Reading and Leeds Festival has revealed the biggest ever change to its stages

If a long weekend of camping, skipping sleep to see your favourite artists and washing with a plastic water bottle is your idea of a good time, then Reading and Leeds Festival is paradise. 

Thanks to Glastonbury being on a fallow year in 2026, R&L is set to be Britain’s largest music festival this summer. And along with a star-studded lineup, it’s also announced a complete revamp of its layout. Yep, the sister festivals’ organisers have announced the ‘biggest staging and arena overhaul in the festival’s 37 year history’ for the 2026 bash. 

Wondering what to expect from the fezzy’s makeover? We’ve got you covered. Here’s a breakdown of all the new stages coming to Reading and Leeds this year.

When is Reading and Leeds Festival 2026?

This year’s dual bash will take place over the summer Bank Holiday weekend from Thursday August 27 to Sunday August 30, hosted at Bramham Park in Leeds and Little John’s Farm in Reading.

New stages for Reading and Leeds 2026

The Grid

The only change being made to the fezzy’s largest platform is its name. The area formerly known as the main stage will hereby be referred to as The Grid. It’ll host the biggest-name artists of the weekend, including headliners Charlie XCX, Fontaines DC, Dave, RAYE, Florence + The Machine, Chase & Status and Kasabian, who will appear as the first ever Thursday night headliner of Leeds Festival.

The Gallery

Pitched as an ‘undercover immersive stage’, if you were ever tempted to wear a pair of sunnies indoors, now would be the time, because this shiny new stage will be littered with LED screen lights and production visuals. Josh Baker, Geese, Kneecap and Skye Newman are all set to perform at The Gallery, along with Gunna, Chris Stussy and Viagra Boys playing exclusively in Reading and Jamie Webster, The K’s and Rose Gray adding to the Leeds lineup.

The Warehouse

For this next addition to proceedings, we have four words of wisdom: pack your dancing shoes. Reading and Leeds has created a new purpose-built home for dance music, taking the form of The Warehouse. Expect viewing platforms both in front and behind the decks and huge screens designed to make performances more experiential. As for who it’ll host, artists like Rossi, Silva Bumpa, Hybrid Minds are all on the lineup, plus Skepta will be going b2b with Prospa.

The Ballroom

Now, we know what you’re thinking. Don’t worry, the festival hasn’t gone for a Strictly Come Dancing vibe this year. The Ballroom has, however, been kitted out with fancy chandeliers and draping fabrics, giving this bash a bit of a fancier feel. Its stage will welcome breakthrough sets from artists like YT, Florence Road, Niko B, Paris Paloma and Bassvictim.

The Canopy

Festivals are always a good place to discover artists you’ve never heard before and music that wouldn’t typically come up on your Spotify shuffle. Well, if you’re on the hunt for a fresh sound, The Canopy will be entirely dedicated to new music. Violet Grohl, Villanelle, December 10, Camille Blackman, Kibo, Finessekid, Cruz Beckham and The Breakers are some of the names on the docket.

The Yard (Reading Only)

Leeds loyalists, look away. This last stage is going to be exclusive to Reading fest. Designed to ‘bring the industrial edge of alternative club culture’, The Yard will be an open-air space dotted with shipping containers for DJs to spin the decks.

Can I still get tickets to Reading and Leeds Festival?

Weekend camping and non-camping tickets for Reading Festival are completely sold out, but you can still nab a Sunday day ticket for £125 at the festival website here. 

Camping and non-camping slots are still available for Leeds Festival, though. You can check out your options here.

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