In recent years, Reading and Leeds has developed a reputation that is, for some, off-putting: falling on the weekend after GCSE results day, it has become known as a haven for students looking to let loose before they begin their post-sixteen courses. This year, however, it is so much more, with genre-spanning headliners, new stages, and an array of upcoming artists to rival any other festival. Taking place at Bramham Park in Leeds and Richfield Avenue in Reading, the festivals are due to close 2025’s festival season in style across August’s bank holiday weekend, as has been tradition since 2003.
The first Reading Festival took place in 1989, and instantly established itself as a site of pure, unadulterated indie-rock with headliners New Order and The Pogues. Leeds Festival was established in 1999 as a sister site with the same line-up, in a year that saw Blur, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, and The Charlatans draw huge crowds to the initial site of Temple Newsam, now occupied by Live at Leeds in the Park and Slam Dunk North. Four years later in 2003, Leeds Festival moved to Bramham Park, a larger site in Wetherby which saw the return of Blur, alongside Metallica and Linkin Park who also headlined.
Since then, the two festivals have seen the rise of the best of Britain, making for some truly iconic moments and establishing Reading and Leeds as the place to be for those seeking new music. Arctic Monkeys, for example, performed a stellar set in 2005, packing out a tent despite only having one single to their name; the festival also predicted the rise of grime music by giving Boy Better Know a slot in 2015, and inviting members JME and Skepta onto the main stage the following year. However, this was also the beginning of widespread accusations that Reading and Leeds had lost their focus on rock music, instead playing up to popularity.
For those searching for rock music at Reading and Leeds, look no further than Bring Me The Horizon’s headline slot. Last headlining in 2022, the band are due to bring their recognisable blend of metalcore and electro-rock to Bramham Park on bank holiday Sunday, following appearances from Limp Bizkit, Enter Shikari, Lambrini Girls, and indie-rock newcomers Wunderhorse. That isn’t to say that heavier music is absent from the other days, as Aussie rockers Amyl and the Sniffers and their peers, The Chats, also appear on the line-up, bringing a taste of punk from down under for the weekend.
Following a standout set at last year’s Truck Festival, Soft Play are due to be a highlight on Leeds Festival’s Saturday, while Been Stellar will appear on the Festival Republic stage. After releasing one of the best debut albums of last year, Dirty Hit’s New York proteges are gearing up for a new era, and are guaranteed to perform an unmissable set offering glimpses at upcoming material. Another of last year’s best albums was released by Manchester’s own Pale Waves, who mix indie-rock with gothic pop elements to create a unique sound which will be on display on Leeds Festival’s Sunday.
It is not only Pale Waves who hail from the north-west on this year’s line-up of Reading and Leeds: after becoming the first UK artist to be signed to Phoebe Bridgers’ Saddest Factory Records, opening the show for Lucy Dacus on her headline tour, and receiving substantial support from the BBC, jasmine.4.t is bound to bring tears to the Festival Republic stage. Another Manchester artist due to appear is Antony Szmierek, who performed at this year’s Parklife Festival, while Liverpool’s Luvcat is also due to provide a highlight of the festival after an incredible run of ever-larger appearances and headline shows last year.
After her own show at Manchester’s New Century Hall and a slot supporting Bradley Simpson of The Vamps fame at O2 Ritz, indie-rock starlet Nieve Ella will take to the Festival Republic stage on the Leeds Festival’s Friday evening, before The Dare headlines the stage. Known for viral hit ‘Girls’ and his contribution to Charli xcx’s ‘Guess’, the suit-clad electroclash maestro is bound to draw a big crowd: his last Leeds appearance at Belgrave Music Hall sold out in seconds, and, if that was anything to go by, his Leeds Festival set will be one for the history books.
As always, the Reading and Leeds line-up stretches beyond indie-rock: a healthy dose of pop will be provided by super-star headliners Hozier and Chappell Roan, as well as Little Mix’s Leigh-Anne and dance-pop hit-maker Becky Hill. Electronic titans such as Sammy Virji and Girls Don’t Sync have prominent places on the line-up, while the Chevron stage promises after hours appearances from Badger, BL3SS and more across the weekend. A highlight of Leeds Festival for many attendees is its LS23 stage located in the campsites, named after the festival’s postcode and renowned for bringing the best electronic acts for late night performances. This year, it will see Anaïs, P-rallel and Silva Bumpa keep the party going, amongst others.
Those looking for dance music during the day need look no further than the Reload Stage, new for 2025, which will feature sets from Riordan, Tommy Villiers, Saint Ludo, Gentlemens Club, Megan Wroe, and Bushbaby, to name a few, across the weekend. Rap fans can witness Travis Scott‘s headline set, alongside performances from Trippie Redd, Lancey Foux, Nemzzz, AJ Tracey, and Bakar. For a break from the music, the Aux stage is due to host live podcasts and comedy sets once again, with this year’s standout coming from Brittany Broski in conversation with Charley Marlowe. Reading and Leeds 2025 truly has something for everyone, and will kick off on August 21st as Chloe Qisha, Ben Ellis, and Liverpool’s Freak Slug open the Festival Republic stage ahead of one of the summer’s biggest weekends.
