The teaser comes just a week after the Pacifier band revealed they are headlining Reading & Leeds Festival, while also teasing another upcoming show or potential tour that was announced through a photograph posted of a sheet of paper reading: “5:00pm, DOORS, 6:00pm, SHOWTIME”. Fans who are signed up to the band’s mailing list also received an email simply stating “Thursday February 22”, possibly hinting at further news surrounding live show dates and ticket releases.

Keeping their eyes peeled for further updates, fans have also spotted the same posters in and around Manchester, suggesting that the band could return to the city for a comeback show. Although the majority of posters have now been taken down, some were sighted most notably in the city’s Northern Quarter and opposite the O2 Ritz, a possible clue towards the hosting venue of the show.

This has been spotted in Manchester pic.twitter.com/IHUTiTLKzB

— The Rock Revival (@TheRockRevival_) February 12, 2024

Having not performed since September 2021, rumours began to circulate about the band’s future and whether they had split not long after their appearances at Reading & Leeds and outdoor gigs at Swansea’s Singleton Park and Neighbourhood Weekender in Warrington. Now returning as a headliner at Reading & Leeds, they will also be joined by other huge acts such as Liam Gallagher, Blink-182, Gerry Cinnamon, Fred Again... and Lana Del Rey. Blink-182 are gearing up to take the festival’s main stage after more than a decade, while Gallagher is set to perform ‘Definitely Maybe‘ in full, marking its iconic 30th anniversary.

This year’s string of live shows will be their first since the departure of guitarist Johnny “Bondy” Bond in 2022, and is expected to showcase brand new material, their first major output since their UK number two album ‘The Balance‘ in 2019, which followed their Top 10 debut 2014 platinum album ‘The Balcony‘ and their number one sophomore album ‘The Ride‘.

Following a storm of speculation, Johnny Bond released an online statement in 2022, announcing that he had in fact left the band as early as March 2021, merely playing with them as a session musician during the summer shows. He commented: ‘To put it simply, I feel that both the professional and personal relationships had become entirely dysfunctional.’

He added: ‘I certainly don’t want this post to be entirely negative … You have given me some incredible experiences that will stick with me forever … I sincerely appreciate you and feel incredibly fortunate to have experienced all of this together and met so many incredible people.’

The band is currently made up of Van McCann (vocals) and Benji Blakeway (bass), with a fresh new line-up of other members soon to be unveiled. For a chance to catch a glimpse of Catfish and the Bottlemen’s return, tickets for Reading & Leeds 2024 are on sale now.

The festival is set to take place from 21 August to 25 August 2024 at Reading’s Richfield Avenue and Bramham Park in Leeds and will follow this year’s festival, which included headliners The 1975, Imagine Dragons, Billie Eilish and The Killers.

American singer-songwriter Lana Del Rey is set to make her long-anticipated Reading and Leeds debut, as will London-based singer and DJ Fred Again. Pop-punk icons Blink-182 will return to headline the famed twin-venue festival for the first time since 2014, while Catfish And The Bottlemen are also set to return, making their first appearance at the festival back in 2021. Another headliner who also featured at the festival in 2021 is Scottish singer-songwriter Gerry Cinnamon.

Watch the music video for Lana Del Rey’s “Summertime Sadness” below:

Liam Gallagher is yet another headliner making a return to Reading and Leeds, having also featured at the 2021 edition. The former Oasis frontman is set to play the entirety of Definitely Maybe to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the acclaimed album, with his appearance at the festival to be preceded by a tour dedicated to the anniversary of said album.

Festival Republic managing director Melvin Benn, the main promoter of Reading and Leeds festival among others, has said of next year’s event, “We are thrilled to announce the first wave of artists for Reading & Leeds 2024. I am very proud that the biggest artists in the world choose to play Reading & Leeds and to have three incredible UK festival exclusives – the electrifying Fred again.., a true generational talent Lana Del Ray and the legendary Blink-182.

Ben continued, “The iconic Liam Gallagher will return to play an all-time classic album ‘Definitely Maybe’ which will be a special moment indeed. We pride ourselves on nurturing artists from the early stages in their career, so to see acts like Catfish & The Bottlemen rising through the festival to headline for the second time is very rewarding. 2023 was a hugely successful year for attendance and sensational audience feedback, and we are eager to build upon this success even further at the UK’s biggest and best music festival.”

Watch the music video for Blink-182’s “What’s My Age Again?” below:

Tickets for the 2024 edition of Reading and Leeds will go on general sale on Thursday 30 November at 8.30am and will be available to purchase here.