Already boasting a phenomenal line-up of indisputable headliners and the hottest voices in modern music, Reading & Leeds has announced even more names for this year’s festivals, taking place between 25 - 27 August 2017 at Richfield Avenue, Reading and Bramham Park, Leeds.
Rock ‘n’ roll legend and an unmistakable icon of music history, Liam Gallagher will be bringing his highly anticipated solo performance to Reading and Leeds in a UK Festival Exclusive. One of the most recognised figures in British music, his show will be an attitude filled performance fuelled with Oasis classics and tracks from his debut solo record; announcing the next huge step for the nation’s most unmissable frontman.
Undeniable alt-rock sensations PVRIS will be laying out their marker for the year ahead at Reading and Leeds, as they return to the stage ahead of their long-awaited sophomore record. After becoming the hottest name in emerging rock with the release of debut album White Noise in 2014, their electro-infused anthems have continued to resonate with an audience of devoted fans eager for their next chapter.
Long Beach trailblazer and Def Jam star, Vince Staples has become the definitive voice of rising hip-hop. Earning the respect of influential musical figures such as Odd Future, Earl Sweatshirt, Mac Miller, and Gorillaz following his debut album Summertime 06, his eagerly awaited appearance at Reading and Leeds this summer is sure to be an unmissable coronation of future rap royalty.
From one generation to another, timeless drum and bass titan Goldie will make a very special stop at this year’s Reading & Leeds festivals. A true innovator for a genre and a movement, Goldie transcends British culture, with classic LP Timeless still sounding as raw and captivating as it first did upon release in 1995. With a new album set for release, 2017 is the year Goldie returns with a bang, laid out in full colour at Reading & Leeds this summer.
With an incredible variety of genres and styles spread across the festival's six stages, Reading & Leeds is bursting with exciting names and defining sounds for 2017 and beyond.
MAIN STAGE
With huge headline performances set from the likes of Kasabian, Eminem and Muse, even more names have been confirmed for their standout moment in the sun on that iconic Reading & Leeds Main Stage. Along with the unmissable returns of Liam Gallagher and PVRIS, politically-charged garage rockers VANT will be making the step-up, following on from a festival-stopping set on last year’s Festival Republic Stage. With debut album Dumb Blood radiating unstoppable hits, expect their performance at this year’s festival to be a journey into unfiltered riffs in full glory. Grunge-tinged indie-pop pair Honeyblood will lay out tracks from second studio album Babes Never Die at the festivals, with LA blues rock duo Deap Vally will be bringing Femejism to both sites, and frenetic London quartet Judas heading back to the Main Stage after their sensational last-minute slot at Leeds last year.
Lynn Gunn, PVRIS:
“We are incredibly grateful to be performing again at Reading & Leeds. Our first experience at the festival was phenomenal and took us completely by surprise. We are excited to see what comes from it this time around and perhaps even play some new tunes *wink wink*”
Deap Vally;
"We can't wait to return to the R & L stage and show everyone how it's done”!
Judas;
"We feel totally honoured and privileged to be asked to open the main stage this year. We have been working so hard for so long and it's amazing to be rewarded with the chance to play the main stage at the best music festival in the U.K. Thank you to everyone who has supported us, see you in August! Let's have it"
Honeyblood
“Mega excited to be playing Reading and Leeds this year! It's such a legendary festival and it's an absolute dream come true be on the main stage.”
NME / RADIO ONE STAGE
Spilling with big names and rising favourites, including previously announced headliners You Me At Six, Flume and Haim, the NME/Radio One Stage has announced even more stand-out sets over the weekend. Monumental live performances will come from Mura Masa, the electronic maestro behind hits ‘Love$ick’ and ‘Firefly’. The highly acclaimed producer and multi-instrumentalist will reign over Reading and Leeds with thundering beats and a set that promises to point towards one of the most exciting artists in the world. Bass-giant Sub Focus is set to up the ante with an unmissable live set of eclectic dance, having released new material Lingua earlier this year.
Having made a name for herself through collaborations with Rudimental, Sean Paul and Clean Bandit, Anne-Marie is set to bring her mellifluous melodies and infectious synth lines to the festival. Teenage singer-songwriter extraordinaire Declan McKenna is another new name on the bill who is most definitely primed for big things over the year ahead. Possessing a live show that lights up packed venues and TV screens wherever he goes, and with a debut album out this summer, Declan McKenna’s moment is here and Reading and Leeds is the place to be to witness it all.
Chicago’s The Orwells will be packing out their muscular riffs and catchy refrains for an unpredictable appearance this year, along with Marika Hackman, whose hotly tipped new album I’m Not Your Man is set to drop this summer, full of distinct melodies and a bolder new sound. Expect it to go down a treat when Marika Hackman steps up to the Reading & Leeds stage this summer.
Brighton geek-rockers The Magic Gang, melancholy indie scuzz three piece Blaenavon and Australia's psych-pop groovers Pond are also lined up for stunning moments over the weekend, while further additions King No-One, SG Lewis, Mutemath and X Ambassadors all add to making the NME/Radio One Stage a not to be missed musical destination throughout the festival.
Declan McKenna;
“Reading & Leeds is definitely going to be a highlight of the year for me. Am so excited to finally be playing at a festival I love so much and have been to so many times.”
Zach Lount, King No One;
"Reading and Leeds is such an amazing platform to spread who we are and drive our message of equality to more and more people. We can't wait to share our biggest moment”
FESTIVAL REPUBLIC STAGE
With headliners Bear’s Den, The Black Lips and The Hunna already primed for rapturous sets - the Festival Republic Stage is once again overflowing with future stars and acts possessing that special something that’ll take them to a whole new level. These include renowned garage rock heroes Japandroids, who returned earlier this year with acclaimed new album Near To The Wild Heart Of Life packed full of the shout-along hooks that have packed venues across the globe. 90s guitar riffers Ash are primed for a return to the festivals with a catalogue of indisputable hits at their disposal, while the transcendent grooves of US ambient-electro force Cigarettes After Sex are sure to be a highlight of the festival weekend.
Dazzling with a who’s who of names destined to burst into record collections over the next 12 months, the stage will play host to the likes of Aussie dance-psych kings Jagwar Ma with their infectious cuts from latest LP Every Now & Then, trailblazing indie-noir heroes Black Honey, glacial electro swooner The Japanese House, all-encompassing cinematic dreamers Pumarosa, modern pop tilter Bishop Briggs and Danish eruptive-pop trio Off Bloom amongst others.
After releasing their acclaimed debut About U, MUNA will make their first appearance at the festivals - promising a powerhouse show full of lush harmonies and potent pop perfection. They’ll be joined across the weekend by vibrant guitar-pop gang The Big Moon, sun-soaked pop prince Will Joseph Cook, US garage rock kickers The Districts, Dirty Hit two piece Superfood, Sydney duo Vallis Alps, distinct bassline pointer Cosima, blistering indie upstarts Paris Youth Foundation and the blues-fuelled highs of Ten Tonnes for landmark moments at every turn.
With further sets confirmed from Barns Courtney (Reading Only), LA creator Mondo Cozmo and electric pop swaggers OUTLYA - the Festival Republic Stage is a must-see look at the future of music and the world’s next favourite acts.
Tim Wheeler, Ash;
"We’re very proud to announce an historic 10th appearance for Ash at the Reading festival. We first performed there in 1995 and our shows at the festival stand among our favourite shows that we’ve ever played, it’s always been a highlight of each year we’ve done it. Somewhere along the way we were promised a statue upon reaching our 10th appearance, so we’re looking forward to the grand unveiling in August!"
Black Honey;
"We've been going to Reading and Leeds since we were little, it's where I crowd surfed for the first time and fell in love with music, it feels so fucking good to be back on the other side of the barrier again this year"
Barns Courtney;
“Looking forward to making my debut appearance at one of my fave UK festivals which was the 1st one I ever a went to as a kid! Looking forward to rocking your little socks off Reading and thanks for the invite”
MUNA;
"We love the U.K. and are beyond thrilled and excited to be able to finally play a festival there!”
THE PIT/LOCK-UP STAGE
Bringing together the hottest names from every inch of the rock world, The Pit/Lock-Up Stage is set to play host to the most genre-defining sets of the weekend as Japanese leaders ONE OK ROCK, riotous live favourites Gnarwolves, riff masters Arcane Roots, high-octane lo-fi duo PWR BTTM and American heavyweights Breaking Benjamin will storm the coveted rock spotlight.
French electro-doom bringer Carpenter Brut, bass-heavy Bristol natives Turbowolf, and grime-punk new bloods Astroid Boys promise to redefine the very meaning of blistering festival performances, whilst Boston Manor, Defeater, VUKOVI, God Damn, WSTR, and Viagra Boys are destined to steal the stage with their raw punk behaviour.
In a seismic billing of alternative power, critically acclaimed Zeal & Ardor are set to bring anthemic black metal to the stage as hotly tipped acts Palisades and Casey reinforce the unapologetic intensity of The Pit/Lock-Up Stage. A monumental mix of fierce acts including Tigers Jaw, Big Jesus, Tired Lion, Culture Abuse, Muncie Girls, TIGERCUB, SLØTFACE, RavenEye, Freak and LIFE promise to take 2017 to another level.
Andrew Groves, Arcane Roots;
Playing the esteemed Reading & Leeds Festival last year was one of the highlights of our career, so to be asked to play again this year, with a new album on the way and an ambitious new sound, is both an honour and a opportunity to unveil what we've only teased at so far. Reading & Leeds has always felt like a proving ground to us, and we'll be certain to bring something special with the likes of Billy Talent shortly after us.
Thom Weeks, Gnarwolves;
"We're very excited to be playing Reading and Leeds this year. It'll be our 4th time at Reading and we get to play on the stage we first played on 4 years ago! I spent my teenage years at Reading, watching bands like Thursday and Sick Of It All, so getting to play is like living out a teenage fantasy...4 times!"
Ben Hopkins, PWR BTTM;
"My mind is completely blown that we are going to be playing Reading and Leeds where so many incredible bands have played for so many years. I just hope my outfit looks good!!!”
Lande Hekt, Muncie Girls:
“We're so exciting to go back to Reading and Leeds this year. Last time Eminem played, Dido made a surprise appearance and amongst the thousands of shocked fans, there wasn't a dry eye to be seen. We can only hope for the same this year. Also the Lock Up stage is amazing. What a way to end our summer!”
Sløtface;
"Just thinking of the fact that we'll be on the same poster as Kasabian, Charli XCX, At The Drive In and Eminem is really exciting. We love the festival life in the UK and this is the biggest UK festival we've ever done, so this has to be amazing.”
BBC 1XTRA STAGE
Promising to be one of the most exciting stages of the weekend, the BBC 1Xtra Stage welcomes Manchester’s finest Bugzy Malone. The northern Grime wordsmith’s credentials remain unchallenged with genre-defining E.P’s Walk With Me and Facing Time entering the UK Album Chart Top Ten. With videos of his flawless freestyles and music videos racking up over 90 million views; it’s no surprise he returns to Reading and Leeds as the stage’s final headliner.
New additions today include London’s grime queen, Stefflon Don, explosive American rapper Vince Staples, the hotly tipped West London MC AJ Tracey, MOBO Award Winner Abra Cadabra, and one of America’s most exciting hip-hop artists and producers, Russ.
Lord of The Mics legend, P Money will take to the BBC 1Xtra Stage, whilst Dante Jones and Drew Love appear as R&B success story, THEY. Critically acclaimed Canadian DJ Lunice will be bringing his highly anticipated mix of hip-hop, breakbeat and trap to the festival alongside hip-hop polymath Akala, freestyle master Big Tobz and grime young blood Jaykae. In addition to these incredible names, DJ Semtex (Reading only), Not3s, Bossman Birdie, A2, and Monster Florence also join the line-up, making for the most exciting BBC 1Xtra Stage billing to date.
Bugzy Malone;
"I cannot wait to get back on stage at Reading and Leeds. It will be my third year in a row and I'm so gassed to be headlining the BBC 1Xtra stage. I've got a few surprises planned, so make sure you get there early."
P Money;
"Glad to be back! Third time is always the best time! Grime in full effect"
DJ Semtex
"The raw energy and excitement of the crowd that Reading and Leeds festival attracts is unrivalled. They demand the hardest, pounding abrasive sounds, and I love that. For me this is the event of the year."
BBC RADIO 1 DANCE STAGE
With Goldie announced today, the BBC Radio 1 Dance Stage packs the biggest electro line up of the summer, with new additions today including radio icon and contemporary tastemaker Mistajam. A gatekeeper to the most exciting music of the present day, he’ll take to the coveted stage alongside Brentford’s finest pirate radio DJ crew Kurupt FM, live beat-maker and multi-instrumentalist Jax Jones, and garage sound-system stars Heartless Crew. With Delta Heavy, Monki, and Hospital Records’ own Metrik also confirmed for moments across the weekend, the BBC Radio 1 Dance Stage will once again provide an exciting soundtrack to the bank holiday weekend.
Already soaked in unmistakable dance royalty, the BBC Radio 1 Dance Stage will be full of electronic boundary-pushers throughout the weekend, including seismic blending from South London’s prodigal beat maker Jacob Plant, garage pioneers Dreem Teem, homegrown house producer Kideko and a Fabric favourites B2B set from Loadstar and Matrix & Futurebound. Also added today and set to provide a fitting summer soundtrack is LANY, the alt-pop trio known for their sunset haze sound, Alma, who will be on hand with her tropical house beats and powerhouse vocals, and indie-pop charmers HAUS.
Jacob Plant;
"I can't wait to play R&L this year! It's hands down my favourite festival to play in the world. This will be my 4th time playing and every year gets bigger and better!"
Loadstar;
'We are delighted to be playing at Reading & Leeds festival this year, its definitely one of those festival's we've always dreamt of playing and to be part of the massive line up for the R1 dance stage is huge honour...see you there!'
LANY;
"Reading and Leeds is muddy and weird and perfect. I can't wait to be back."
With over 80 names added today, Reading & Leeds 2017 boasts the biggest names, sounds and festival moments for yet another unmissable year.
Published on 07 April 2017 by Ben Robinson
