The headliners for 2024’s Reading & Leeds Festivals have been announced and are a mix of top-slot debutantes and R&L legends. Liam Gallagher, Lana Del Rey, Blink-182, Fred Again, Gerry Cinnamon, and Catfish and the Bottlemen will all be topping the bill over the August Bank Holiday Weekend.
Liam Gallagher last headlined at the festivals in 2021 and is set to follow his British and Irish tour celebrating 30 years since the release of Definitely Maybe by playing the album in full during his set. “I’m gonna be playing Reading & Leeds – The most RnR festivals we have left in the UK,” he said. “Be there or be square.”
There is also speculation that he may be joined on stage by ex-Stone Roses guitarist John Squire, who previously played with the singer at his 2022 Knebworth shows. Rumors continue to circulate that the pair have been collaborating on new music: in October Gallagher replied to a question on X (formerly known as Twitter) with a picture of them together and the message: “It’s the best record since revolver.”
That's Revolver with a capital R, Liam
Lana Del Rey, Fred Again and Gerry Cinnamon will all be headlining for the first time. Following her performance at 2023’s Glastonbury, described by the Guardian as “compelling and brilliant, a showcase of one of the world’s greatest living pop stars,” the top billing for Lana Del Rey is expected to be a huge draw for the predominantly teenage audience at the festivals, and follows a nomination for album of the year (for Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd) in February’s 2024 Grammy awards.
Gerry Cinnamon’s return to R&L – this time as a headlining act – has the Scottish singer-songwriter understandably excited. “Last time was absolutely f***ing bananas,” he said in a statement. “Was first gig straight out of lockdown, heavy emotional. Headlining now so we’ll take it up another level again. Buzzing to be back. See you there.”
Lana Del Rey performing at BST Hyde Park 2023
Fred Again’s top billing follows headlining slots at Park Life and Coachella in 2023, as well as an Other Stage Glastonbury set that drew one of the largest crowds of that festival. He said that R&L marks “the only UK festival I’m playing next year and is the first festival I ever went to.”
Catfish and the Bottlemen last headlined Reading & Leeds alongside Liam Gallagher in 2021, before drummer Bob Hall and guitarist Johnny Bond quit the band. Although the Welsh rockers have been dormant since then, their return to R&L has prompted rumors of a new album.
The inclusion of Blink-182 – who previously topped the bill in 2010 and 2014 – has been tagged as a “2024 UK festival exclusive”, and comes following rave reviews for ninth album One More Time… – their first LP since the return of Tom DeLonge after his departure in 2015.
Blink-182 rocking Reading & Leeds 2014
“We are thrilled to announce the first wave of artists for Reading & Leeds 2024,” said Melvin Benn, Managing Director of Festival Republic. “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 Rey and the legendary Blink-182. 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 and 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.”
