Reading and Leeds 2026 have published the full stage times for both sites. NME put the schedule out on 19 August 2026, ahead of a weekend running from Thursday 27 August to Sunday 30 August, the August Bank Holiday, with the same times going live on the festivals' own websites and app.
The stages have been rebuilt around them. What used to be the Main Stage is now called The Grid, and two new stages, The Gallery and The Warehouse, have been added, in what the festivals call the biggest staging and arena overhaul in their history. Melvin Benn, who runs them, told NME the changes had made him "as excited about Reading & Leeds as I've ever been".
Leeds has been granted permission to put music on the Thursday night for the first time. Kasabian headline that opening evening on The Grid at 9:20pm, after The Lathums at 7:55pm and Arkayla at 7pm, and the LS23 stage then runs late, from CamUKG at 10pm through to Lens at 2am.
The six headline sets are spread across the days. At Reading, Charli XCX plays The Grid at 7:45pm on the Friday with Fontaines D.C. closing at 9:55pm; Dave goes on at 8:05pm on the Saturday and RAYE closes at 10:05pm; Florence + The Machine take 7:55pm on the Sunday and Chase & Status close at 10:05pm.
Leeds runs the same six on different days, and swaps the order of one pair. Florence + The Machine and Chase & Status open the weekend proper on the Friday, at 7:20pm and 9:30pm; Charli XCX and Fontaines D.C. take the Saturday, at 7:10pm and 9:20pm; and on the Sunday RAYE goes on at 7:35pm with Dave closing at 9:35pm, the reverse of the Reading running order.
The rest of the bill is deep. Skepta, Sombr, Role Model, JADE, Kneecap, Geese, Skye Newman, Holly Humberstone, Gurriers, Westside Cowboy, Declan McKenna, Maisie Peters, Paris Paloma, Overpass and Duke Dumont all appear across the weekend, and NME notes that every time printed is subject to change.
We have followed the run-up and the weekend itself. Charli XCX had already teased a different show for the 2026 festivals, Declan McKenna added small UK shows before his slots, Fontaines D.C. headlined and debuted a song called Happy For You, and Royal Blood filled The Gallery tent with a surprise set.
The festivals are filed here under rock, and every bill we are following is listed on the festival tracker. Reading's own schedule starts on the Friday, with Beth McCarthy opening The Grid at 1pm.
The facts
- The full stage times were published on 19 August 2026.
- The former Main Stage has been renamed The Grid.
- The Gallery and The Warehouse are new stages this year.
- Leeds hosts music on the Thursday for the first time, headlined by Kasabian.
- The Lathums and Arkayla play before Kasabian on the Leeds Thursday.
- Charli XCX goes on at 7:45pm at Reading and 7:10pm at Leeds.
- Fontaines D.C. close The Grid at 9:55pm at Reading on the Friday.
- NME says every printed time is subject to change.
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