Leeds and Reading festivals were once festivals for fans of alternative rock music, not attracted to the heavy metal music played at Download Festival or a fan of the radio pop hits played at festivals like T in the Park or Wireless Festival. Reading Festival began in 1961 as a Jazz Festival though pivoted to alternative rock in 1989, later establishing a second site in Leeds in 1999. Recently, Reading and Leeds have celebrated music from all genres and walks of life. This year displays all genres of music from the heavier Bring Me The Horizon to the pop icon of Chappell Roan and the the Rap star Travis Scott.

The first surprise of the weekend came when the Oxford band South Arcade performed on the BBC Introducing stage on Saturday. BBC Radio 1 and the band posted the following on Instagram:

 

 

 

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Major speculation has been happening after Foo Fighters posted the following post on Instagram, celebrating their energy-filled set of 2019, now available in full on BBC iPlayer. Other people speculated are Lewis Capaldi, capitalising on his iconic performance in Glastonbury this year.

Another act that could potentially perform a secret gig is Wolf Alice. The London-based band have been growing in popularity as well as releasing their latest album ‘The Clearing‘ this Friday August 23. Rizzle Kicks are also rumoured to be performing this year, due to them recently headlining Tramlines Festival and the release of new music from the band. Other fans have also speculated on Olivia Rodrigo, due to her close friend Conan Gray performing. Conan Gray and Olivia Rodrigo recently released a line of friendship bracelets together and are famous for being celebrity best friends. This has led to speculation that Olivia Rodrigo may play a secret set, or at the very least make a special appearance during Conan Gray’s set, who plays at Leeds Festival tomorrow on Sunday.

Further speculation occurred on Reddit after this post, now unavailable, was posted on Instagram by the official Reading and Leeds Festival account. Fans noticed a gap in stage times on the Aux Stage on Sunday, with people speculating that Chase and Status will be playing due to their current UK tour. The poster displayed by the festival shows the silhoutte of 2 people with question marks overlaid on top. Chase and Status, the superstar DJ duo, have been releasing new music this year and their next official show is on 29 August in Las Vegas, NV, meaning they would be able to play the secret set to display their new music.

The festivals have still attracted huge names like Chappell Roan, Travis Scott and Bring Me The Horizon so the fans are sure to have a great weekend, despite whoever makes a surprise appearance!

  SECRET SET ALERT byu/Nervous-Chemistry-70 inreadingfestival

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This year will see the festival with 2 new stages (Electric Forest and HALO) plus the return of the Teletech Arena. That brings the number of major stages for this year’s festival up to 8, with a total of 30 stages across the entire festival. As well as more stages, Creamfields will debut their new area ‘Downtown’. This is their new entertainment village, including sports and wellness activities to refresh after visiting the stages. This includes football, basketball, mini-golf, bingo and karaoke. Theatre performances and quizzes will also feature at this new area. For the disciplined, the area will also include a fitness centre and a new ‘Culinary Quarter’, filled with healthy options. Creamfields are also introducing their new wellness centre ‘Freshfields’, including a spa, ice-bath, ‘pamper tent’ and hot showers, perfect for a 4 day festival.

Creamfields began as the world-famous Cream nightclub, based in Liverpool. Alongside the Hacienda in Manchester and the Ministry of Sound in London, Cream was a focal point of the 90’s rave scene, launching the careers of DJ’s such as Paul Oakenfeld, Carl Cox and Paul van Dyk. The club launched the first Creamfields festival in 1998 as a one-day festival and instantly became a hit with its lineup. Sadly, Cream closed it’s doors for the final time in 2002 but it’s legacy lives on with Creamfields, now in its 27th year strong.

‘Electric Forest’ is one of the new stages revealed this year. This stage is nestled within the forest (reminiscent of Boomtown) and will provide an intimate space surrounded by nature. This stage will feature sets from the likes of Eats Everything, JWAVE and special guest East End Dubs.

HALO, the other new stage, is an evolution of the Runway stage and provides an immersive, 360° experience. This stage shows the ambition that Creamfields have approached their 2025 festival with. The stage was created by renowned stage and show design studio ‘Lucid Creates’. In an interview with Creamfields, Chris Carr from Lucid states “Creamfields has never underestimated the importance of pushing boundaries with high-end production, keeping their dedicated audience excited and engaged with numerous site upgrades, as well as new arenas and stages year on year. We’re incredibly grateful to be given the space and the opportunity to create such ambitious structures and shows like RUNWAY and now HALO with Creamfields. It’s not an easy thing to pull off, but creating these groundbreaking experiences really is what drives us all”. This stage will feature sets from Jamie Jones, Patrick Topping, Four Tet and others.

Creamfields runs from Thursday, August 21 – Sunday, August 24 2025, tickets  are available here.

@Vukoviband, @SPRINTSmusic, @dangeroussummer, @BIGSPECIAL_, Baby Lasagna, and 40 more PHENOMENAL bands are joining the 2000trees 2025 lineup!!

https://t.co/kHTc2260Mt pic.twitter.com/PnIcKxTybK

— 2000trees Festival (@2000trees) February 6, 2025

In addition to these headliners, the festival has unveiled over 45 new acts, including Scottish duo VUKOVI, Birmingham’s punk duo Big Special, and Irish garage punk band Sprints. Other notable additions are Welsh post-hardcore veterans Future of The Left, dance-punk ensemble SNAYX, and metal-pop favourites Blood Command.

Kneecap is an Irish hip-hop group known for their politically charged lyrics, bilingual rapping (in Irish and English), and rebellious energy. Formed in Belfast, they have gained widespread attention for their provocative themes, often tackling issues like Irish identity, nationalism, and class struggles. One of Kneecap’s most well-known tracks is ‘C.E.A.R.T.A.’, which means ‘Rights’ in Irish. This song gained popularity due to its high-energy beat, politically charged lyrics, and bilingual delivery.PVRIS is known for their dark, atmospheric production, haunting vocals, and emotional lyrics. Their sound has transitioned from a heavier rock base to a more electronic-driven, synth-infused style, often drawing comparisons to bands like CHVRCHES, Paramore, and Halsey. For PVRIS, their breakthrough hit ‘My House’ remains their most iconic track. The song’s eerie and introspective themes about isolation and personal demons made it a fan favourite, cementing PVRIS as a rising force in the alternative rock world.Taking Back Sunday is an American rock/post-hardcore/emo band from Long Island, New York, formed in 1999. They are considered one of the defining bands of the early-2000s emo and alternative rock scene, known for their raw emotional lyrics, dynamic vocal exchanges, and anthemic choruses.Their biggest hit is undoubtedly ‘MakeDamnSure’. The song features passionate, almost desperate lyrics about obsession and destructive love, making it relatable for many fans.
The 2000trees Festival specializes in rock, punk, emo, post-hardcore, and alternative music, with a strong focus on underground, emerging, and independent artists. It’s known for showcasing the best of the UK’s alternative music scene alongside well-established international acts. The 2000trees Festival gets its name from its founders’ commitment to environmental sustainability. When the festival was launched in 2007, the organisers aimed to create an event that not only celebrated music but also had a minimal environmental impact. As part of this ethos, they planted 2 000 trees in the early years of the festival to offset its carbon footprint.

Tickets went on sale in October and include discounts for NHS staff and students. As of now, 4-day and VIP tickets have sold out, but 3-day and single-day tickets are still available. For more details on ticketing and the complete line-up, visit the official 2000trees Festival website.

A party 20 years in the making… RT + Like for your chance to win 4 x VIP upgrades, Emperors Field camping & a £100 bar tab!

Escape to the Lakes with The Prodigy, @FatboySlim, @thecourteeners, @KaiserChiefs & more!

Register now for pre-sale access https://t.co/vsh02Dllfo pic.twitter.com/Vgy1r71vNq

— Kendal Calling (@KendalCalling) November 1, 2024

Music Festival Kendal Calling first begun in 2006, as a small-capacity event that welcomed just less than a 1000 people and only lasted two days; the event was held in Abbot Hall Park, and all tickets were sold out before the event. The following year the venue was upgraded due to the extreme demand, and year by year the festival reached higher capacities until reaching a peak of 40,000 attendees last year.

Since its first edition in 2006, Kendal Calling festival has received critical acclamation and many UK artists have expressed the wish to perform on the Cumbria-based stage. In 2010, after only a couple years since its creation, Kendal Calling was awarded Best Small UK Festival, and in 2011 it won “Best Small Festival” at LIVE UK awards.

The festival ranges through a wide set of genres: from indie’s Maximo Park and upcoming London-based indie artist Siobhan Winifred, BRIT award’s rising star The Last Dinner Party, Leeds’s rock band Kaiser Chiefs, Techno group The Prodigy, “Murder on the Dance Floor” singer Sophie Ellis-Bextor and many more.

But music won’t be the only form of art presented in Lowther Deer Park, where the festival is set to be held in the upcoming year. In fact, organizers have also revealed that art installations will also be present on the festival grounds.

But the festival hasn’t reached this level of fame without some struggles: after cancelling their 2020 edition due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, the organizers also took the decision to cancel the following year’s edition, in 2021, due to the lack of fundings after losing out financially in 2020.

Now, the festival has managed to re-start after the pandemic and both organizers and artists are eager to welcome new and old crowds into the grounds of Kendal Calling. The festival made numbers in ticket sales the previous years, with tickets being sold out within days of their release and the lineup announcement. This year is no different. Despite the lineup being only just announced, Kendal Calling’s tickets are already 70% sold out. Tickets can be accessed here.

Here’s the festival’s story told by their organisers:

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The organizers of Kendal Calling have revealed that there’s more acts to be announced, but it seems like the artists confirmed so far are enough for fans to plan their summer trip to the lake district.

Watch previous performances at Kendal Calling on their YouTube: