READING Festival has announced who will be headlining when the event returns for its annual iteration next year.
Organisers made a surprise announcement on Monday, December 1, naming the six headliners who will be leading the charge in August, as well as a string of acts who will be joining them at Richfield Avenue.
Brat-pop icon Charli XCX is set to return to the festival as a headline act, in what will be her fifth appearance since her debut at the event’s Radio 1 Dance Tent a decade ago.
She’ll be joined by drum and bass duo Chase and Status, who will be making a long-awaited return to Reading having last played in 2013.
Rap royalty Dave will also be headlining, following up on an explosive 2022 Main Stage set which saw surprise guest appearances from Stormzy and AJ Tracey.
Indie rock titans Florence and the Machine are also making an anticipated return to the festival which formed part of their rise to prominence in 2008.
They rose to headline just four years later, and have not been seen at the festival since that set in 2012.
Irish post-punk purveyors Fontaines DC are also headlining, marking their third Main Stage set in as many appearances.
Closing out the headline slots will be singer-songwriter Raye, who is also taking to the Main Stage for the second time in as many appearances, returning to the festival which she described as a “dream to play” when she performed in 2024.
Elsewhere on the bill, rapper and MC Skepta is making his first appearance at the festival following a decade away, alongside headline-grabbing hip-hop trio Kneecap.
American singer-songwriters Sombr and Role Model will also be performing, with Josh Baker, Chris Stussy, and Skye Newman.
Rounding out the bill are rock quartet Geese, Little Mix alum Jade Thirlwall, Irish DJ and producer Kettama, Slovakian singer-songwriter Adéla, and grunge revivalists Keo.
Elsewhere Kasabian were announced to be playing a Thursday slot at Leeds Festival, but were absent from the line-up at Reading.
Reading Festival returns to Richfield Avenue from Thursday–Sunday, August 26-30, next year.
Tickets are yet to go on sale, with a pre-sale kicking off from 9am on Tuesday, December 2.
Tickets go on general sale at noon on Wednesday, December 3.
Full details and pre-sale signup available via: readingfestival.com
