Organisers Festival Republic have disclosed that after 18 years, they will be removing the BBC Introducing Stage from the Reading & Leeds setup from 2026 onwards. A major re-envisioning of the format is planned for this year’s event, including a new stage named ‘The Canopy’ replacing BBC Introducing in platforming emerging talents.
As twin festivals Reading & Leeds adapt to new challenges of the British live music landscape, their format has evolved significantly in the last 5 years. The festivals, which take place on the August bank holiday weekend every year, moved to a new site layout in 2021 following the global COVID-19 pandemic, which set up two main stages with 6 full-fledged headliners over the three days of music. Last week, it was announced that following Leeds’ expansion to a Thursday line-up of music headlined by Kasabian, Reading followed suit by applying for licenses to do the same for next year’s edition.
Unfortunately, Festival Republic’s continued evolution for the events has led to new collateral in the shape of the BBC Introducing Stage – a platform which has given public auditions for hundreds of young, unsigned acts since 2008 and served as a launchpad for 2026 headliners Florence + The Machine, Charli XCX, Dave and Raye. Also counted among its graduates are Ed Sheeran, Little Simz, Catfish and the Bottlemen, Glass Animals and Royal Blood. The BBC estimate that 70% of all UK artists on the bill for this year’s Reading & Leeds Festival have performed on the Introducing stage in the past.
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Festival Republic Managing Director Melvin Benn spoke to IQ Magazine about the incoming changes which will take effect this August, describing a full reset with six new stages, all with distinct identities. The Grid will be the new main stage, hosting all of the headliners and the biggest acts of the weekend, while The Gallery will become the new secondary host of bands and louder live acts. With electronic music becoming one of main draws to the event, The Warehouse will be the new venue tailored to all things dance, and The Ballroom will be an exciting stage for defining acts of the current sounds.
The Canopy will be the replacement destination for the up-and-comers, which Benn explained as Festival Republic taking the developmental wing of the festivals in a new direction – “historically we’ve had the BBC Introducing stages for the emerging acts, and it was a really inexpensively presented stage. We want to create something that’s significantly better and stronger and has a great feel about it.”
Tommy Longhurst, lead singer of Reading-based indie group Only The Poets, described the move as “sad news” for the ambitions of future musicians, saying the BBC Introducing Stage “really does a lot for new artists.” Talking to BBC Radio Berkshire, he said “for me I think we’re taking a huge opportunity from up and coming artists,” and explained how his own experience shaped his opinions now – “we hold those memories so highly and it was such a poignant moment for us to get to play a festival that inspired us to start the band.”
A BBC spokesperson has clarified that the decision was solely undertaken by Festival Republic, and that the BBC Introducing platform would continue their activities at other top UK festivals this year with “line-ups including some fantastic up-and-coming artists”.
Reading & Leeds 2026 run from August 27 to 30 at Reading’s Richfield Avenue and Leeds’ Bramham Park, with select tickets still available.
