’s biggest stages.
Then comes Skepta at 17:45.
The grime star is one of the biggest names on Friday’s bill and is likely to draw a sizeable crowd before the evening’s two headline performances.
At 19:45, Charli XCX takes over The Grid.
The pop star arrives at Reading following a huge period in her career, with her performance expected to be one of the festival’s defining moments.
Then, at 21:55, Fontaines D.C. will close The Grid.
The Dublin post-punk band have become one of the most prominent groups in alternative music and their headline set will provide a very different ending to Charli XCX’s earlier pop spectacle.
But Friday’s biggest talking point may come much earlier in the day.
Royal Blood have been confirmed for a surprise set on The Gallery at 14:00. The Brighton rock duo will perform a special Reading-only show, with the band promising a relentless performance for festival-goers who manage to get there in time.
And they are not the only surprise addition.
Away from the main stage, The Gallery has its own strong line-up, beginning with JD Cliffe at 12:10 and DJ EJ at 12:50.
ADÉLA performs at 15:15, followed by Skye Newman at 16:35 and Geese at 17:55.
Later in the evening, SINN6R performs at 19:45 before Josh Baker closes the stage at 21:40.
Electronic music fans have plenty of options at The Warehouse, where Meeshy starts the day at midday.
Djammin, Julian Fijma, Riordan and Luuk Van Dijk follow before Silva Bumpa, Omar+ and a particularly intriguing Skepta b2b Prospa set at 21:40.
There are also plenty of opportunities to discover newer artists elsewhere around the site.
The Ballroom features Bleech 9:3, Cardinals, Clementine Douglas, Overpass, Florence Road, unpeople and YT, while The Canopy includes People I’ve Met, Villanelle and Camille Blackman.
With performances continuing into the early hours, Friday is likely to be one of the busiest days of the weekend.
For many, the priority will be getting a good spot for Charli XCX or Fontaines D.C. But with Skepta, Royal Blood, Jamie T and a host of emerging artists also on the bill, there are plenty of reasons to explore beyond the main stage.
And for those arriving in Reading on Friday morning, the festival’s first full day offers something that is becoming increasingly rare: the chance to see major artists, potential future headliners and genuine surprises all within the same few hours.
