Pepsi MAX presents Reading and Leeds Festival has unveiled major new plans for the on-site festival experience at both shows this summer.
Organisers Festival Republic said the completely revamped stage layout marks the biggest staging and arena overhaul in the festival’s 37-year history.
The announcement about stages being overhauled this year follows reports that Reading Festival has made a licensing application for 2027 to add a fourth day, in line with Leeds Festival.
As part of the huge revamp (see below), the main stage will now be called The Grid. The second stage will be called The Gallery, while 2026 will see the launch of new dance music stage The Warehouse.
This year’s Reading Festival is now sold out with only remaining Sunday day tickets available.
Reading and Leeds Festival’s 2026 headliners are Charli XCX, Chase & Status, Dave, Florence + The Machine, Fontaines DC and Raye, as well as Kasabian becoming the first ever Thursday night headliners in Leeds.
The new stage layout for Reading & Leeds is:
The Grid
The home of the festival’s main stage. As well as the headliners, it will feature acts including Sombr, Skepta, Role Model, Loyle Carner (Reading only), Blossoms (Leeds only), Declan McKenna, Jade, Maisie Peters, Keo and more.
The Gallery presented by Budweiser
A brand new stage for 2026, The Gallery is an undercover immersive stage. LED screen lights and immersive production runs throughout the entire stage. The Gallery will feature Josh Baker, Geese, Kneecap, Skye Newman, Kettama and Holly Humberstone amongst others. Gunna, Chris Stussy and Viagra Boys will appear in Reading, while Jamie Webster, The K’s and Rose Gray add to the line-up in Leeds.
The Warehouse
The Warehouse is a brand-new purpose-built home for dance music with viewing platforms in front and behind the decks, plus huge screen production. It will feature sets from Skepta b2b Prospa, Hybrid Minds, Hedex, Silva Bumpa and Rossi, amongst others. Max Dean will appear back-to-back with Luke Dean as well as Bou, in what will be the first ever custom-built, experiential dance stage for Reading and Leeds.
The Ballroom
For the first-time ever, Reading and Leeds Festival will have a transformed stage complete with unique chandeliers and draping that plays host to “artists who are defining and dominating 2026”, according to the announcement. The stage will feature a mix of genres, including appearances from YT, Florence Road, Niko B, Paris Paloma, Bassvictim, Overpass, Speed, Frost Children, Bleech 9:3, Westside Cowboy, Chloe Qisha, Radio Free Alice, Dexter In The Newsagent, Whatmore and Clementine Douglas, amongst others.
The Canopy
The Canopy is a major platform for new music. It will play host to the likes of Violet Grohl, Villanelle, December 10, Camille Blackman, Kibo, Finessekid, Cruz Beckham and The Breakers and more.
The Yard (Reading Only)
The Yard will bring the “industrial edge of alternative club culture”, according to the announcement. It is situated in the open-air with shipping containers as part of the configuration.
These new stages are joined in Leeds Festival by the return of LS23 and Piccadilly Circus, with full programming to be revealed in the coming weeks.
PHOTO: Luke Dyson
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