Charli XCX is officially set to headline Reading and Leeds Festival 2026, marking a full-circle moment six years after she publicly criticized the festival’s lack of female headline acts.
The 365 hitmaker will top the bill alongside fellow British and Irish acts: Raye, Florence + The Machine, Fontaines D.C., Chase & Status, and Dave. Organizers revealed it will be the first time in 25 years that all headliners hail exclusively from the U.K. and Ireland — and the only U.K. festival appearance for each act in 2026.
Charli XCX, who dominated stages this year at Coachella, Glastonbury, and Primavera while touring her acclaimed 2024 album Brat, is expected to usher in a “new era.” She recently teased the transition with her new singles House and Chains of Love, from the soundtrack of Emerald Fennell’s Wuthering Heights adaptation.
Charli XCX headlining spot comes more than six years after she blasted the festival for repeatedly featuring all-male headliners.
“They just need to book more women… Nothing has changed,” she told NME in 2020.
Although organizers have since included female headliners such as Billie Eilish, Megan Thee Stallion, Lana Del Rey, and Halsey, debates about representation have continued.
The 2026 lineup will also feature Jade, Skepta, Kneecap, Sombr, and Role Model.
The festival runs from 27–30 August 2026 at Richfield Avenue in Reading and Bramham Park in Leeds.