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:

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by BBC Radio 1 (@bbcradio1)

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

The Aux Stage, newly rebranded for 2024, was focused on digital content creators and featured a mix of live podcasts, interactive talks, and performances. Some of the scheduled acts included The Chravas (content creators), Things I Wish My Mum Told Me (self-help podcast), and the M1 Podcast.

The BBC Radio 1 stage is one of the festival’s primary stages, featuring a mix of well-known and emerging artists across various genres. As part of both the Reading and Leeds Festivals, this stage is known for hosting major performances from popular artists, often serving as a stepping stone to headlining the main stage in future years.

This year it was meant to show artists such as Beabadoobee, James Marriott, Destroy Boys, Good Neighbours, and Felix Ames.

As reported by NME, in response to the news of the stage closure, Beabadoobee posted on X, telling fans:

I had a whole outfit planned. Well I’ll see u guys at reading!!! I’ll b back in Leeds soon I hope sorry about this guys I love you !!!!.

At 9am this morning, Leeds Festival organisers took to X in a post to festival-goers stating: “We’re urging you to stay in your tents if you are onsite and feel safe to do so. If you are in your car, please remain there. If you are not yet at the festival site, please delay your arrival. We’re expecting it to ease up at 10am and we will update you in 30 minutes. Your safety is our number one priority. Remember to look out for each other.”

It is unsurprising that Leeds is acting with caution as the festival is one of the UK’s largest and most popular, attended by over 100,000 people each year.

The festival typically takes place over the August Bank Holiday weekend and runs in conjunction with its sister festival, Reading Festival, which is held at Richfield Avenue in Reading. Both festivals share the same lineup, with artists performing on alternate days at each location.