It’s nearly the August Bank Holiday, which means music royalty, moshers, clubbers, and aging popsters are about to descend on a town in Berkshire.
Right now, trains from Paddington to Padstow are currently crammed full of kids with tents and tinnies making the annual pilgrimage to the place where everyone from Kurt Cobain to Charli XCX have played the sets of their careers.
We'll be putting on an unironed Deftones tee and joining them quite literally in the field and reporting back with clips from backstage on our Instagram, a DiSpatch on next week's DiS podcast, and some musings on the festivities in this newsletter.
If you want to join in the fun, there are some weekend tickets and day tickets still available on readingfestival.com or you can catch some sets on BBC iPlayer.
This year’s Reading Festival festival line-up features some of the band’s of the moment like Amyl and The Sniffers, Mannequin Pussy, and our Class of 2025 list toppers Lambrini Girls, performing alongside Chapell Roan, Bring Me the Horizon, Travis Scott, Hozier, AJ Tracey, Bloc Party, Enter Shikari, Limp Bizkit, Soft Play, The Chats, and The Kooks.
However, as with every festival, lurking in the line up are some exceptional new acts that you might not know. We recommend adding all of these to your musn’t miss list:
CLIFFORDS
For fans of: Broken Social Scene, Sharon Van Etten, Florence + The Machine, Augustines, Temper Trap, Wolf Alice, and Gaslight Anthem
Some tunes have a grandeur that sounds destined for a big moment and our recent track of the week is one of them. In fact, all of the songs we’ve heard so far online and live from Cork’s Cliffords have a majesty and brass-enhanced rock bombast but there’s something about my song of the summer ‘My Favourite Monster’ that feels like it’ll be having a second and third wind on montages and end credits for years to come. A really special new band. | Sunday 12:55pm, BBC Introducing
HEARTWORMS
For fans of: The Kills, The Cure, Interpol, PJ Harvey, Depeche Mode, Placebo, Twilight Sad, and M(h)aol.
Menacing is one way to describe Heartworms, the project led by creative force Jojo Orme. Taut, intoxicating riffs, glitchy drum-machines, and jackhammer drums rumble beneath trauma-informed songs about freedom, fighter pilots, and the weight of modern life. With a monochrome visual landscape, gothic-rock lovers have likely already fallen under the spell of one of the albums of the year, Glutton for Punishment, which is out now on Speedy Wunderground. | Friday, 6:40pm, Festival Republic
SOFIA ISELLA
For fans of Fiona Apple, Lana Del Ray, Billie Eilish, FKA Twigs, and Ethel Cain.
Menacing is also how you could describe Sofia Isella, whose songs sound as if they're whispering to the moon and sometimes shouting at the stars. There's an entire universe in sentences of her songs and the poetic tidal soup glides along sparse backdrops that occasionally boooom with the thud of a piano or the thwack of drum kit. 'The Doll People' has become the soundtrack to a bajillion TikToks about toxic masculinity but behind the viral segment with a delicious f-bomb is one of the most extraordinary artists to sneak onto the music scene in eons. | Fri, 3:45pm, Festival Republic
ECCA VANDAL
For fans of: Nova Twins, The Living End, Alkaline Trio, Scowl, Mannequin Pussy, and Amyl & The Sniffers.
‘Cruising to Self Soothe’ isn’t just one of the song titles of the year but with its guitar thrash and screamed horse chorus, it’s the sort of punk tune that feels timeless. Whilst you wouldn’t catch most hardcore bands shouting mid-set “who doesn’t love a good cry?” this just makes Ecca Vandal all the more vital be carving out space in a rock scene that for a while felt lacking in fresh ideas. Yes, these tunes could soundtrack riding around Wall of Death or the end credits of the next teen movie franchise, but it's live where they're going to make you want to truly go out and riot. | Saturday, 5:25 pm, Festival Republic Stage
The Pill
For fans of: Lambrini Girls, The Vandals, Bikini Kill, McLusky, and Wet Leg
Snark and rage are always the perfect combo, but any hint of silliness from this punk pair is met with a slap of social commentary atop a snarling bass. And yes, the duo from the Isle of Wight have a song about men with mullets. And one about women drivers. There's something about the bite and cackle to their songs that hints that you're onto something special. | Saturday at 6:25pm, BBC Introducing Stage
Other acts on our to watch list
- Glixen (Fri, 1:15pm, Festival Republic)
- Jasmine.4.T (Fri, 2:05pm, Festival Republic)
- Snayx (Fri, 4:55pm, Festival Republic)
- The Linda Lindas (Fri, 5:55pm, Festival Republic)
- Mannequin Pussy (Fri, 8:35pm, Festival Republic)
- Lambrini Girls (Sat, 12:50pm, Main Stage)
- Pale Waves (Sat, 4:25pm, Chevrom Stage)
- Suki Waterhouse (Sun, 4:05pm Main Stage)
- DÉYYESS (Sun, 7:20pm, BBC Introducing)
- The Dare (Sun, 9:05pm, Festival Republic)
Please note: stage times can be subject to change.