Reading & Leeds 2026: The most magical moments from the bank holiday bash

New talent and established icons made this year’s edition of the twin festivals one to remember. Here are NME’s best bits from across the two sites

And that’s a wrap! The final notes of music have rung out, the last tents have been packed up, and this year’s Reading & Leeds Festivals are officially over. With big changes implemented across both sites, this year’s edition had a new look – from fancy new decorations in The Ballroom tent to new stages like The Warehouse, which never seemed to be empty, judging by the notifications from the official app.

With more of a focus on younger, fresher artists, the line-up this year felt like an exciting portrait of the megastars of the future, whether that was ADÉLA serving up the first proper moment of the weekend in The Gallery on Reading’s first day, or Westside Cowboy shaking The Ballroom’s chandeliers in Leeds. That’s without even mentioning the headliners – all superstars worth a bill-topping highlight of their own.

Check out what made Team NME ’s weekend from both sites below, and catch up with everything else we got up to in the field and backstage here .

Words: Jordan Bassett, Rhian Daly, Tom Skinner, Andrew Trendell

“Reading Festival, do you think I can get on the bill at the last minute?” Jamie T asked festival organisers in an Instagram video in the days leading up to this year’s festival. Fortunately – for the musician and all early arrivals – the Reading bookers approved his request, giving him a 33-minute, 10-second set on the main stage as the festival’s first act. It was another triumphant live moment for the Londoner, who was on top form as he delved into his back catalogue of bangers (a closing triple-threat of ‘Sheila’, ‘Sticks ‘N’ Stones’ and ‘Zombie’ was particularly potent) to kick Reading 2026 off in the right way. “I’m really happy to be where I am,” he told NME backstage later , and we couldn’t be happier to have him back either. (RD)

After ‘s dose of LA cool was an essential remedy for the lingering effects of Leeds Fest night one . ‘Promise (When You Go)’ – the alt-pop, rom-com-style opener – set the tone for a half-hour ’00s nostalgia trip, washing over the bleary-eyed early risers at The Gallery. ‘Fell Asleep In The Sun’ brought some trip-hop elements and shades of Metric , as if produced by the late, great William Orbit . “Every time I play a festival that’s cold like this, I’m so happy,” joked singer Justine Dorsey. Touché. The NME 100 alumni’s sweeping, twinkly sounds belong in a sunny field. Alas, they found themselves in a dark tent sheltering from the northern drizzle. But with ambitions to expand the live band, After could soon graduate to the main stage where their songs can truly soar. (TS)

Westside Cowboy brought some chandelier-shaking shenanigans to glitzy new venue The Ballroom. Fresh from releasing debut album ‘It Goes On’ , the buzzy Manchester outfit and recent NME cover stars walked out at Leeds to Kaiser Chiefs ‘ ‘I Predict A Riot’. A cheeky, throwaway nod to some local faves? Perhaps. But the pick let the packed-out crowd know exactly what they were in for. “I saw a bucket hat fly in the air: that felt like a necessary Leeds Festival tick-off,” said singer/guitarist Jimmy Bradbury later in the raucous, noisy set.