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What we learned from Reading Festival 2019

A melting pot of genres converged on Little John's Farm for a stunning weekend of live music.

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On a blisteringly hot bank holiday weekend, folks from all over graced the city of Reading once again to boogie their hearts out.

Throughout the weekend we saw the raver/rocker in their natural habitat of a muddy field absolutely smashing it. Whether that be with their outfits, their sauce, their shapes or the groovy gangs they were with, these guys were out for a good time. A good time is what they got.

Check out our Reading Festival 2019 gallery

Photos by Sara Emerson


Friday

In true Reading Festival fashion, the layout of the festival remained the same as years previously yet the genres involved keep on evolving. Previously celebrated as more of a rock and alternate festival, this year’s line-up consisted of even more pop, electronic and hip hop acts than ever before. Friday’s festival flock were treated to the likes of Charli XCX, Fredo, Dave, Fisher, Camelphat, You Me At Six, Royal Blood, The 1975 and many more.

Donning cycling shorts and some of the coolest glasses you are ever likely to see, Charli XCX got as much, if not more exercise than any Tour de France cyclist during her set on the main stage. Performing hits such as Boom Clap, 1999 and the frenzied I Love It, Charli got the party started early.

Second headliners on the bill for Friday were the incredible duo of Royal Blood. Once again baffling crowds by producing a sound that’s far too thick in texture for just two people to create, Mike and Ben gave an outrageous performance playing tracks from their first two albums, Royal Blood and How Did We Get So Dark?

The 1975 were headliners on Friday and the level of support was overwhelming. With the aid of a huge travellator on stage and extremely talented new additions to the band in the form of their new backup singers, The 1975 showed their class with a politically-charged set.


Saturday

As it got even hotter on Saturday, so did the artists.

We have two words for you. Billie. Eilish.

Showcasing her debut album WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO? with her brother FINNEAS on keys and guitar, the L.A pop star kicked off her set with Bad Guy and the energy just did not slip with mosh pits even forming for her ballads.  You wouldn’t bet against the star headlining the famous festivals in the future.

Twenty-One Pilots bought a completely innovative and ridiculous set with them to Reading.  Starting their slot by setting a car on fire, then moving on to backflips, stunts being performed around the stage and even incorporating a crowd-surfing drum kit, the lads from Ohio performed fan favourites such as Heathens, Stressed Out and Jumpsuit.  They even ended their set by getting all their security up for a quick can-can.

With Post Malone closing the mainstage on Saturday, there was more than enough to keep everyone happy across the Reading stages. Andy C bought the crowd some delicious drum and bass to keep the kids grooving throughout the night and if that wasn’t your thing, you could take it down a notch with some smooth beats from Mura Masa on the BBC Radio 1 Stage.


Sunday

Sunday saw a more rock vibe return to the festival and temperatures had finally cooled down a bit which was fabulous news for attendees on the paler side of life… before Foo Fighters came along and ramped up the heat again.

Everyone You Know opened up the BBC Radio 1 Dance Stage playing tracks from their new EP Look After Your Pennies and wowed a very hungover crowd at 13:20 in the afternoon. The likes of SWMRS, Yungblud and The Distillers killed the mainstage throughout the day and more than set up the party ready for the evening.

A notable performance from across the Sunday came from the high energy NSG, which showed the BBC 1Extra Stage just how-to OT Bop and they smashed their set with dance moves that are just contagious. They were followed by DaBaby and Not3s who got stellar reviews from festival goers leaving the wildly packed tent.

When your first track at a festival is The Pretender, and you start off with a pyro display fit for Guy Fawkes Night, you’re definitely on the right track. Foo Fighters bought the house down on the final day of the festival, playing hits such as Times Like These, All My Life, Learn to Fly and many, many more. At Reading Festival 2019, Dave and the gang proved once again why they reign supreme.


After another successful year at Reading Festival, it is difficult to imagine that anyone would want to spend their August Bank Holiday any differently. With a huge selection of artists spanning many exciting genres, Reading and Leeds is still the cream of the crop for a well-balanced fun-filled weekend festival.

Limited tickets for Reading and Leeds 2020 are available now through Ticketmaster.co.uk