Playing across the two main stages for the first time ever will be The Wombats, Sigrid, Beabadoobee, KSI, Sports Team, Disclosure, and Yungblud. Previously announced are the headliners: Stormzy, Catfish and the Bottlemen, Post Malone, Disclosure, Liam Gallagher, and Queens Of The Stone Age. Other acts to perform are Lewis Capaldi, Two Door Cinema Club, AJ Tracey, Doja Cat, Mabel, MK, and more. The full line-up can be found below.

The Managing Director of Festival Republic, Melin Benn, spoke about the event in a press release, saying: “After an absence of a year we are delighted to announce the 2021 return to Reading’s Richfield Avenue and Leeds’ Bramham Park in 2021 with our most epic plan yet. Two main stages, six headliners, the best line up of acts 2021 will see and 200,000 fans are going to celebrate the best music in the best music festivals in Britain.”

When Reading and Leeds 2020 festival was cancelled back in May, fans were offered a plan for the future, in which they were promised that “Reading and Leeds in 2021 will be worth the wait.” The line-up included big names Liam Gallagher and Stormzy, who will return next year, along with Rage Against The Machine, Courteneers, Aitch, Sam Fender, Mahalia, and Georgia. Despite its cancellation, the festival went ahead virtually, with archived footage broadcasting on BBC iPlayer.

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DAY TICKETS are on sale NOW  Plus, NEW NAMES ADDED  Don’t miss your chance to be at #RANDL21 next summer  Link in bio 

A post shared by Reading & Leeds Festival (@officialrandl) on Sep 24, 2020 at 9:01am PDT

Taking place in Warrington’s Victoria Park from 28th-30th May next year, the line-up for the new day will include headliner Gerry Cinnamon, Circa Waves, The Zutons, Jade Bird, and Orla Gartland. To obtain tickets, head to the official website on Friday 11th September from 9.30am (BST). If fans have already purchased weekend tickets prior to Sunday 6th September, they are eligible to gain exclusive access to tickets from today.

For the first time ever #NBHDWKND21 will expand across 3 days with a huge main stage Friday eve lineup including @GerryCinnamon @CircaWaves @ZutonsThe @jadebird & @orlagartland

If you’ve already purchased a weekend ticket you will have exclusive access to the pre-sale! pic.twitter.com/jwj3LjM2A3

— NBHD Weekender (@nbhdweekender) September 7, 2020

Alongside the new acts, the festival will also see the likes of Ian Brown, Sam Fender, and Easy Life on Saturday, and Catfish and the Bottlemen, The Wombats, Tom Walker, Sea Girls, and Sports Team on Sunday. Indie-rock band Circa Waves commented, “We will be playing Neighbourhood Weekender May 2021!! We can’t wait to be playing live again!!”

We will be playing @nbhdweekender May 2021!! We can’t wait to be playing live again!! pic.twitter.com/wcsjunjYuj

— (@CircaWaves) September 7, 2020

The 2020 festival was sadly cancelled in just its third year due to Covid-19 guidelines, so bands, fans, and organisers are all incredibly excited to begin holding live shows again. Organisers released a statement which said, “We are delighted that the vast majority of artists playing at the festival have confirmed they will return. Everyone involved in the festival and the artists that are playing are working really hard to give you the festival you wanted.”

Neighbourhood Weekender Festival began in 2018 in Warrington as an expansion of Manchester’s festal of the same name. Past years have seen acts such as George Ezra, Primal Scream, and Richard Ashcroft.

Yesterday, Wednesday 19th August, it was announced that registration is now open, and those who sign up will gain access to pre-sale tickets, as well as being in with a chance to win four Weekend VIP tickets. Ticket-holders for the 2020 festival can hold on to their tickets and carry them over to this upcoming event.

Are you ready for the games to begin?

Registration for Parklife 2021 is now open, sign up for early access to tickets and be a chance of winning x4 Weekend VIP tickets – https://t.co/SFyDoElIW3

Save the date : Heaton Park, June 12 & 13 2021 pic.twitter.com/lOm0gMlifA

— Parklife 2021 (@Parklifefest) August 18, 2020

Taking place in Heaton Park on 12th and 13th June 2021, there is more news to come in the next few weeks. Organisers have said next year will be “an unrivalled party weekend filled with the best names in modern music,” while fans were told to “expect more surprises, bigger names and memories that’ll last a lifetime. There’s only one place to dance again.”

2020 had planned to have acts such as Lewis Capaldi, Skepta, Georgia, Joy Crookes, Mahalia, and Tyler, The Creator. Sunday tickets sold out completely, and the other options were close to selling out as well, but it was at this point that the event was cancelled, as were many others.

The venue is Virgin Money’s new Unity Arena, located at Newcastle Racecourse in Fender’s hometown, holding a total of 2,500 attendees – while social distancing, of course. Fans were spread out by two metres, standing on viewing platforms in groups of five. Tickets sold out in minutes, costing £32.50 per person, plus an additional £20 per group of five to reserve the viewing area.

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Let’s go again tonight! #letthemusicplay @afishout0fwater

A post shared by Sam Fender (@sam_fender) on Aug 13, 2020 at 5:50am PDT

Fender played songs from his popular debut album ‘Hypersonic Missiles’, as well as some new tracks, which are said to be from his next album, coming soon. These are speculated to be titled ‘The Kitchen’ and ‘Seventeen Going Under’, leaving one unnamed song.

Fans gave mixed reviews of the event, while Steve Davis, managing directer of SSD Concerts who helped put the event together, gave his thoughts: “Since all of our scheduled concerts have been postponed to later in the year and all venues in the city closed, the staff at SSD had a willingness to continue. We can’t be without music during these times so our only thought has been how can we bring music back to the British public safely and responsibly.”

This gig marks the beginning of a series of shows at the arena, co-created by the This Is Tomorrow Festival team. Acts to follow include Van Morrison, The Libertines, Two Door Cinema Club, and Supergrass. Sam Fender will also be taking to the stage again tonight for another sold out show.

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Buzzing for round 2 tonight!! Doors 6pm @heidi_music_ 8pm @sam_fender 9pm

A post shared by Sam Fender (@sam_fender) on Aug 13, 2020 at 3:38am PDT

With audience members following a one-way system and wearing face coverings whenever they left their viewing areas, the show seems to have gone extremely well. This could offer a new way of holding live events for the foreseeable future, however it still does nothing for any small grassroots venues or festivals. Last month, on 29th July, Frank Turner held his own socially distanced gig at the Clapham Grand. Unfortunately, it was deemed an unsuccessful and unsustainable business model by the venue’s manager, with Turner raising similar concerns.

The band shared the news on social media, saying, “Being able to perform is the reason we do this.” There are unlimited raffle tickets available, priced at £5 each, but only 6 prizes to be won. Each prize is the same: There is the incredible opportunity to spend a day as a Bring Me The Horizon tour tech, meet the band, watch the show from backstage, and win a bespoke merchandise bundle. There is no limit to the number of times one person can enter, giving an even better chance of winning, and offering the crew more financial support.

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being able to perform is the reason we do this. enter the raffle, help support our incredible crew and win the chance to spend the day as a bmth tour tech, meet us, and watch the show backstage. raffle closes wednesday 6pm. link in bio. #letthemusicplay

A post shared by ʙʀɪɴɢ ᴍᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ʜᴏʀɪᴢᴏɴ (@bringmethehorizon) on Aug 7, 2020 at 8:33am PDT

Many bands and other industry workers have shared their concern for the future of the music business, both in the UK and around the world. Bring Me The Horizon’s raffle is yet another creative way in which support can be shown, and live music can continue as we know it. Artists including James Bay, Ben Lovett (Mumford & Sons), and Blossoms, have all spoken out about this issue and suggested ways in which their fans can help. But, without urgent Government support, it is unlikely that live events will be able to continue after the Covid-19 pandemic has eased.

Bring Me The Horizon’s announcement follows the release of their latest single ‘Parasite Eve’ at the end of June, as well as four part projects entitled ‘Post Human’, which will feature an upcoming collaboration with Yungblud. It is likely that, despite the time they’ve enjoyed creating four new records during lockdown, the band are eager to start performing live again, and potentially hold a tour to bring ‘Post Human’ to their fans. Currently, Bring Me The Horizon have seven festival dates planned for 2021, which are listed below and can be found on the official website.

02/06/2021 – Nova Rock – Nickelsdorf, Austria
03/06 – Greenfield Festival – Interlaken, Switzerland
17/06 – Vox Heavy Rock Festival – Oeiras, Portugal
18/06 – Southside Festival – Tuttlingen, Germany
20/06 – Hurricane Festival – Scheeßel, Germany
24/06 – Tons of Rock – Oslo, Norway
13/08 – Highfield Festival – Grosspösna, Germany

Their message to the Government, music lovers, music business workers, and anyone who can help, is that “the events sector urgently needs more support to survive the Covid-19 crisis.” On PLASA’s website, they write, “Live events around the world have been devastated, from major festivals and landmark theatres, to grassroots venues and business events. Without major immediate support from government, the entire supply chain is at risk of collapse.”

In a new attempt to gain attention, the organisation has arranged a march to take place in locations around the UK today, Tuesday 11th August. Artists, bands, producers, engineers, managers, cleaners – many more who who work in the music industry – have shown their support and will continue to do so with this ‘Red Alert Day of Action’.

Check out #WeMakeEventMCR marching for #WeMakeEvents! Now it’s up to the rest of the UK to make a statement! #Manchester https://t.co/bayoayFpjX

— PLASA (@PlasaOnline) August 11, 2020

‘Red Alert’ is another slogan created to raise awareness of the closure of venues and festivals, and the loss of both jobs and globally recognised culture. Venues honoured this by lighting up in red to show support, and to ask for financial help during this time. The marches are taking place in cities across the country, with links to register for any given event on PLASA’s website. Find the full list of cities below, with more details on their respective websites.

We are proudly lighting in red in support of #WeMakeEvents

THE LIVE EVENTS INDUSTRY IS NOW AT RED ALERT

Find out how to help support including signing your name here:https://t.co/1CscvhVFCf pic.twitter.com/zfA0Gjzf7P

— The SSE Arena, Wembley (@ssearena) August 11, 2020

Alongside this, PLASA asks that the music industry be supported by the Government through grants (not loans) which would be made available to businesses in the supply chain; the furlough scheme to be extended until the industry is up and running again safely; finally, an extension of the self-employment scheme for all the freelance workers who have lost all work.

Manchester band Blossoms asked fans for help via a video posted to Twitter, in which they explained that their  2020 tour was cut short, and their production suppliers are facing loss of work, and therefore payment. Furthermore, venues are being forced to close as they are no longer receiving business – action must be taken now so that “there will be a music industry to go back to.” Other artists to speak out include Mani, bassist for The Stone Roses, New Order, Nial Rogers, The Courteneers, and King Crimson.

#WeMakeEvents pic.twitter.com/oCRvWJqjbQ — B L O S S O M S (@BlossomsBand) August 11, 2020

Below is Frank Turner’s blog post about his own socially distanced gig, in which he concluded, “This is not the start of a series of shows like this – that’d bankrupt everyone involved.” He did, on the other hand, continue, “But it was, as I say, a gesture of cooperation, an attempt to feel out the situation with an eye to taking steps in a better direction.” Turner admitted that he had really missed playing live to an audience, and said that “It turns out, live music really, really matters.”

A blog post about last night’s show:https://t.co/hrc7q9ILC4

(pic by @CorinneDinDin) pic.twitter.com/nXiMOu6mtU

— Frank Turner (@frankturner) July 29, 2020

With the new rules that come into force on the 8th of August, it seems as though face masks would be enforced if the venues were to open anyway. This would be in the best interests of all those involved in the opening.

It may seem to some as though this is a slight step back but it is a necessary one. From the trials that have taken place, it does seem as though the socially distanced gigs have not quite gone the way they would have hoped them to. Frank Turner recently held a live, socially distanced gig at the Clapham Grand, which was marked as a failure by venue manager Ally Wolf. “It can’t be the future for live music, it can’t be the future for venues”, he said.

Recently, there has been a rise in live-streamed gigs. This could mark the future for gigs during lockdown as they have gone down a treat with those who have taken part in them. This will at least give fans something to watch and venues and artists money coming in.

Neil spoke to Music Week about the urgency of protecting them, saying, “If venues disappear, we’re losing a generation, if not more, of talent.” He continued, “The music that comes from this small island is, across the board, astounding. There’s generations of kids that are going to lose opportunities from study to job opportunities, we cannot fucking rip the culture away from them as well. All they have is this expression.”

Neil, like so many bands and artists, began his career playing in small music venues with Biffy Clyro, and is not only saddened, but angry to think that future musicians could be deprived of that opportunity. There is also something to be said about the cultural effects of this; “One of the few things to admire about our country is the culture and most of these fuckers in the government won’t have been to a gig or a show ever.”

Biffy Clyro are on the cover of this week’s @MusicWeek magazine – read the full interview here: https://t.co/ReWERnovPX pic.twitter.com/Oi2oe3vqKl

— Biffy Clyro (@BiffyClyro) July 23, 2020

While the government finally announced that they would be putting £1.57 billion into all arts industries, this offer comes too late for many. However, thanks to the charity of owners and artists, some have struggled through. Just yesterday, it was announced that Manchester venues Gorilla and The Deaf Institute have been saved from closure.

Numerous other artists have also spoken out about this issue – most recently, James Bay and Mumford & Sons’ Ben Lovett discussed it via video chat and offered fans links to donate to #SaveOurVenues.

Biffy Clyro is made up of members Simon Neil (guitar and lead vocals), James Johnston (bass), and Ben Johnston (drums). The band has released numerous albums, with four reaching the top 5 in the UK Albums Chart and one album, ‘Opposites’, claiming number 1. Formed in 1995, they are currently signed to 14th Floor Records and have headlined many big UK Festivals including Reading & Leeds in 2013. Biffy Clyro have won four NME Awards and received nominations for two Brit Awards. Their hit song ‘Many of Horror’ was covered by X Factor winner Matt Cardle in 2010, gaining it much success.

The band’s new album ‘A Celebration Of Endings’ will be released on 14th August and they are planning to tour later this year, depending on Covid-19 safety advice. Check out the full dates below and find tickets on their website.

25/09/2020 – P&J Arena – Aberdeen, UK
26/09 – The SSE Hydro – Glasgow, UK
27/09 – Motorpoint Arena – Nottingham, UK
29/09 – Utilita Arena – Newcastle, UK
30/09 – Utilita Arena – Birmingham, UK
01/10 – O2 Arena – London, UK
03/10 – Manchester Arena – Manchester, UK
04/10 – First Direct Arena – Leeds, UK}
06/10 – SSE Arena – Belfast, UK
07/10 – 3Arena – Dublin, Ireland
09/10 – Motorpoint Arena – Cardiff, UK
11/10 – BIC – Bournemouth, UK