Reading and Leeds Festivals today announce a total of 81 more artists confirmed to play the 2023 edition of the festivals, including Mimi Webb, Rina Sawayama, Arlo Parks, Tom Odell, Easy Life, Bakar, and Yard Act amongst many more. These acts join the previously announced headliners playing the dual Main Stages; Sam Fender, The Killers, Billie Eilish, Foals, Lewis Capaldi, Imagine Dragons, and more feature on a line-up alongside the most exciting talent in rock, indie, alternative, hip-hop and dance. The three-day festival takes place on 25-27 August 2023, returning to Reading’s famous Richfield Avenue and Leeds’ legendary Bramham Park. Tickets are on sale now, via https://www.readingfestival.com/tickets and www.leedsfestival.com/tickets.
Reading and Leeds Festivals rounds off the UK summer season and is the rite-of-passage musical experience for many fans and artists alike, celebrating the brightest talent and across a multitude of genres. There is truly something for every music fan. Making their Reading and Leeds debuts will be the BRIT award nominated Rina Sawayama, who has had a whirlwind year following the 2022 release of chart-topping ‘Hold The Girl’, 2023’s TikTok breakout star Caity Baser, and pop singer Mimi Webb, whose debut album ‘Amelia’ will be released March 3. Completing the line-up’s additions of pop’s most innovating voices is songwriter and BRITs Rising Star 2022 award winner Holly Humberstone, who has captured hearts with her bright yet vulnerable songwriting.
North London artist Bakar has become one of the most vital new voices in UK, promising a genre-blending performance at Reading and Leeds, joined by fellow North Londoner and drill innovator Clavish. Representing the Leeds rock scene are brash trailblazers Yard Act, who have risen through the ranks after their BBC Introducing Stage debut in 2021. Also packing six strings are Reading locals The Amazons, appearing on their home turf to deliver their singalongs hooks and stadium-ready choruses from the 2022 release ‘How Will I Know if Heaven Will Find Me’. Festival favourites Frank Turner & The Sleeping Souls will also be making a return to the fields with their folk-rock rhymes and unmatched onstage charisma.
Dopamine fuelled pop quintet Easy Life are continuing their global takeover, penning ever-relatable tracks including 2021’s hit ‘nightmares’, whilst acclaimed poet and songwriter Arlo Parks will introduce some slower grooves, riding off the back of her 2023 standout track ‘Weightless’. Also confirmed to play are Gothic troupe Palaye Royale, Canadian alt-rock noisemakers Mother Mother and visionary nu-metallers Sleep Token, who will deliver a masterclass in progressive metal. Following the release of the intimate and minimal ‘Best Day Of My Life’ late last year, acclaimed singer songwriter Tom Odell will also undoubtedly deliver a striking and memorable performance. Returning to the festival and promising an energetic live performance is indie rockers Sea Girls, joined by Edinburgh trio Vistas, who will be flying the flag for Scottish music alongside headliner Lewis Capaldi, bringing their bubbly indie anthems to the fields of Richfield Avenue and Bramham Park.
The Reading and Leeds 2023 line-up welcomes a huge selection of international dance and electronic artists with British producers and pioneers of the drum and bass scene Sub Focus, going B2B with Dimension, bringing their collaborative power to their collective of fans. Also announced is drum and bass pioneer Hedex, garage producer Soulecta and American DJ and producer Gryffin, who is raring to showcase his emotional and melodic dance anthems. All-female DJ collective Girls Don’t Sync will be taking to the decks alongside the truly special DJ Jaguar, representing underground dance music. Further names include East Midlands pop riser Nieve Ella, and eclectic DJ Hariet Jaxxon, known for her high tempo sets. Also bringing the heat will be New York’s genre-defying Austin Millz sharing his hip-hop and dance crossover beats, alongside Brighton’s rap and production duo Frankie Stew & Harvey Gunn, the feel-good garage king Sammy Virji and the emotive vocals of Scottish soul-pop singer Joesef. Drum and bass is well represented by eclectic producer Vibe Chemistry, bass pioneers Koven, Ex-BBC Radio 1 host and revered DJ Friction, 80’s inspired producer Metrik and the infectious Charlie Tee, newly crowned as the BBC Radio 1 Drum and Bass show host.
Reading & Leeds continues to champion upcoming artists, influencing who will be the headliners of tomorrow. Preparing for this opportunity, TV Girl and Wallice will deliver their sun-kissed Californian indie, alongside German genre-bending band Giant Rooks, gothic sad-girl popstar Ethel Cain, hyped indie potstirrers The Last Dinner Party and former busker now breakout Glaswegian star Dylan John Thomas. Both alt-pop savant Artemas and dream-pop Sydney natives Royel Otis will be making their Reading and Leeds debut, cementing the festival as the proving ground for fledgling talent. Also on the line-up is euphoric drum and bass influenced NOISY, glamourous pop outsider Jesse Jo Stark, breezy Nashville indie rockers COIN, Wisconsin pop-punk crossover forerunner KennyHoopla, Leeds indie-punk outsiders English Teacher and representing their native Dublin will be post-punk trailblazers The Murder Capital.
Acting as the ambassadors for heavy music at R&L will be a wealth of fresh talent and industry mainstays alike, from the soaring hooks of Swedish rockers Normandie to the verdant pop-punk of Florida upstarts Magnolia Park, Baltimore legends Pinkshift and the ever-relatable Games We Play. Kent-based nu-metal titans Graphic Nature will bring a daring concoction of scathing metal and hardcore, joined by anti-capitalist punks High Vis, pop punk newcomers Meet Me @ The Altar and neon ‘ugly pop’ queen ZAND. Flying the flag for hardcore will be Oldham County noise merchants Knocked Loose and tenacious punks Scowl. Brighton new age rockers Yonaka will deliver a set of heavy licks, whilst Vancouver’s EKKSTACY will embrace crowds with his darkwave pop songs.
Reading and Leeds will also welcome some of the hottest breakthrough hip-hop and rap artists to the bank holiday weekend including Newham general and veteran of the grime scene D Double E, West London’s lofi hip-hop riser Finn Foxell, UK garage, soul and hip-hop fuser KiLLOWEN, Tottenham’s Nippa champion of the ‘hood R’n’B’ sound, and ‘the voice of the streets’, Kenny Allstar. Also appearing is upcoming rap prospect Sainte, freestyle queen and emotive songwriter ShaSimone, rising Afrobeat rapper BZ, energetic American digicore singer and rapper midwxst, and gritty South London hip-hop hopeful Proph. Further names include drill pioneer K-Trap, charismatic viral rapper J Fado, breakthrough Leeds drill artist Temz and prolific Irish rapper Malaki. The talent extends to legendary producer and grime music trailblazer DJ Target, straight talking rap prospect JBee, East Midlands born TikTok talent Queen Millz, and hard-hitting lyricist and British hyper-rap vanguard Lancey Foux.
With hundreds of thrilling acts set to play, Reading & Leeds is set to return as the ultimate festival weekend of the summer – defining and celebrating the sounds of modern ground-breaking music, as well as boasting a world-class comedy line-up.
Fans can be the first to hear further line-up announcements, artist news and much more by signing up to the newsletters at www.readingfestival.com and www.leedsfestival.com
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